Private Lesson FAQs
How much do lessons cost?
I charge $25 for half hour lessons, $35 for 45-minute lessons, and $50 for full hour lessons for new students.
What is your recommended lesson length for my student?
In general, I decide the lesson length based on the student's skill level after discussions with the student and his/her parents. There are exceptions to these guidelines, but I typically suggest students in grades 5-9 take half-hour lessons, while older students in grades 10-12 should be taking 45-minute or full hour lessons.
Where do you teach lessons?
Generally, I teach out of my office at Hope College's Nykerk Hall. If you attend a school more than 30 minutes away from Holland, MI and there are several students from your school that are interested in lessons, we can discuss having lessons at your school if that is an option at your district. Unfortunately, due to time and travel constraints, I don't teach at individual student's houses.
What sort of reeds/mouthpieces/ligatures do you recommend?
Reeds:
I recommend the strength 3 Vandoren Traditional reeds or strength 3 Rico Reserve reeds. If you are transitioning from the Rico student line reeds (orange box), you can start with a strength 2.5 until you get used to the strength difference. While these reeds may be slightly more expensive, they will last longer once broken in and will provide you with a higher quality sound.
Mouthpieces:
I recommend the Selmer-Paris S80 C-star model or the Vandoren AL3 model. Both of these mouthpieces are a bit expensive, but they will provide a great sound and will last forever as long as they are handled with care.
Ligatures:
The best option for beginning students is the Bonade ligature, which you can usually find for a reasonable price. For more advanced students, I recommend ligatures from the BG or Bay brands. Both of these companies make several different ligature types, so you can experiment with any of them to find the best one for you.