I understand why parents need to know this, we all have budgets! Nifty Notes fees are reflective of the teacher’s education and experience and are based on an annual tuition model. You do not pay by the lesson or by the hour. Students in regular lessons can expect to pay $1300/year for 30 min lessons (plus $50-$100/year for books) whether you attend all lessons or not. *Fees subject to change

Suzuki program rates are determined by the Edmonton Suzuki Piano School.

Yes, you absolutely need an acoustic (not digital) piano. To get a touch even close to the sensitivity of a real piano, you’d need to spend thousands of dollars on a digital, which for the same price could get you a very good upright (and likely cheaper). Without fail, students who learn on keyboards (in my experience) rarely last in lessons long term.

No, lessons at Nifty Notes are one on one, individual lessons. Students in the Suzuki program receive group lessons in addition to their weekly lesson.

Any missed lessons by the student are not made-up or refunded, just like any other activity. If we take a dance class or join a soccer team, our children do no get a separate time on an evening or weekend when the coast is not normally there, they simply say “see you next week”. At Nifty Notes it is the same, for the same reasons. Whether a student is ill or on vacation, the lesson is forfeit. A student may, however, ask to use that time by sending a video to get lesson comments, ask for new assignments, ask for a teacher “report” on their progress, or have a Zoom lesson if they are well enough. The time could also be used for a parent-teacher discussion about progress or any other concerns. Teachers do a lot of things outside of the lesson that fees cover. This is a great article about why music teachers are the only professionals working with children who are asked to do this, and why we kindly ask you to reconsider your thoughts on this.

Any lessons cancelled by the teacher are made-up in June and refunded at the end of the year.

This policy is firm, so it is important to be ok with it before registering. Other teachers may have different policies or offer more flexibility, so if a more fluid arrangement is desired, that may be a better option for some families.

All students who start at Nifty Notes are interviewed first. You get a good sense I believe of your teacher in this process, but if you’d like to see things “in action” so to speak, you can request to observe another student’s lesson.

Collaborative, honest, encouraging and straightforward. I feel I develop a very good rapport with students and their families, and we often become like family ourselves! I’ve had students from elementary seeing them through to University, and I feel it is a special honour to be such a big part of a child/teen’s life. My favourite thing is seeing students ten years later and they still come up to talk and tell me how they are doing :)

Lessons are thoughtfully scheduled based on a number of factors. this includes student ag4 and level (teenagers, for example, are asked to take times after 6:30 PM). Sometimes certain students benefit from being back to back if they are siblings, or are playing duets together, and sometimes students are scheduled in a way necessary for the instructor’s schedule.
When student register in the spring, they give their top 3 choices for day/lesson time rather than sign up for a specific day and time. Once current students are scheduled, new students will have access to any available spaces. Once a lesson time is decided upon, it cannot be changed.

No, lessons are not available in student homes. All lesson occur in the Lendrum place studio location.

Siblings would each need their own dedicated lesson. In my experience, students do best with individual attention. They also don’t have the same focus when there is another student in the room-especially a sibling or friend. Students are, however, very encouraged to learn to play in small groups such as duets and trios. This is a wonderful way to get families making music together!