James Hawes In Home Private Music Lessons

I usually start by making an appointment to meet with a student and parents before having their first lesson.  This gives them the opportunity to meet me, go over details, and answer any questions they may have. From their, I put a lot of time and thought into lesson planning based on students' goals, interest, motivation, and progress being made.  It's a very personal and individual process.  I put a lot of time and thought into planning every student's next lesson based on the progress they are making and the music and teaching material that is inspiring to them.

I have a bachelors degree in music performance and a masters degree in music education from the Indiana University School of Music which is then followed by 25 plus years of performance and teaching experience. You are welcome to visit my website at www.jameshawes.us for a more detailed bio.

Currently my rate for lessons is $25.00 per weekly half hour lessons and $35.00 per weekly hour lessons. I offer a discounted rate for families with siblings taking lessons.

When I was a senior in college I started working with my first private student at the request of my own teacher at the time.  She was a very talented student who's father had recently passed away.  She was going through a hard time and as much as she needed a music teacher, she needed a mentor to help her through all of that.  Teaching her was a life changing experience for me and my priorities quickly shifted to being a teacher first and a performer second.  Since then I have learned the my strongest skill is being able to develope excellent relationships with my students.  I really love what I do and, even though I been teaching for almost 30 years, I still learn something new every day about my students, my self, and the process of teaching music.

Currently my roster of students ranges in age from 5 years old to 78 and make up a very diverse group of individuals in many ways.  Over the last 30 years of teaching I've pretty much seen and done it all.  I've had students who have incredibly high levels of natural ability and others who've struggled or had to work harder.  I've taught students dealing with all kind of learning disabilities and challenges. I've even taught a few students who were blind.  

I was a band and orchestra teacher for several years and am very comfortable teaching just about any wind or string instrument. Currently I have a trombone student, a baritone student, and a student who's been working with me on oboe for over two years now and doing great.  I have a five year old learning Ukelele and a 78 year on classical guitar.  Aside from that the rest of my students are a wide range of ages working on piano and guitar.

I recently celebrated my 30th anniversary with my wife by staying for a week in a beautiful old cabin in a very secluded spot on top of a hill by the Ohio river.  It was so relaxing and peacefull.  I was able to spend a lot of wonderful time with my wife, but I also brought my guitar and was able to spend a lot of time playing in a very natural and meditative place.  I brought with me a copy of Gerald Garcia's arrangement of "My Gentle Harp" by Thomas Moore.  I made a goal of having this piece memorized and finessed by the end of our trip and was so happy with how this piece became a part of me by the end of the week.

Talk with different teachers before making a decision.  Ask lots of questions.  Ask for credentials, as well as references that you can speak with.  When you are happy with a teacher's credentials and what their references have to say, trust your instincts on whether or not you feel that a teacher is a good match to you personally.  Is it someone you feel you can trust, and feel comfortable working with?  Finally, don't feel nervous or apprehensive about starting lessons.  Learning music is one of the most rewarding things a person can do for themselves.