1. How young is too Young - Starting at the Right Age
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better” but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If a child is put into lessons too soon they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off music just because they had one unpleasant experience which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start lessons their progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well. We've provided guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons within the class descriptions to the right.

2. Insist on Private Lessons When Learning an Instrument
Group classes work well for preschool music programs and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior, because in private lessons it is hard to miss anything, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. For each lesson period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher. The teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 5 - 10 students at a time and can help the student be the best they can be.

3. Take Lessons in a Professional Environment
Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments.

4. Make Practice Easier
As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice every day. Here are some ways to make practicing easier: Time - Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice. Repetition - We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a timeframe, we use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times every day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished. Rewards - This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school we reward young children for a successful week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work. Praise tends to be the most coveted award. Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing, in that case there is always next week. Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by tv, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 1/2 to 1 hour of lesson time per week, a professional school can produce better results as the only focus at that time is learning music. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby for the teacher, but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.

Voice Lessons

Private/Individual:

10 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity), the younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique. For children younger than 10, we have a youth choir (ages 7-9) and a preschool singing program (ages 3-5) that teaches them how to use their voices properly, in a fun, relaxed environment.

Group/Choir:

Youth Choir
Ages 7-9
1 hour Once a week
Children will learn to sing as a group, working on memorizing lines, rythm, and basic theory.

Junior Choir
Ages 10-12
1 hour Once a Week
Students will learn the parts of a choir, to read sheet music, and continue to learn music theory.

Senior Choir
Ages 13 and up
1 hour once a week
Students will be assigned their section of the choir, continue to learn and understand music theory.


Piano/Keyboard
At our school 5 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.

Guitar - Acoustic, Electric and Bass
8 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older.