Piano Lesson Questions, Answered
Thinking about piano lessons in Monument or online? Here are the questions parents and adult students ask most. Still wondering about something? Reach out and ask Diana directly.
Age 5 through adult. The studio is a genuine mix, roughly equal numbers of younger children, teenagers, and adults, and I teach both true beginners and students coming back to the piano after years away.
Private piano lessons, with four Tracks of Study to choose from. Piano Skills is module to module for the student who wants to learn it all. Improvise & Create is lead sheet and chord chart style with improvisation. Church Skills is worship music in that same lead sheet and chord chart style. Piano for Percussionists builds the music reading, hand coordination, and basic musicianship you need for percussion or a drum line in as short a time as possible. I start with a conversation about where you want to go, then build the path to get you there.
Lessons are private, one-on-one, and once a week. Younger students are generally in 30 minute lessons. Adults and more advanced students can choose 45 or 60 minutes as their music calls for it.
Tuition is averaged into 11 monthly payments across the studio year, and all lesson materials are included. A 30 minute lesson is $110.00 a month ($1,210.00 for the year), 45 minutes is $165.00 ($1,815.00), and 60 minutes is $220.00 ($2,310.00). Holidays and studio breaks are already deducted, so the amount stays the same every month, and August is a sabbatical month with no tuition due. You can see the full breakdown in the studio policy.
The studio uses a management system with an autopay feature that runs at the beginning of each month. Nothing to remember, nothing to mail.
No long term commitment, and nothing to buy in a block. Every family reads the studio policies, completes an enrollment form, and signs that they agree to what they have read. Tuition is month to month. If you decide to discontinue lessons, I ask for a 30 day notice and payment for that month, so I have adequate time to fill the slot.
Unfortunately not, and the reason is the lessons themselves. Because every lesson plan is designed for one specific student, each child in a family gets my full planning, designing, and teaching time. There is no shared prep work to discount.
The studio is gearing up to offer small group lessons, a piano club, in the fall based on interest. If that sounds like your kind of thing, reach out and I will add you to the list.
In-studio lessons are here in Monument, Colorado. Online lessons happen wherever you are, which works well for families in Gleneagle, Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, the Colorado Springs area, and beyond.
Yes, and often better than people expect. Multiple camera views show posture, hand position, and the keys up close. Whiteboards and software keep everything clear, and every lesson is recorded so students can rewatch it as many times as they want. Kids and adults both do well with it.
No. I was told at 12 that I was too old to begin, and I have spent 30 years proving that wrong. Adults are a big part of this studio, including students in their 60s and 70s. You set your own goals and move at your own pace.
Yes. The Church Skills track is built for worship musicians and church pianists: hymns, contemporary worship, chord charts, lead sheets, modulation, fill-ins, and playing confidently in a worship band. It is the only track of its kind offered by a local studio.
Yes. To make progress, the skills taught in the lesson have to be played out at home until they are permanent in the mind and under the fingers. An acoustic piano or a digital keyboard with fully weighted keys and a sustain pedal will do it. A small unweighted keyboard will hold a student back.
I provide all of it: method books, theory, solos, pop music, holiday pieces, and whatever else a student needs along their journey. All you bring is a 3 ring binder to add the new material to each week.
It varies by student according to their needs, which is what lets me personalize the journey. Whatever I choose still covers the core musical categories: technique, rhythm, theory, sight reading, improvisation, and composition. There is no cookie cutter, one size fits all regimen here.
Yes. Every student is guided in reading sheet music, lead sheets, and chord charts depending on the track they choose. Everyone gets exposure to all of these skills, in the way that serves their own desires and goals.
Yes. Theory is the backbone of music, and it is also one of the more boring parts, so I teach it in streamlined, easier to understand ways and then back it up by playing it out on the instrument. It does no good living only on a worksheet. We reinforce it with games, apps, and some healthy, fun competition.
Yes, a meet and greet. You get to see the studio, get a feel for how we would proceed, ask any questions you have, and we both find out whether we are a good fit. No pressure either way.
Let me know as soon as you can and I will prepare a video lesson and post it to the student's portal. You are welcome to message me with questions or send an audio clip or short video of the student playing, and I will review it and give feedback so progress keeps going. There are no refunds, discounts, or makeups for lessons that are not attended, since your tuition reserves that specific time slot. If I have to miss, a video lesson goes up with everything needed to move forward.
The studio teaching year runs from September, right after Labor Day, through July 31. Tuition is charged for those months, and any holidays or studio breaks are already deducted. August is a sabbatical month for all of us to have a break, get acclimated to a new school year, and let the teacher recharge her batteries. There is no tuition due for the sabbatical month.
Yes, a yearly concert that may land in the fall, at Christmas, or in the spring, rotating from year to year. All students are invited to participate, but nobody is forced. Music is meant to be celebrated, not endured. There are 3 to 4 recital times to choose from so you can pick the one that works, and each caps at 15 students to keep it an enjoyable evening with snacks and chat time afterward.
Yes, and you can read the full studio policy right here on the site. It covers the studio year and tuition, missed lessons, illness, snow days, and recitals. The policies give families guidance and keep our working relationship a good one. You will read them and sign off on them as part of enrollment.