At the beginning of each semester, invoices are sent out for the total tuition for the 18 week semester. Each semester’s tuition is paid in two installments. Due dates and payment methods are included on the invoice.

My current rate is $35 for a half-hour lesson, $45 for a forty-five minute lesson, and $60 for an hour long lesson. Siblings with two separate 30 minute lessons are counted as one hour-long lesson ($60).

There are no make-up lessons if the student cancels lessons. Because my schedule is full, make-up lessons are impossible for me to do consistently. However, the semester tuition has two absence built into the price. If I cancel a lesson due to a holiday, sickness or vacation, I will offer a make-up lesson. See the studio policy for more information.

There are so many new concepts in the first year of learning that listening them all here would be excessive. In short, beginner students learn basic rhythms, music reading fundamentals, and build a familiarity with musical patterns in their ears (aural) and on the piano (visual and kinesthetic).

As a general rule, the more you put in, the more you will get out. For beginner students, pieces are shorter and it is often more difficult to put in lots of time at the piano. Moreover, practicing more than 10-15 minutes each day may be excessive. I find it more helpful to set a goal for how many times to practice each week - ideally once day, but perhaps more realistically 4-5 times each week. This will help build the habit of spending time at the piano and as you develop you ability to practice and learn independently, your practice time will also increase.

When you practice at home, strive to balance having fun with reviewing materials from the lesson. Having fun can be improvising, messing around on the piano, or playing an old piece you really enjoy. Moments of unstructured play will help you learn implicitly and will help you develop a joy for music. Most weeks I will ask students to practice a piece that we worked on in the lesson. I will write the assignment by dating the page in the method book, making a printed copy, or writing down the name of the song on a post-it note. Practice the piece until you can play it with a steady beat and with ease. I will also usually assign a five finger patter or other keyboard skill to practice, which will be indicated on a sheet or on written into the method book. For more tips, see the PDF at the bottom of the resource page.

Yes! At minimum, I except students to participate in one recital each semester. If you are interested, I can also connect you to more recitals and events sponsored by music organizations in Indianapolis.

I do teach adults, but I give first priority to children. Because my schedule tends to be more full during the evening, it works best when adults have a daytime availability. Contact me to see if I have any openings during your availability.

At Brown Piano Studio, students can begin taking lessons at the age of six. Children can learn music as early as three years old; however, for children younger than six years old, it can be helpful to have a teacher who specializes in teaching that demographic.