FAQ

See our tuition rates for music lessons.

We teach most western instruments, singing, songwriting and composition. Western instruments include keyboards, guitars, strings, percussion, winds and brass. Our most popular instruments are piano, guitar, voice, violin and drums.

Your child may change instruments at any time.

Students can study piano, violin, or drums as early as age 4. For guitars including electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, banjo and ukulele lessons, we recommend waiting until age 6. Wind and brass instruments are typically introduced around middle school, in the 5th grade, but we can introduce your elementary school child to the recorder. For singing lessons, we recommend  a minimum age of 6, when the child is old enough to read song lyrics.

To protect their growing vocal cords, our voice teachers won’t teach young kids to project (sing to the back of the room) or stretch their range , but young children can still learn pitches, rhythms, intervals, breathing, poise, diction, performance etiquette and many other elements of singing.

Yes! We have adult students studying voice and a variety of instruments. We hold several informal adult recitals per year, where our adults play for each other and their families in a small, fun gathering with enthusiastic cheering and impromptu jam sessions with their teachers.

We LOVE performance events. We hold 4-5 every year including traditional recitals, theme parties, an annual benefit concert supporting our local hometown food pantry, and an annual YouTube playlist for both in-person and virtual students.

Recital participation is not required. We do encourage all our students to perform in recitals, and our concerts and events are always free for both audience members and performers.

We hold one “formal” recital per year, at which we expect students to dress up and wear something nicer than typical daily attire. All of our other recitals and parties are informal and have no specific dress code, except that “theme” dress is encouraged at some parties (for example, Halloween.)

Tuition is due by the 1st of each calendar month, before the month during which lessons will be taught. For example, your tuition for lessons in the month of September is due on September 1st. We will invoice you on the 15th of the prior month (in the previous example, August 15th) to give you two weeks’ notice that tuition is due.

Your child should practice every day. You can’t train for a marathon in a day; you train by running a little every day and gradually improving. Music is an athletic endeavor. It requires muscular strength and dexterity, which only comes with gradual, repetitive practice.

Please tell us about this right away. Kids are much more likely to practice if they enjoy the music they are working on. We can provide your child with popular music to supplement their lesson book.

Every child is different. You could try setting one of the following goals:

1. Require that the child practice for the number of minutes equivalent to the child’s age (examples: 6 minutes for a six-year-old; 10 minutes for a ten-year-old.)
2. Require that the child play through his/her piece(s) at least three times without error, or at least five times in total if the student is still struggling with errors.

Offer a reward for meeting the goal. Also, try scheduling practice time during a time in which the child is bored anyway, such as waiting for the bus in the morning, or coupling practice time with daily homework.

IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS HELP practicing and you don’t know how to help, you may:

• sit in on your child’s lesson
• step in during the last few minutes of your child’s lesson
• contact our office to schedule a meeting with your child’s instructor
• use the Progress File to write notes back and forth with your child’s instructor each week

THINGS TO LOOK FOR during your child’s practice time:

• does your child know where to place his/her hands or hold the instrument properly?
• is your child looking at the music on the page (correct), or just at the instrument or his/her hands (incorrect)?
• does the piece sound the same/similar each time your child practices it?
• are the number of mistakes decreasing each time your child practices?
• is your child playing the song faster and with more confidence each day?

Questions your child should be asking themself while practicing:

1. Rhythm/Meter: Am I playing the correct rhythm? If not, can I clap and count the rhythm properly? Do I understand the meter?
2. Pitch/Hand Position: An I playing the right notes. (key signature, accidental) Are the notes in tune?
3. Style/Tempo: Am I observing the markings (staccato, slurs, dynamics, etc.) in the music? Can I play the music at the appropriate tempo and maintain the style of the piece?
4. Phrasing: Now that I know the notes and rhythms, can I create a phrase or “musical sentence?”

The purpose of practice time is to exercise the muscles used in making music. Practice time increases strength and dexterity. As your child practices, he/she should be playing the song faster and with more confidence. It’s okay if your child practices the song incorrectly. We will fix that during the next lesson. It’s also okay – and completely normal – for your child to make many mistakes while practicing. Try not to point out mistakes or explain how the song is supposed to sound. Practice is when mistakes are permitted. If you regularly point out mistakes during practice, your child may feel like he/she is performing for you (rather than practicing) and not capable of performing correctly, which may decrease his/her confidence. Depending on the age and independence of the child, it might be better to allow your child some privacy during practice time.

Music Technology and Learning Lab (“Music Lab” or just “Lab”) is included in every student’s private lesson. It features software and apps, state-of-the-art gear, hands-on activities and a team of music theory instructors, all designed to supplement your learning. Read more about the Music Lab here.

Music Lab is required for all students under the age of 18. Adult students are not required, but are strongly encouraged to attend Music Lab. Students learn to play much faster if they train their ears, practice their rhythms, and learn how to read the music more quickly and proficiently.

Please let us know right away. Our Music Lab teachers will address the problem. Chances are, your child either finds the content too easy and is bored, or finds it too difficult and is frustrated. The teachers have a lot of tricks up their sleeves and can assign work that’s more engaging.

We take your child’s music education seriously and believe that a foundation in music theory, ear training and rhythm training is essential for continued growth as a musician.

We are happy to accommodate teacher requests. Also, if you feel your current teacher is not a good fit, you may request a different teacher at any time.

Please be advised that we occasionally cover teacher absences with substitute teachers. If you arrive to find your child’s lesson with a teacher he/she is uncomfortable with, we will reschedule your lesson.

You may permanently reschedule your regular lesson slot at any time. We just need a day’s notice if you can’t make a lesson that was previously scheduled.

We do! We proudly offer unlimited rescheduling of your private music lessons. We require a day’s notice of the absence for schedule conflicts to reschedule. For emergency, illness, or inclement weather, we will reschedule so long as you notify us before your scheduled lesson time. Makeups may be banked in your account for use at a later date up to a year after the absence (so long as the student is still enrolled at the time of the makeup booking.

No-call/no-shows will not be make up for any reason and are non-refundable. Missed classes cannot be made up for any reason and are non-refundable. Makeups expire a year after the original absence date or upon the withdrawal of the absent student.

MTMS will close for in-person lessons for a Level 2 Snow Emergency in Franklin County. We will notify of the closure via text or email, social media, and signage, if safety permits employees to hang a sign on the door. If you are experiencing bad weather in your area and can’t make your lesson, we can switch to virtual or reschedule your lesson so long as you contact us before your schedule lesson time. We are unable to reschedule group classes.