FAQ
How long have you been teaching?
I’ve been teaching music for 20 years as of 2024. My very first student was a voice student in Austin, TX in 2004, and since then I’ve taught voice, piano, composition, guitar, music theory, songwriting, and even spent a few years teaching a full preschool classroom.
I’ve been named one of the Top 10 Piano Teachers in Portland by Expertise.com (for all 7 years it existed locally), and rated one of the best piano teachers in the area by Lessons.com.
What ages do you teach?
I teach students ages 4½ and up — including teens and adults. For young beginners, it helps if they’re interested in piano and able to stay in one spot for at least five minutes at a time.
What are your rates?
For Piano Lessons:
15 minutes - $55
30 minutes - $65
45 minutes - $75
For Piano PLUS Voice Lessons:
30 minutes - $75
45 minutes - $85
1 hour - $95
For Piano PLUS Composition Lessons:
30 minutes - $75
45 minutes - $85
1 hour - $95
Do you teach online or in person?
I teach online lessons only. I had planned to return to in-person teaching, but the online format has turned out to be incredibly effective. Even my youngest students (ages 4–5) tend to learn more material per lesson, and their retention has improved significantly.
What online platforms do you use?
I use FaceTime, Google Meet, and Facebook Messenger — whatever works best for your setup.
How does your billing work?
Lesson payments for the month are collected by the first lesson of each month, which reserves your weekly lesson time.
If you need to cancel a lesson, a make-up credit is added to your account and you can schedule it when you’re ready. If I ever need to cancel, I fully refund that day’s lesson fee.
Do you teach voice lessons?
I don’t teach stand-alone voice lessons, but I do offer Piano + Voice lessons. These include posture, breath support, age-appropriate vocal warm-ups, and learning to sing while you play.
Do you teach parent/child lessons?
After lots of experimenting over the years 😊 I’ve found that kids and parents learn best when I teach them separately. I love getting the chance to teach the parent as well — it makes the whole experience even richer and tends to support consistent practice for both parent and child.
It’s a wonderful option for families who want music to be a joyful, long-term part of home life.
What should I expect from a first lesson?
First lessons are a little different. We’ll spend some time getting to know each other, talking about your favorite kinds of music and your goals, and looking at curriculum options.
You’ll learn something new to play, choose books if needed, and we’ll chat about practice and policies. The goal is simply to see whether lessons feel like a good fit, and to give us a strong foundation if we continue.
How often should I practice?
Practicing at least four days a week helps students make steady, meaningful progress. Many people actually find daily practice easier, once it becomes a simple routine.
How long should I practice?
I encourage students to practice for repetitions rather than minutes. For example: play each assignment three times during your practice session.
You can also break practice into small chunks throughout the day — it all adds up.
What are your cats' names?
David and Alexis 🙂
They fully support piano study.