01 14 questions
Questions families ask
Lesson length, billing, missed lessons, instrument hire, AMEB exams and recitals, answered plainly.
02Lessons and fees
What instruments do you teach?
Piano, guitar (acoustic and electric), drums, voice, and strings (violin, viola, cello and double bass). Strings students who are ready also join the Tuesday ensemble, and guitar, bass, drum, keys and vocal students can be placed into a band.
How long is a lesson and how much does it cost?
Thirty, forty five or sixty minutes, forty five to eighty five dollars per lesson depending on length, billed for a ten lesson term. A term of standard thirty minute lessons is four hundred and fifty dollars.
How are lessons billed?
By the term, ten lessons at a time, invoiced before the term starts. We do not do pay as you go weekly billing, it makes the roster too unpredictable for teachers and families both.
Do we need to own an instrument to start?
No. Keyboards, acoustic guitars and fractional violins are all available to hire by the term, and beginner drum and voice students use the room's own equipment.
What age can a student start?
From about five for piano and voice, seven for drums and strings, and eight or nine for guitar, depending on hand size and the ability to sit through a full lesson.
03Terms, missed lessons and withdrawal
What happens if we miss a lesson?
One make up lesson per term is available for a lesson missed with at least 24 hours notice. Lessons missed without notice, or beyond the one make up, are not refunded, the slot is held for your child whether they attend or not.
How much notice do you need to withdraw from lessons?
Two weeks written notice before the end of a term. Fees already paid for the current term are not refunded, but nothing further is charged once notice is given.
04Exams, ensembles and recitals
Do you offer group lessons or only one on one?
Individual instrument lessons are one on one. The string ensemble and the contemporary bands are the group options, both built from students already taking individual lessons.
Do you prepare students for AMEB exams?
Yes, on piano, strings, guitar and voice. Your teacher will tell you honestly when a student is ready, and Anna coordinates the entry paperwork and exam date.
Is there a recital or a chance to perform?
Twice a year, in June and November, at the Verandah Theatre across town. Every enrolled student who wants a place gets one, performing is never compulsory.
05Getting here
Where are the lessons held?
In the hall at 24 Rosewood Court for piano, guitar and the string ensemble, and in the annex directly behind it for drums, voice, production and the band room.
Are your teachers qualified and safety checked?
Every teacher holds a current Victorian Working with Children Check and a tertiary music qualification. We sight and log the check before anyone teaches their first lesson.
Can siblings share a lesson time?
Lessons are one on one, so siblings need separate slots, though we do try to book them back to back so one parent's trip covers both.
Is parking available at the hall?
There is a small car park behind the hall shared with the annex. It fills up in the after school block between four and six, so a few minutes early is worth it on a weekday.
Instrument specific questions, like guitar hire sizes or how the ensemble placement works, are answered on each lesson's own page. Start at Lessons and programs.