STUDIO POLICIES
**UPDATE: Due to the severity of this year’s cold & flu season, all students are required to wash and/or sanitize their hands before beginning their lessons.
what ages do you work with?
I typically start private piano lessons with students starting at 5 years of age. I am not currently available to work with adults, unless they have a child enrolled in the studio.
will you travel to my house to teach?
I teach exclusively out of my in-home studio located off Browns Valley Road in Napa. I have a number of tools, games, reference texts, and musical instruments in my studio, which I use to help demonstrate and reinforce musical concepts.
what are your rates?
The answer depends on the age and lesson length of the student. For those in school age, I offer a longer term course of study, based on a fixed-rate service fee—like gyms, childcare, or sports—or where families pay a fixed fee per month, regardless of how many lessons there are in a month. Sometimes there will be 3, sometimes there will be 5. Generally, it ends up evening out to the cost of 3.5 lessons per month.
30-minute lessons - $200 per month (8 and younger)
60 minute lessons - $320 per month (ages 9+)
do you offer financial assistance?
If you have a child with exceptional ability whom you would like to enroll in piano lessons, but do not have the financial means, please reach out to me directly at vann.karine@gmail.com.
why do older children have longer lessons?
For reasons of attention span, lessons for children ages 5-8 are 30 minutes in length. During this time, parents accompany students to lessons, and our pace is slower and more incremental. We are focused on developing technique at the piano, rhythm skills, note reading, and solfége singing all through the use of vivid storytelling. Once children hit age 9, they are ready for a different approach that speaks to their growing intellect. We begin exploring more deeply certain activities such as harmonic theory, improvisation and transcription exercises, and longer, more complicated repertoire. Piano lessons become more demanding and for us to have the time we need, lessons must extend in length from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. This policy ensures that older students make the choice to either 1) deepen their commitment with music, rather than lessons being an activity solely prescribed by parents or 2) take a different route, opening up space for others to get a chance to try out piano (which is crucial, as piano teachers are in very short supply in Napa and space in my studio is extremely limited). (Occasionally when necessary, I allow for 45-minute lessons as a transitional stage.)
are parents required to be present in the lessons?
Parent attendance is required in the lessons of younger students (ages 5-7) and it is expected that you will learn piano alongside your child. Parents of older students are not required to attend lessons and in fact, many children prefer to attend lessons on their own as it becomes one way of establishing a burgeoning awareness of themselves as individuals. For students who prefer the presence of the parent in lessons, I welcome parent support in our lessons, but ask that parents stay mindful that, unlike with younger children, what we are working towards with older students is developing a sense of accountability and independence. As a teacher, I do my best to attend to the whole child, and that is why I build these developmental transitions into my curriculum.
how do I get started?
Contact me to set up an initial meet-and-greet where we will discuss your and/or your child’s ideas, motivations, and learning style. The first month of lessons is a trial, and following that, if you need to leave the studio for whatever reason, you must provide 30-days notice.
how do I schedule my lessons?
Currently my teaching days are Tuesdays - Thursdays, and I save certain hours on Fridays for make-up lessons. As of June 2023, I utilize a software called My Music Staff to help parents and students schedule their owns lessons at the end and beginning of each school year so that the onus is not completely on the teacher to navigate over a dozen different schedules. Students/parents log into their accounts and are able to view and claim available weekly lesson slots. It’s very convenient, and if you’re already a member of the studio, you can log in below to your My Music Staff account and schedule your lesson.
what will be expected of me once I begin lessons?
Is it possible to learn a language with just an hour of exposure per week? Certainly not. The same is true of learning a musical instrument. Learning an instrument is a skill, which means—unlike learning a subject, like history—it requires regular practice. Without effort and meaningful practice at home, piano lessons don’t make much sense, mostly because they will result in feelings of discouragement from the student who is wondering why they are stuck on the same material each week. Approaching piano lessons this way sets the student up for disappointment, and a negative relationship to music from a young age. That is a scenario I wish to avoid, so I like to be up front early on about practice requirements. A week is a very long time in the life of a young person—without practice, lesson material is forgotten. Young people especially, when provided with clear parameters and expectations, feel a sense of pride when they practice and see progress, so it is important we be on the same page about how to set them up for success. More on practice here.
how do you accept payment?
I accept payment over Zelle or check. Initial consultations, where I meet students for the first time to determine if it will be a good fit, are free of charge. Following that, monthly tuition is due up front on the first of each month.
what is your policy for make-up lessons?
I do not offer make-up lessons. If you miss a lesson for whatever reason, you lose that lessons. I do offer monthly studio group classes that are included with your monthly tuition and annual studio fee.
how do you handle national holidays and vacations?
Here is a link to my Studio Holiday Schedule. This document lists my planned holidays and breaks. These planned holidays are built into the fee structure and lessons falling during this time are not eligible for rescheduling.
what is your policy if I need to leave the studio?
Beyond the first month of study (which is a trial month), if you decide to leave the studio for whatever reason, a mandatory 30 day’s notice must be provided. Those who do not provide 30-days notice will be charged a $100 fee.
do I need a piano?
Yes. I can only accept students that have a real piano (which I much prefer!) or weighted digital keyboard at home that they have easy access to and can practice on almost daily. Observation from a teacher: There is a big difference both in progress and enthusiasm for practicing in students who have access to a real piano versus a digital keyboard (with better results consistently coming from students with access to a real piano). I am always happy to help you find an acoustic piano should you want to go in that direction. More on materials here.
will there be recitals/opportunities to perform?
For those taking weekly piano lessons, I have learned that having recital dates on the calendar is absolutely critical for children to be able to set and reach concrete goals. For this reason, I host one recital per semester: a winter recital in December, and another in May before the summer break begins. In my studio, recitals are about more than performing—it is a social event, an opportunity to meet others in the studio and also be exposed to other repertoire, skill levels, and possibilities with the piano in a safe and welcoming environment. This is why attendance is mandatory. Learning an instrument can be a very solitary experience, so it is important to have these dates on the calendar where everybody gets together. Recitals are typically always followed by a reception, where everybody brings something to share. Even if a student is unable to play for some reason, attendance is still required for the social experience and to support their peers.
do you teach over the summer?
I take a two month summer break from teaching which varies from year to year. Please check my Studio Holiday Schedule to see the dates for the upcoming school year.
do you teach/play other instruments?
I use singing as an important tool in my teaching of music, and students will naturally get exposure to basic vocal training. As mentioned above, I have other instruments in my home (guitar, accordion, and ukulele) and often use them to demonstrate musical concepts in an engaging way, but my technical expertise is on the piano.