Welcome
Please keep reading!
Details, testimonials, fees, payment policies & calendar info are below as you scroll this page.
I’m happy to answer questions. Please feel welcome to call or email and we can chat.
Piano lessons for children in your home
I believe we lay a foundation for a love of music by nurturing each child’s creative spirit.
You’ll soon discover I’m an encourager, providing support with a positive and affirming teaching style.
Younger children love to play games and we spend a portion of each lesson away from the piano learning about music in more visual, colorful ways.
Common questions
DO you teach popular music? YES
Do you prepare students for exams? YES
Do you use the Royal Conservatory repertoire? It depends on your child’s goals. Only with some kids
Does my child have to do exams? NO
Do you teach students to improvise? YES
Do you teach theory? YES. I begin teaching theory through super fun games as soon as your child starts lessons.
Do you work with teens? YES
How many lessons per week? It depends. Typically once a week but sometimes more often.
Do you teach other instruments? Yes, I’m a multi-instrumentalist so can explore other instruments with your child including guitar, recorder and other wind instruments, voice, theory, percussion, rhythm.
My child has special needs and learning challenges. Can you adapt your teaching to suit? Most of the time, yes. I have a background in music therapy, developmental movement therapy, learning assistance and special needs work so I’m accustomed to adapting lessons to suit each child.
Some students respond to a more relaxed learning situation requesting pieces they hear on the radio or social media.
Some students love a more serious approach, preparing for exams and learning Royal Conservatory repertoire with ear training and technique, including formal music theory. These families tend to have more of a commitment to practice and encouraging conversation in the home supporting that journey.
Some students want it all! Exams and a range of repertoire from conservatory to pop songs.
Regardless of commitment to practice and styles of music enjoyed, I engage all students in some form of improvisation during their lessons.
Read more about my extensive training and experience here.
To connect and explore learning possibilities contact Susan.
Mobile lessons
in your home !
Online lessons
Online lessons usually take place through a virtual platform called Zoom.
If Zoom is not working or unavailable, we’ve also used Facetime successfully.
What parents say…
“Susan has an incredible bond with the children. She lets them be silly and have fun, within the parameters of rules, boundaries and respect. They learn so much with Susan, because she is brilliant and truly cares about each child (and they know it!).”
“Susan knows how to ride the ebb and flow of authentic and natural learning with astonishing ease and grace. She knows how to inspire each child – the perfect amount of tenderness and toughness to help them connect with and to awaken them to their inner music.”
“Susan is one of those people that is a true blessing to know. She has an endearing personality that in our family makes “Susan-time” a cherished and anticipated time. Her passion for music and the musical profession are so evident in all that she designs in Musicalia, in her interests in community, performances and in her personal learning pursuits. I admire her expertise as well as her personable nature.”
“My 9 year old loves the one-on-one with Susan. Susan is not only a wonderful teacher but a wonderful adult for my daughter to spend time with. The lessons have been flexible and very beneficial.”
“Susan is kind, caring and a wonderfully inspiring teacher. Her gentle demeanour and quick praise has brought out our son’s artistic side like no other teacher or program has before.”
“Susan has helped my daughter blossom again after much loss and chaos. Thank you for helping her to find her spirit and creative forces again! We’d be lost without you!
“I love that my daughters love their programs. My oldest cries if she has to miss it because of illness or vacation. She learns so much, not feeling like she is ‘working’ at all.”
“I have been meaning to write you for years to say how much I feel you impacted my kids’ approach to music. Our daughter is now 16 and sings in a choir and wants to sing more. Our son has become a ballet enthusiast – he’s been at it four years now and this year he’ll be dancing four times a week with a school downtown. They both love to sing and have a great ear for picking out arrangements, instruments and harmonies when we listen to music together. Thank you!!”
“Thanks so much for the amazing work that you do! You bring so much joy and love, not to mention a depth of knowledge and experience to your work – we love it!”
“Susan, I can’t begin to express how much you mean to my family! You have brought music to my family. You have supported me through hard times and guided our son on his journey when we could not partake in anything else. Your gift extends far beyond teaching music.”
“Bless you beautiful Susan for making music magical, inspiring and life-giving.”
“Susan’s energy is amazing. She enjoys her work and her passion for music, kids and creating all shines through!!”
