1. When should my child begin piano lessons?
The age to begin piano depends on each individual child, but Karen accepts students from age 4 and up. For all beginning students, Karen highly recommends the Suzuki method. This style of learning is based on the way we learn to speak: listen, try, become comfortable, and then learn to read. The same process can be applied successfully to music where a child listens to recordings of music, establishes their own musicianship and then adds in music reading skills at a later point. Wouldn’t it be crazy if we said to a child “you can only speak the words you know how to read”. The same applies to music: sound-before-sight means hearing music, building a musical voice, and then filling in the theoretical details after a familiarity is already well established.
Rather than age, parents should assess if their child has the ability to sit and focus on one specific task for 10-15 minutes. Lessons more at a fast pace and activities change every week, but a constant focus and certain level of maturity is required.
2. How much do lessons cost?
Karen consults and provides fees on an individual basis based on student age, ability, and lesson length. Her fees are based on the Mount Royal University Conservatory’s rates of $89.00 per hour. Lessons usually run for 30, 45, 60, or 90 minutes once per week and as a student progresses into a higher lever, a longer lesson is needed. Fees are calculated on an annual ‘membership’ basis in the studio, for example 36 half-hour lessons over the course of the 10-month academic year totals $1602. This amount can be broken down into monthly or term installments.
Please contact Karen directly to discuss current fees and methods of payment.
3. How can I register for piano lessons? Do you meet with students before lessons begin?
In order to register for lessons, send an inquiry email through the Contact Us page of this website. Karen will respond promptly to your inquiry with a New Student Survey. This very short questionnaire seeks to determine if the kind of lessons you are searching for matches with the kind of lessons Karen offers. She will provide details of fees and available lesson times, and offer to arrange a meeting with the parent(s) and student(s).
Karen enjoys meeting with students before lessons begin so they can see the learning environment, meet one another in person, make sure everyone is clear about studio policies, and to establish a rapport before lessons officially begin. There is no charge for this initial introductory meeting.
4. How long should my child practice?
There is no set time for practicing, however, it is important that a child spends quality time with his/her piano rather than quantity. Each week, the student is sent home with a list of projects and specific goals for the following week’s lesson. Some students may complete these in 10 minutes and others in 25 minutes. It is very important to have concentrated and focused practice session on a regular basis and practice until all the required projects for that week are completed.
Here are some suggested practice times to build from:
Beginners: 15 – 20 minutes daily
Grades 1 to 4: 20 – 40 minutes daily
Grades 5 and 6: 50 – 60 minutes daily
Grades 7 and 8: 70 – 80 minutes daily
Grades 9, 10, Diploma Level: 90 – 120 minutes daily
Remember that there is no such thing as “too much practicing” – you can try it. You’ll only get better!
5. What is the difference between Suzuki and RCM? Do you teach both?
Karen is a certified teacher by both the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the Royal Conservatory of Music. She sees benefits to both programs and aims to combine the best of both worlds as she builds customized lessons for students.
The Suzuki approach prioritizes the ear: early learning is entirely done by ear and requires listening so that a sense of musicality can develop from the start. The RCM approach prioritizes the eye: learning is done with books which require reading so that students understand the structural components of music from the start. Which is better? It depends who you ask.
It is possible to start with Suzuki and blend in RCM exams when students grow older. Alternatively, it is possible to teach RCM in a very ‘Suzuki’ way. Whichever the path, Karen is constantly experimenting and renegotiating with each student to find the best fit. What is most important is that students are enjoying playing beautiful music rather than strictly following a specific program.
6. Are you a Registered Music Teacher? What is an RMT?
Yes, Karen is a Registered Music Teacher. The Registered Music Teachers’ Association is a Canada-wide federation of private music teachers encompassing ten provinces, with over 3200 members. To become a member, the teacher must hold a degree or diploma from a recognized university or conservatory or meet the necessary qualifications set by the registering province, thus ensuring a high level of training and a commitment to professionalism. The aim is to encourage and provide the highest calibre of music education possible and to promote high standards of music in each community.
7. Do we need to own a piano? What kind should we buy?
Yes, you absolutely need to own a piano! Taking piano lessons without a regular instrument to practice on is much like playing soccer without a soccer ball. You can run around on the field, but you are missing the whole point.
An acoustic piano is always the instrument of choice: touch, dynamic control, pedal effects, and many other factors make acoustic pianos preferable to electric pianos. Students with digital pianos notice differences in touch and tone, and often struggle to overcome these obstacles later in their playing.
8. Do you enter students in Music Festivals, Exams, or other Competitions?
Karen regularly enters students in Royal Conservatory of Music and Conservatory Canada graded practical and theory exams, Trinity College of London diploma exams, the Calgary Performing Arts Festival, ARMTA student recitals, masterclasses, and other awards and bursaries. This is not something that is required of students and presented as extra, optional projects. They make great goals to work towards and provide a sense of pride and accomplishment, but are always considered optional.
All students participate in twice-yearly studio recitals, normally mid-winter (January) and early-summer (June). This is a great opportunity to display to family and friends the hard work of learning to play and hear other students of similar ages and abilities share their music.
9. Where is your studio located? Do you travel to students’ homes for lessons?
Karen teaches from her home studio located in Cranston (SE), Calgary and at the Mount Royal University Conservatory. She does not do in-home lessons for a number of specific reasons. First, the travel time required to go between students’ homes mean that fewer students each day get to take piano lessons. Next, students who take lessons from home are often distracted by siblings or pets, they rarely get the chance to play on a grand piano, and miss the opportunity to use specialized studio materials such as rhythm instruments and music games because these are not easily transportable. Finally, lessons often get confused with practice when everything happens at home. In short, Karen believes that the quality of lessons in studio is more important than the convenience of lessons at home.
10. I used to take piano when I was a child – do you teach adult students?
Karen teaches very few adult students and is the first to admit that this is not her area of expertise. Her personality just seems better suited to 6 year olds rather than 60 year olds. She would be happy to recommend other teachers in your area who do teach adults, and commends adults for taking up an instrument. It is never too late!
