Q: There’s someone I know that teaches out of their house who charges less.  Why are you more?

A: Our lessons are certainly not the least expensive that you will find in our area.  We feel that parents and students are willing to pay for quality when it comes to something as important as their child and her education.  Also, many home based teachers may be good but there’s no guarantee as to their credibility. At the Napa School of Music, we hire the most qualified instructors, have a safe and professional facility equipped with the latest technology and offer the most effective music lesson available.  This, of course, is part of what you are paying for.  And just like any other service, you get what you pay for.

Q: How long are the lessons?

A: Most of our students prefer a 30 minute lesson, once a week, although 45 and 60 minute lessons are available for more advanced students.  We have found that 30 minutes of concentrated effort is the best for most beginners.

Q: Can I take a lesson every other week?

A: We don’t offer an hour lesson every other week for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we have found through our experience of teaching thousands of lessons, when learning something that requires mental skills and physical co-ordination, like playing a musical instrument or singing,  it’s important to be to be reminded weekly.  Repetition is a key factor in learning how to play.  Two weeks is too long for students to remember everything their teacher showed them in the last lesson.  With lessons every other week, it’s almost like starting over again each lesson.  Secondly we have found that students don’t practice any more in a 2 week period than in a 1 week period.  As a result, students take more than twice as long to learn the same amount, negating any effort to save money.

Q: Why don’t you offer to teach lessons at our house?

A: We find that the main reason our lessons are so successful is that they are held in a safe, well-equipped, professional environment, free of distractions like TV, pets and siblings. Also, coming to a real music school for a lesson helps the student realize that this is their special time for focused learning on their instrument, not an interruption to whatever is going on at home.

Q: Can I watch my child’s  lesson?

A: Yes.  We have an open door policy and parents are welcome to join their student in the lesson.

Q: Do you have recitals and how much do they cost?

A: We offer 2 recitals per year in the winter and spring.  There is no cost to participate and friends and family are encouraged to attend the performance.

Q: What is the right age to start music lessons?

A: The youngest age that we recommend to is 5 years.  This is a general recommendation for the piano.  For more detailed information and about other instruments, click here.

Q: I want to get my child into music lessons but don’t know which instrument to start her on. What do you recommend?

A: The piano is the best instrument to start on if the child is new to music lessons and doesn’t have a strong desire to play another instrument.  There are 2 reasons for this.  Firstly, the piano is a great instrument to teach students how to read music and the theory of music.  Secondly, the piano is the easiest to produce an acceptable sound on.  A cat could easily produce a sound by just walking across it!   Of course there may not be too many cats who can play Mozart.      

Q: Why don’t you offer group lessons?

A: After many years of teaching experience we have found that learning a musical instrument correctly is best done in a private, one-on-one situation. It would be possible to start a group of complete beginners together, but because of the rate and ways individuals learn, the group of beginners would soon end up being a group of individuals all at varying levels of ability.  A definite recipe for students becoming disillusioned very quickly.

Q: Is it possible to have my 2 children together in one lesson, they are only a couple of years apart?

A: Even 2 siblings close in age will develop at varying rates and have their own individual challenges that need to be addressed.  Because of this, the shared lesson is not a good option for your child.

Q: Can I start music lessons at any time of the year?

A: Yes, our lessons are month-to-month and ongoing all year.

Q: Is there a minimum number of lessons that I have to take?

A: Because our lessons are month-to-month, all we ask for is 30 days notice to cancel.

Q: What if I miss a lesson or we are going on vacation for a week, do we have to pay for the whole month?

A: We now offer unlimited make-up lessons via the student’s Lesson Track account provided we receive at least a one-hours notice of any absence. This allows students to get their lesson anywhere they have access to the internet.

Q: What is Lesson Track?

Lesson Track is a secure website that enables teachers to post individually tailored lessons to their student’s accounts. The teacher may include audio files, notes, PDFs and instructional video.  Visit www.lessontrack.net

to watch a 2-minute introductory video for more information.

