Studio Policy & Location
Piano playing assumes interest and willingness to practice between lessons. The rewards are: self-esteem and confidence, intellectual growth and maturity, joy, pride, coordination, discipline, concentration, and satisfaction with a job well done. However most importantly, it is a lot of fun to play the piano and it is a skill that can last a lifetime. It does take the commitment from the parents as well as from the student and the teacher. The combined efforts of the parent-student-teacher team always produce a superior result!
LOCATION & FACILITIES
Option A: My studio, located in the Mapleton area of Brooklyn, NY (the corner of 60th Street & 21st Avenue) with a beautiful YAMAHA G2 Grand Piano.
Option B: Your home or apartment equipped with any type of an upright or grand piano in a decent condition or a digital keyboard of the standard size of 88 keys. (This option requires an extra charge in addition to the regular lesson fee. The charge is determined by the distance / travel time & expenses and has to be personally discussed with Anna.)
TEACHER’S RESPONSIBILITY
My goal is to give my students the skill that enables them to use their intelligence and emotions for discovering the unique world of music. I focus on developing the individual student’s interests and abilities along with a well-rounded musical education. My students are always encouraged to play and share their music with others and also to become good listeners as well as performers. It creates a genuine love for music so they would want to continue learning for many years to come and will enjoy music for a lifetime! With the utmost respect of students’ opinions and appreciation of their talent and creativity I establish a clear communication with the students and parents, answer any questions, and help solving problems. Every day I work on improving the atmosphere of my studio, where I want my students to feel comfortable, nourished, and confident, while being able to recognize both the seriousness and fun of study. I offer studio recitals once or twice a year.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY AND MINIMUM AGE
Arriving at each lesson with the completed homework is the way to keep up a great progress! As a student you have to follow directions during the lesson and at home, ask questions if you do not understand something, respond cheerfully to parents’ reminders (remember they are helping you to be successful!), arrive to lessons on time, relax and have fun in order to learn a new skill and a new musical expression, be a real team member. My teaching experience allows me to state that by the age of 5 children develop the basic skills necessary to begin piano lessons: the ability to concentrate for at least 30 minutes, good manual dexterity, and most importantly an expressed interest in learning to play the piano. In some cases this can as well happen earlier, at the age of 4 or even 3.
PARENT’S RESPONSIBILITY
Provide an instrument for lessons/practice, encourage good practice habits, talk to the teacher if you have any questions regarding your child’s progress or need a professional advice, make payments on time, provide your child with staffed notebook and a required primer if selected by the instructor, and check weekly assignments between lessons. Your instrument might be of a kind and price range that is available/comfortable to you, although acoustic instruments are preferred. I am more than happy to offer an advice in buying an instrument, if needed.
I also believe it is important for the parent to observe what their child is learning during the lesson, so I encourage parents to be present at the lessons of their children at least once in a while. However, in some cases children become easily distracted by their parent’s presence in the room, so it is of course at the discretion of the parent as to whether they find it appropriate to attend their child’s lessons.
REGISTRATION
Please contact me by using the contact form page on this website or by calling (646) 673 7364 in order to register, ask questions if any, and to schedule your first lesson. I will appreciate the opportunity to meet you and your child. I will discuss any questions and/or ideas that you and your child may have concerning piano study and how I can help you accomplish your goals.
PAYMENT
Fees are determined by the duration and frequency of lessons. Lessons are available for booking either in person (you may pay by cash or check) or by using my phone number via PayPal, which accepts all the major U.S.-based credit cards and transfers the funds instantly. The phone number to use for payments is +1 (646) 673 7364. All the payments should be made before the start of the lessons.
I am happy to offer additional discounts if there are two or more students from the same family. These discounts are to be calculated individually, by taking into consideration the length and frequency of lessons and the number of the family members. If you would like to apply for a family discount please write to me by using the contact form page, call at (646) 673 7364 or speak to me in person at the next lesson.
The rates on this website are given for the lessons at Anna’s studio. Please inquire personally via the contact form page for the rates in case you would prefer to have lessons at your location and your personal invoice will be sent to you via email. (This option requires an extra charge in addition to the regular lesson fee. The charge is determined by the distance / travel time & expenses and has to be personally discussed with Anna.)
All the scheduling plans and frequency of the lessons are personally discussed and built upon the student’s goals, availability, and preferences.
ATTENDANCE
Please make sure to bring yourself or your child on time for the lesson. Lateness can not extend the lesson’s time, so do not lose the minutes you have already paid for. Although this, in fact, does not mean that I never spend more time teaching than it has been scheduled. Depending on my personal availability I am glad to occasionally teach or discuss any important matters for a few extra minutes.
Missed Lessons
Your lesson time is reserved exclusively for you. Missed lessons are not made up, nor are the fees adjusted, unless a 24-hour cancellation notice is given, so an alternative time for a make-up lesson can be arranged. This option reflects the teacher’s courtesy, so try to use it within reasonable limits. In case of an emergency of any of the parties we will discuss the situation precisely and try to arrange for another time.