Piano Lessons
Why Piano Lessons?
Despite the many technological advancements in music, the piano remains the best way to learn the “language” of music. The skill of coordinating both hands and feet playing piano will transfer to just about any instrument, too. Every aspiring musician should learn the piano! Even if your ultimate passion is playing the saxophone, drum set, or making beats on a computer, you will benefit tremendously from taking piano.
Learning to play songs on an instrument engages the brain and body in ways that few human activities can. Studies show improvements in a wide variety of academic markers from learning a music skill. Older adults also benefit from this high-intensity brain-body work of learning a musical instrument, too.
As we allow computers and machines to do more of the work we traditionally had to do ourselves, we must find ways to keep our brains active to prevent atrophy. Learning an instrument is a wonderful way of doing this at any age!
The Basics…
At Studio811 Music School we offer weekly private piano lessons for beginner through intermediate students in our beautiful new studio space conveniently located near Braem Park in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Any student age 6 and up is eligible, including teenagers, adults, and seniors. Most beginning students will benefit from 30 minutes of instruction per week, while more advanced students may opt for 45 or 60 minute sessions. For busy adults, we also offer bi-weekly 60 minute sessions. In addition to private lessons, you will also be invited to participate in two yearly recitals, optional group lessons, as well as a solo competition.
Beginner students will start with a traditional method book. Typically this is the Alfred Method. This is a wonderful method and gets students playing songs quickly, which adds to the fun! We also offer the Pace Method for students who are really motivated to develop serious technical ability, but are willing to delay some of the song learning at first.
Regardless of the chosen method, we try to emphasize developing advanced listening skills. The goal is for students to be able to learn songs simply by listening to a recording. While not all students learn best by ear, those who can often develop more creative abilities and a better appreciation of music over a lifetime.
How this works…
If you’re interested in piano lessons for yourself or your child the first step is to reach out and schedule an introduction lesson. At this lesson we will gauge ability, interest, and talk about goals. This is a great way to get a feel for what it will be like learning at Studio811.
If you decide to proceed, I will schedule another time to step through our studio policy document and make sure you know what to expect from us and what we will require of you. A small deposit and your first month’s tuition payment will be due at that time (more on this below). You will be given a weekly time slot, a method book, and you’ll be ready to start lessons!
I typically try to schedule my lessons back-to-back, so please do your best to arrive on time!
A single parent, grandparent, or guardian is welcome to attend any and all student lessons. For very young students, this is essential for helping them with practice at home. It is perfectly okay for parents to stay in the waiting area, wait outside in their car, or go run errands during the lesson.
We encourage daily practice. Please aim to practice at least 5 out of 7 days per week. Initially, practice should be 5-10 minutes every day at first. A little bit every day is better than taking off multiple days and then having a longer practice session later. Some practice will involve listening assignments in addition to assignments from your method book.
Cost and prerequisites
We require a $75 non-refundable deposit per-semester to reserve your weekly lesson slot. This payment goes towards studio maintenance, sheet music extras, access to practice apps, etc. This fee will also be used to cover some of the costs associated with recitals and solo competition.
Monthly tuition is as follows:
$125/month for weekly 30-minute sessions or bi-weekly 1-hour sessions.
$188/month for weekly 45-minute sessions.
$250/month for weekly 60-minute sessions.
We offer prorated tuition payments for the summer session to accommodate vacations and other activities. Please reach out to us ahead of the summer months to discuss options.
You will also be required to pay for any needed method books. We will procure these and will pass the exact cost onto you. Typically method books cost about $9-$15 a-piece on average.
While cash or check is preferred, we also offer electronic payment options for tuition payments. This includes direct withdraw options so you don’t have to worry about being late or missing a payment during the semester. If you choose one of these, we will require an small service fee to offset the portion that payment processors take. Typically this is an additional 3%, but can vary depending on your chosen payment method. Unfortunately, we cannot absorb this extra cost being a small business.
You must have a tuned piano in good playing shape at home for practicing. Ideally, this should be an acoustic piano of some variety. We recommend having your piano tuned twice a year.
Beginner students and their families may initially opt to get an electronic piano for practicing. This is okay with some caveats. Any electronic piano must have realistic hammer action, at least 61 keys, and a sustain pedal. If you’re unsure if what you have will suffice, we can discuss it at your initial introduction lesson.
Having a quiet space free from distractions is also essential for practicing at home. Please do the best you can. Parents, please encourage your students to practice daily to get the most out of piano lessons!