Q: What if my child doesn’t like the instrument they are learning and wants to try something else?  Can we swap?

A: Yes.  One of the advantages of coming to a music school where many instruments are taught is the opportunity to try other instruments and teachers.

Q: Why should I pay if I’m not at my lesson?

A: Not showing up or canceling without notice and expecting tuition credit is the same as the instructor not showing up and expecting payment. If you go to a college class or to private school you don’t receive a refund if you miss a day.  It’s the same with our school.   Also, we pride ourselves on having qualified and friendly teachers giving our students the best possible music lessons.  These instructors count on their students to attend their lessons and the income derived from that and have reserved a specific time in their week only for them.  As a courtesy to our teachers and for practical reasons, we must ask for at least one-hours notice for absences and offer unlimited make-ups per year via Lesson Track.

Q: Do we have the same time every week?

A: Yes. Your lesson time is reserved every week just for you and cannot be taken by anyone else. You have the same time and day each week.  We know how important having a convenient time is for our busy parents!

Q: Can I change my time once I start my lessons?

A: We are happy to change your lesson time to another permanent time that’s available.

Q: Do you accept credit cards?

A: Yes, we do.  All our families are set up to pay for their lessons each month on an auto-pay schedule using either a credit/debit cards or a direct debit from their checking account.

Q: Can I pay each month as I go? Do I have to use auto-pay?

A: We offer a 10% discount for families that pay for the year in advance.  All other students pay their tuition using our secure auto-pay system.

Q: How can I be sure that my financial information is safe with you?

A: We are a very small business owned by Peter and Victoria Sykes.  You will often see Victoria at the front desk.  The only person that has access to your information is Victoria.  She is your go-to-girl if you have any questions or concerns about your account.  So far, her life of crime has been non-existent and we are confident that that will continue. 

Q: How can I be sure that my information won’t be stolen online?

A: As far as the security of your information and our online software, we can assure you that it is impossible for anyone else to retrieve this information.  This 128-bit encryption is used by the military and we suspect they know something about security.  In fact, once the credit card or checking account number is entered into the software, only the last 4 digits are seen by the person scheduling the payment.  If you have a gym membership or make a mortgage payment, you have used the same kind of service.  Many of our parents tell us that it’s very convenient for them and they prefer auto-pay because they don’t have to remember the payment every month.

Q: What is the “garage band” program I’ve heard about and at what age and ability can my child sign up for it?

A: We have a rock band program called Garage Band 101.  The program is run over a 11-12 week period in which students learn 4-5 rock songs in a band situation, with our experienced teachers.  The session culminates in a concert, complete with lights, smoke, P.A. and screaming fans and is open to family, friends and the general public.  The show is usually staged at one of the local high school little theaters.  It is open to students 10 years and older.  Students that are new to the school may need to attend a 5 minute evaluation with the school’s director to determine which band they would be best suited to.

Q: Are you closed for Spring Break?

A: Because there are a number of different weeks scheduled for Spring Break by the various schools in the Napa Valley, we remain open during Spring Break.   Also, not everyone leaves town during Spring Break.  Many students look forward to the extra time off to enjoy their lesson.  Please note that our make-up policy does not cover absences during Spring Break.

Q: When is the school closed for vacations and public holidays?

A: The school is closed the week between the end of summer and the start of the new school year in August. We are closed for 2 weeks over Christmas. We are also closed on July 4th,  Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Due to yearly variations, please refer to our Calendar page for the exact dates for each year.

Q: Why is my tuition the same for December as other months when there are only 2 0r 3 lessons in December?

A: The tuition amount is averaged out over the year. Sometimes there are 4 lessons, sometimes there are 5 and in December there may be 2 or 3.  The averaged tuition makes it easier for you to know that the account will be charged the exact same amount each month and makes the cost less for some months when there are 5 lessons.  If we were to charge you less in December you would pay more for the rest of the year.

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