What parents say…
h
“Every lesson is unique and remarkable because Susan is always in the moment, and she has the ability to follow and/or guide our child to the next great moment. We love Susan. Keep up the great energy, work, enthusiasm. We look forward to our time with you every Saturday morning.”
“Lessons with Susan are warm, fun, structured, motivating with an eye on the long term of life long musicality. The fun and positivity doesn’t mean low expectations!”
“She is remarkable! Our children like absolutely everything about lessons with Susan. Seriously.”
“Thank you so much for yet another wonderful year of music with our daughter! You have nurtured such a wonderful love of music and joy in music. We feel truly blessed to have you in our lives!”
“Thank you for your lesson today! Our daughter did a complete about face after you left and is filled with such joy at the moment. Thank you!!!”
“It’s a treat for our kids (and their parents) to have in-home lessons and not to have to shuttle off busily to another after-school program!”
“I love that you got right down on the floor with our daughter within the first five minutes. You make it all so accessible to her. Your receptivity to her playfulness and your gentle guidance – she’s loving to learn about music. THANK YOU, SUSAN!”
“We LOVE them!” (adult students)
Notes from Students
“She’s fun & she inspires me to play and be creative.”
“I really like my music with Susan. I had never liked music at school, and now because of Musicalia I do! (Nathan, age 7). His mom says, “Best experience ever! Nathan looks forward to the improvised duets at the end of his lesson.”
“Thanks for everything. For helping me learn guitar and bringing me new music AND teaching me theory! I couldn’t have asked for a better Piano Teacher!!!”
“Thank you so much for being an awesome piano teacher and helping me to pass my piano exam. Thank you for also making my lessons fun and for bringing me licorice and other treats. Finally, thank you for moving my lessons around if there are times that don’t work for me with all my sports travel.”
“It’s been so lovely learning piano from you all these years! I’ve learned so much from you. Thanks for being such a big part in all our lives.”
“Thank you so much Susan for teaching me piano for the last however many years! You were the only piano teacher who made piano fun! I also really enjoyed playing guitar. I found an instrument that I really enjoy and I will definitely continue guitar! I’m so grateful for what you taught me, so thank you so much for everything!
“Thank you for being such an amazing music teacher this year (and all the other years too, of course). Thank you for all the treats, music and positive energy you bring and of course for making me do theory even when I don’t want to. Thank you so so much!”
Studio Policies
Tuition
- $96/hour payable by cheque or etransfer, credit card (4% processing fee added for credit card payments)
- there are No GST charges on music lessons
- Fees are invoiced twice a year. In August (for the fall term) and December (for the winter/spring term)
- Payments may be made by etransfer or cheque
- Fees paid by cheque may be divided into payments with up to a maximum of 4 post-dated cheques
- If music books and printed music are used at the lesson they are an additional fee
- Full payment of fees due at the beginning of each term
- If fees are paid with post-dated cheques, then all cheques should be provided at the beginning of the term
- Examples of fees based on 12 week term below.
- 15 min lesson x 12 lessons = $288
- 30 min lesson x 12 lessons = $576
- 45 min lesson x 12 lessons = $864
- 60 min lesson x 12 lessons = $1152
Yearly Calendar
- School year lessons are typically scheduled on a weekly schedule
- Summer lessons available and each lesson booked individually
- No lessons on statutory holidays
- You’ll receive the yearly calendar in August outlining holidays and breaks for the school year
- Susan does her best to accommodate the different calendars between private and public school
- Lessons are booked in advance with the understanding that those preset dates comprise registration
- School year terms as follows: September – December (typically 12-14 weeks of lessons) January – June (typically 20-22 weeks of lessons)
Cancellations
- Registration for the term means you agree to pay for all scheduled weekly lessons outlined on the yearly calendar even if you’ve decided to travel away from home or cancel a lesson in advance or at the last minute
- Please note Susan does not reserve time in her schedule for make-up lesson times (having said that, she will absolutely initiate and offer a make up lesson if at all possible…families are incredibly busy now and it’s not usually me who doesn’t have time for a make up lesson)
- Please be mindful of booking medical/dental appointments, birthday parties and other outside activities that conflict with lesson times
