Piano with Elise

One of my main motivations for starting my own business teaching, is to have autonomy in my financial decisions. I strive to make my lessons financially accessible. I have spots I reserve in my studio at income-based sliding-scale fees. These are for famillies with incomes of $120,000 or less. The lower the income, the lower my fee, all the way down to $0. I prioritize giving these spots to children, but do sometimes have room for adults. My main reason for doing this, is that I believe all kids deserve access to music education. Having piano lessons as a kid totally changed my life and gave me a much needed outlet. I know that will be true for many of my students.

I strive to make my lessons financially accessible, individualized, and fun. Music should be joyous! So there's no point in assigning practice that won't benefit your personal goals and passions. I teach classical, jazz, pop, improvisation, and composition. Each of my lessons is as varied as my many students.

Yes! I teach lessons over zoom.

Getting ready for online lessons is simple.
You’ll need:

-a device with a webcam (laptop, tablet, desktop, etc…)
-A stable internet connection
-A piano or keyboard

Online lessons work similarly to in-person lessons, with a few extra perks. We’ll meet over zoom for 30, 45, or 60 minutes at the same time each week. You just need one device with internet and a camera. It can be a laptop, desktop, tablet, webcam, etc… Set up your camera to the side of the piano with the student’s face and hands in view. This side view will allow me to communicate with the student and see their technique. Don’t worry, it’s not necessary for me to be able to see exactly which notes the student is playing as I’ll be able to recognize that by ear. You can set your device on a tripod, chair, table, or whatever works best for you.

The student will be able to see a few different things on their screen. You’ll always be able to see my face to communicate well. In addition, I switch between an overhead camera showing my hands on the keyboard, an image of all 88 keys that is connected to my piano and lights up the notes I’m playing, an image of a grand staff that shows the notes that I’m playing, and images of sheet music the student is learning. These tools allow me to cater to different learning styles, demonstrating anything the student may be working on in a variety of ways.

All of my lessons are taught online via zoom! (Though I am hoping to start in-person lessons in Austin, TX this Spring)