Frequently asked questions
Q. What is the first step to take lessons?
A. Everyone is welcome to attend a trial lesson first. I offer a free 30-minute trial lesson. Please contact me with your name, contact information, age, musical background, and desired lesson date and time. I will get back to you within 48 hours. If you are already learning piano, please bring your own music to the trial lesson.
Q. Do I need to have an instrument at home?
A. Yes. Having a piano is ideal, but an electronic keyboard is also acceptable. Please choose one with 88 keys, and if possible, with pedals. If you haven’t purchased one yet, I am happy to help you to choose a piano.
Q. Can you tell me about the books used in the lessons?
A. For beginner students, we often use materials such as Piano Adventures, Bastin, and Thompson. For students from Japan, we can continue to use Japanese materials too.
Q. Is it possible to reschedule lessons?
A. Yes. However please let me know in advance as possible, such as a month before. If you wish to reschedule lesson after the month began (for example, rescheduling lesson in April after April began), you can do it up to once a month, but in either case, it depends on the availability. If you can’t attend lesson because of accident, bad weather, sickness or something unexpected, I will try my best to reschedule the lesson.
Q. Is it possible to get a refund if I miss a lesson?
A. Basically, there are no refunds for the three-times-a-month course. If you know your availability in advance, such as from previous month, please let me know. I will do my best to accommodate lessons as fairly as possible. For single lessons, you are not required to pay if you canceled a lesson. No lesson, no payment.
Q. I am considering to apply for music major in college. Can you help me?
A. Yes. In that case, please let me know before we start lessons.
Q. I would like to include sight reading/ear training/music theory during piano lessons.
A. Yes, we do that a lot. I will organize the lessons to each student’s preferences and conduct them on a customized basis. We will adjust within the lesson time according to the level. In this case, the lesson price stays the same as for piano lessons.
Q. How much practice is recommended?
A. Consistent practice is the most important key to improving on piano. I strongly recommend to practice piano daily basis. Let’s build your best practice plan together!
Dr. Noi Otomasu 