The things people ask before booking.

How much are lessons?

$35 for a half hour and $70 for a full hour, the same for every instrument and every level.

Lessons are invoiced monthly rather than a term at a time, so there is nothing to pay up front. No enrolment fee, no booking fee, nothing for materials.

Do you offer a free trial lesson?

No, and that is deliberate.

The first lesson is a real lesson at the normal price, with no obligation to book a second. A proper half hour tells you far more about whether I suit your child than a shortened taster designed to sell you something.

When do lessons run?

Weekdays only, Monday to Friday, between 3:15pm and 7:30pm. The last half hour starts at 7:00pm and the last full hour at 6:30pm.

There are no weekend lessons. Weekends are family time and that is not going to change, so it is better you know now than after you ask.

Where is the studio, and where do I park?

24 Westerley Place, Long Bay, Auckland 0630. It is a room in my house, not a hall or a music school.

Street parking is about 20 metres from the door. Drop off is easy and you are welcome to wait in the car.

Can I stay and watch?

Yes, any lesson, and you never need to ask first.

Plenty of parents stay for the first few weeks while a child settles, then start using the half hour for something else. There is a sofa in the room.

Does my child need their own instrument at home?

You will need something to practise on between lessons. Around ten minutes most days is what actually moves a student forward, and that cannot happen here once a week.

For guitar, hiring one is the cheapest way to start and commits you to nothing. Ask me before you buy anything, whichever instrument it is. There is a lot of bad advice in shops.

Do you teach adults?

Yes. Complete beginners, and people coming back to an instrument after twenty or thirty years away, which is not the same as starting from zero.

No exam at the end unless you want one.

How young do you start?

Five is the youngest I take.

Whether a particular five year old is ready varies a lot more than the age does. If you are not sure, tell me a bit about them and I will give you an honest answer rather than just taking the booking.

Do you prepare students for exams?

Yes, if a graded pathway is what you want. ABRSM on piano and RSL Rockschool on guitar, plus ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and below.

Grades are optional. A grade is a deadline, and deadlines suit some players and flatten others. Plenty of students here never sit one.

Is there a pet in the house?

Yes. Henry is a ragdoll cat and he lives here.

He is an indoor cat and the studio door stays open onto the rest of the house, so I cannot honestly promise a cat free room. If anyone in your family has a cat allergy or asthma, tell me before you book and we will work out whether it will suit.

What if we have to miss a lesson?

Tell me as early as you can and I will do what I can to move it.

New families get a short terms document covering how cancellations and rescheduling work, so there are no surprises later.