Costs

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... plus Hawai‘i GE tax.  The 1st lesson is always 1 hour ($80).  You can take weekly lessons that are 30, 45, or 60 minutes long depending on how quickly you want to progress and how much time you have to practice.  Lessons longer than 30 minutes are not recommended for children under the age of 10 or busy teenagers.  Payment  for upcoming lessons is due at the beginning of the month. See the  Attendance & Payment Policies & Procedures  below.

Discounts are available for financially challenged students.  Contact me for more info.

You need an instrument before starting.  A piano is perfect if it's in tune, but an electronic keyboard may be more suited to your needs.  There are pros and cons to both.   Whatever you choose, please allow enough room in your home for your child to sit on the piano bench at an arm's length distance.

If you are going to buy a piano, budget in the maintenance cost to have it tuned after moving, and then tuned once a year.  

Check the product specifications before you buy an electronic keyboard.  If you can't find a product's specifications, I can help you.  These are the minimum requirements for a suitable keyboard setup:

• Must have at least 76 keys. A piano has 88 keys.  Keyboards with 88 keys are optimum, but usually more expensive.  

• Must have "touch sensitive" keys.  This keyboard feature simulates the quiet (piano) and loud (forte) sections of music.  You'll also need a bench.  Generally, the more you spend, the more comfortable they are.  If you want a child to sit for long periods of time, make sure the seat is comfortable.  Generally, the more you spend, the more comfortable they are.

•  Sustain pedal (also called "damper pedal").  This is a standard accessory for keyboards and simulates the action of a piano sustain pedal.

• Keyboard stand. 

You want a bench that is comfortable, so a well-padded bench is preferred.  You will be sitting on that bench a lot while practicing.  Parents of growing children may want to consider an adjustable bench.  Parents of very young children will need a foot stool -- like the kind you use to help them reach the bathroom sink.

I use the Faber Piano Adventures curriculum published by Hal Leonard.  There are a few required books you need to acquire before your 1st lesson (approx. $30-$40).  Click here to read more.

 Although you can get by with a metronome, the audio supports are what make the Piano Adventures curriculum so much fun!  They cost a little extra ($5-$10 per level or songbook), but it's great to be able to "play along with the band."  There is a fabulous app for iPhones/iPads that enables you to adjust the speed of the accompaniment playback.  Android users can use the CDs.  Click here to read more. 

  There's always more sheet music (single songs or whole books) a pianist could buy.  I've been doing it for the past 40 years and my parents did it for me for over a decade before that.  Piano Adventures offers delightful songbooks of different genres at all levels.   Some, not all,  have audio supports. So, if you like playing with the music accompaniments, be sure to check the free iOS app after you download it or the Complete Catalog for CDs (starting on p. 82) to see which books have music accompaniments available.  

Tempo and rhythm are the foundation of music, so a metronome is essential.  There are numerous metronome apps for iOS and android devices ($1 and up).  Almost every electronic keyboard has a metronome built in.  You can download your keyboard's manual from the manufacturer's web site, and search for the keyword "metronome" to learn how to use it.  

For piano players with no smart phone, a mechanical (wind-up) metronome is good, but delicate.  Don't drop it or bend the pendulum.  There are stand-alone an electronic metronomes, too.  A word of caution about  inexpensive electronic metronomes that require batteries.  That's a hungry, insatiable metronome.  A cream-of-the-crop electronic metronome these days is the Boss DB-90 Dr. Beat which is expensive, but has an AC adapter (PSA-series ) as well as lots of other  features.

Kailua Music School charges a on-time registration fee of $25 per family.  The fee is waived for active military.   Make check payable to "Kailua Music School." The registration forms are on the page:  Get Started - 1st Lesson

All of the music teachers at Kailua Music School are independent contractors, not employees of the school.  Teachers pay KMS to rent rooms ($10/half hr).  KMS hooks teachers up with students.  Thereafter, all interactions are between the student and their private music teacher.

I accept four different payment methods.  If you have an Apple iOS device, you can use Apple Pay in messages. If you use Venmo, do not use a credit card for payment because I will not receive the full amount due.