***2024 update: Thank you for visiting! I’m a full-time REALTOR now, so my openings for piano students are limited, but I accept new or returning students on a case-by-case basis. I only teach adults (and highly committed teenagers) at this time.***
I offer private piano lessons in the south Austin area (south of the river including Circle C, Sunset Valley, and thereabouts), teaching both out of my home studio and in students’ houses.
Philosophy/technique:
It’s never too late to learn how to play the piano! All you need to get started is access to a piano or keyboard on which you can practice between lessons. I believe that the best way to learn an instrument is to play the music you love. I will help you to challenge yourself, but I focus on keeping the lessons fun, and I want you to end each lesson feeling like you’re making progress that matters to you.
Whether you’re a brand-new beginner or an intermediate player hoping to improve your chops, I can build each lesson around your interests — classical music, soundtracks to movies or video games, popular songs, basic jazz, etc. I supplement with a variety of method books that will ensure your steady progress, so we’ll usually divide the lesson between sequential skills and your musical goals. I will introduce new pieces and styles once in a while to widen your horizons or help you hone certain techniques, but we’ll always include songs and skills that you personally want to learn.
If you want to work on writing music, we can include basic composition or songwriting instruction too; I have an academic background in music theory and composition, and during my undergraduate years I composed several pieces for students and faculty to perform in concert. I’ve also been involved in writing, arranging, and/or performing a handful of original songs with other musicians in town.
We can collaborate on ways for you to get performance experience if you’d like, as well; I’d be happy to help you arrange a small recital, for example, or learn the music theory required to jam with a band.
My teaching philosophy is closely connected to unschooling, which is the principle of directing your own learning. We can talk about how often you want to practice and how quickly you want to progress, and how you’ll encourage yourself to get there; my role is to provide resources, teach you new skills, and support your self-growth by holding you to your standards. I require my K-12 students to practice their homework between lessons, and my adult students to either do the same or submit to intense workshopping. 🙂 (While practicing regularly is the best way to improve quickly, adults often have an easier time picking up both the abstract and physical concepts necessary for playing the piano, so missing a few days of practice isn’t as disadvantageous for them as it is for kids.)
During the first lesson, we’ll discuss your musical interests and background, plus the ways you learn best…that way, I’ll know how to be most useful. The lessons can be as structured or as free-form as you’d like, and at regular intervals, I’ll take some time to ask what’s going well and whether you want to try changing anything up. Learning is an organic process, constantly changing and adapting; teaching should be the same.
Experience:
I’ve been playing the piano since I was a kid, and teaching for over 20 years. I’ve taught students of all ages and as young as three years old, although I focus on teenage/adult students now that I have a real estate career and two small children of my own. As a performer, I’ve played the piano for weddings and UIL accompaniment, in bands, and at various other events, and I’m always working to improve my own abilities. I have a BA in Music from Southwestern University; my senior project was a recital in which I played classical piano pieces for the first half, and then conducted or performed my own compositions (for piano, choir, percussion, and more) for the second half. One of the pieces I wrote was composed for six of my piano students to play at one piano together! They were all first-time performers at different skill levels, but they did a great job.
Rates (for weekly lessons):
30 minutes = $35 (my house) or $45 (student’s house)
45 minutes = $55 (my house) or $65 (student’s house)
60 minutes = $70 (my house) or $80 (student’s house)
Additional charges/minimums apply for students outside my travel range, generally starting at the minimum of $50 per household regardless of lesson time, which includes a $5 travel fee on top of the usual student’s-house rate.
After the initial lesson, weekly lessons are paid for a month at a time, and I require a 24-hour-minimum notice of cancellation for a refund. Otherwise we can usually make up the missed lesson — see the “Makeups/cancellations” section below. There are also discounts for longer lesson blocks, or three or more students taking consecutive lessons, when I commute to a household.
The cost of books and other materials varies based on your goals; for beginners the first few books are usually around $8-$10 apiece, and will serve you for several months.
Scheduling:
I teach Monday through Friday, with differing availability depending on where the lessons will take place. Weekly lessons are most common, but it’s also possible to take one-hour lessons every other week or once a month (this is for students whose schedules permit less regular practice, although I still require independent progress between lessons). Some students alternate between these structures depending on how much time they have each year with work, classes, etc.
Makeups/cancellations:
If you need to cancel a scheduled lesson, you won’t be charged for it as long as I receive notice more than 24 hours in advance. Repeated student cancellations may necessitate a change in lesson frequency to semimonthly or monthly lessons. With less than 24-hour notice, the lesson payment is still required, but we are usually able to reschedule the lesson or add extra time to regular lessons so that the student is able to make it up. (If the student is sick, for example, please reschedule!)
Sometimes I may have to move a lesson due to a scheduling conflict during the regular fall and spring semesters, or due to a sick day; because I’m self-employed, it is important for me to make up these (rare) missed lessons at a later time, and I make every effort to reschedule the lesson at the student’s immediate convenience.
If you have any questions or are interested in setting up an initial lesson, please contact me!
meredithorf 