Types of Music Lessons
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Frequently Asked Questions
Student Age
Students are able to start learning at Wildflower Music from age three years and above. Lessons for preschool students look quite different to those of primary school children and are based on building the fundamental blocks of music in a fun and engaging way, to suit the active and energetic preschool students! A variety of fun materials are utilised in preschool piano lessons including the Wunderkeys preschool piano books, Piano Safari rote songs, Kodaly based song and rhythm activities, rhythm instruments, soft toys and lots of games to ensure a fun, eclectic and balanced musical experience for your child.
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Time Commitment
To get the most out of learning instrument a much greater time commitment than a once weekly lesson is needed! In addition to attending weekly lessons students should also expect to participate in a performance event once a term. These include fun, student only events such as the piano parties and piano concerts/performance dinners where friends and family are invited to attend. Students make the most progress and have enjoy lesson more when they are engaged and participating fully in all that music lessons can offer. To keep their place in the student students are expected to attend all lessons, group classes and performances unless illness/extenuating circumstances apply.
Students are also expected to practice at least five days a week at home, as a rough guide expect a practice time commitment of:
- Preschool students: 5-10 minutes
- 1st year of learning (primary school and older): 15 minutes
- 2nd year of learning: 20 minutes
- 3rd year of learning and beyond: 30 minutes plus
Home practice is a vital component to learning an instrument so it's important to consider if your child will have enough time to meet practice requirements so that they can progress and have an enjoyable learning experience!
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Tuition Pricing
Tuition is paid in equal monthly instalments based on an 11 month year (Feb - December). To make life easier a monthly automatic debit system is used so that there is no need to remember to pay on time each month. Tuition includes:
Tuition fees are set in accordance with the WA Music Teachers association minimum
recommended fees: http://www.musicteacherswa.org.au/index.php/about-wamta/teaching-fees
Piano Lab time is not charged for and is an additional bonus to aid student learning and engagement and to maximise the time available.
The 2020 Tuition Fee Schedule is:
Tuition is paid in equal monthly instalments based on an 11 month year (Feb - December). To make life easier a monthly automatic debit system is used so that there is no need to remember to pay on time each month. Tuition includes:
- An individualised plan for each students course of study
- My training and experience, including on going study each year to make sure I provide your child with the best lessons they can have
- Printing of resources
- Music technology (ipad, apps etc.)
- Insurance
- My music lending library
- Access to hundreds of studio licensed pieces of music to ensure students have access to a huge range of fun and motivating music, to suit everyone's individual tastes and aspirations
- Games and incentive programs
- Event costs (venue hire, set up costs, trophies and student prizes!
Tuition fees are set in accordance with the WA Music Teachers association minimum
recommended fees: http://www.musicteacherswa.org.au/index.php/about-wamta/teaching-fees
Piano Lab time is not charged for and is an additional bonus to aid student learning and engagement and to maximise the time available.
The 2020 Tuition Fee Schedule is:
- 40 minute early childhood group class $75/month
- 45 minute partner lessons or 60 minute trio lesson : $126/month
- 60 minute collaborative lesson (30 minute private lesson + 30 minute piano lab) :
$146/month
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Instrument Requirements
All students enrolled in piano lessons need a good quality acoustic or digital piano to practice on. It is essential to have an instrument ready before you commence lessons. to have one). The better quality your child's practice instrument, the better quality their practice will be and the faster their progress will be. A poor quality instrument can set students back significantly in their technical development and in many cases can lead to injury. Students also become very frustrated if their instrument lacks key features such as a pedal or the ability to play loud or soft!
As a minimum student instruments must have:
Choosing between a digital and acoustic piano can be a complicated field to navigate. If well maintained acoustic pianos also hold their value much better than digitals. However, there are many great digital pianos out there now as well that can provide a more cost effective option for many families. Digitals are generally more portable and the ongoing maintenance is usually less (compared to acoustic pianos that must be tuned and maintained yearly). Many students also enjoy being able to play around with sound effects and head phones are a great option for early morning practicers! A keyboard is fine to start with as long as it meets the above requirements - beware that many keyboards don't and they are not sufficient for students to learn the piano on! I usually recommend that students progress from a digital/keyboard to an acoustic after 3-5 years of playing.
There are many quality music stores in Perth where you can purchase new or second hand instruments. Many music stores also offer rental or buy to rent options to take some of the stress out of making a decision. Some music stores I've used in the past are (in no particular order!)
Buying second hand can be a great option and there are plenty of great bargains out there. However there are also plenty of poorly maintained and bad quality instruments out there that will just end up costing you in the long run. Make sure you play an instrument before buying and if it's an acoustic check that all keys are present and well maintained and that it is in tune, and has been tuned yearly. For digitals check that all the keys are present and working, as a very rough guide if it's a digital that is more than 10 years it might not be worth buying.
As a minimum student instruments must have:
- 88 keys with weighed action
- Keys that are touch sensitive (i.e. you can play loud and soft depending on how fast you strike the key)
- It has at least one pedal (preferably three) and preferably attached to the case
- It has a sturdy case or frame, preferably made of wood (or similar) that holds it steady when they play
- Students will also need a piano bench, preferably an adjustable one so that the height can be adjusted to suit the students height
- Most primary school aged students will also need a foot stool so their feet can sit flatly on the ground (this doesn't have to be piano specific and there are plenty of non expensive options at places such as Ikea or Kmart).
- There are many brands of digital pianos available, but some quality ones to look at include: Kawai, Yamaha, Roland, Casio
Choosing between a digital and acoustic piano can be a complicated field to navigate. If well maintained acoustic pianos also hold their value much better than digitals. However, there are many great digital pianos out there now as well that can provide a more cost effective option for many families. Digitals are generally more portable and the ongoing maintenance is usually less (compared to acoustic pianos that must be tuned and maintained yearly). Many students also enjoy being able to play around with sound effects and head phones are a great option for early morning practicers! A keyboard is fine to start with as long as it meets the above requirements - beware that many keyboards don't and they are not sufficient for students to learn the piano on! I usually recommend that students progress from a digital/keyboard to an acoustic after 3-5 years of playing.
There are many quality music stores in Perth where you can purchase new or second hand instruments. Many music stores also offer rental or buy to rent options to take some of the stress out of making a decision. Some music stores I've used in the past are (in no particular order!)
- Zenith's Music
- Piano Magic
- WA Music
- Australian Piano Warehouse
- Sound Centre
Buying second hand can be a great option and there are plenty of great bargains out there. However there are also plenty of poorly maintained and bad quality instruments out there that will just end up costing you in the long run. Make sure you play an instrument before buying and if it's an acoustic check that all keys are present and well maintained and that it is in tune, and has been tuned yearly. For digitals check that all the keys are present and working, as a very rough guide if it's a digital that is more than 10 years it might not be worth buying.
Above: Some examples of digital pianos and keyboards that are suitable for beginning students. They have a full set of 88 keys, a stable frame, weighted and touch sensitive keys and at least one, fixed pedal.
Above: These are classified as 'toy' keyboards and are not suitable for beginning students to learn the piano. They do not have the full set of 88 keys, are not touch sensitive (won't play loudly or softly depending on how you press the key) and the keys are not weighted so students will not develop adequate finger strength to play the piano.
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Still have some questions?
Fill in the contact form to arrange a free meet and greet to see the studio and learn more about piano lessons at Wildflower Music Studio!
