Ringwood School Of Music

All new students begin by playing one or two songs at their first lesson in addition to learning the names of the white keys, the music staff and clefs, and taking home a notebook which they will use for their assignment every week -- learning how to count and read various kinds of notes -- a combination of by-rote learning with reading actual sheet music (in a book). 

I began lessons at the age of 5 and have Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School of Music, respectiviely.  Before joining the Ringwood School of Music in 2007 I taught piano and performed yearly Faculty Recitals at the Third Street Music School in New York City for nearly 10 years.  I have accompanied extensively and have performed as a chamber musician and an improviser for ballet classes as well.

At our studio in Ringwood, the fees are $35, 50$, and 65$ for 30, 45, and 60 minute lessons, respectively.  Depending on the distance, an additional $5-10 is charged to travel to a student's home. For those who cannot afford our standard fees, a lower fee can be easily negotiated.

I began accompanying children and teens on the violin, flute, cello, etc at the Third Street Music School while I was still at Juilliard and was asked to join the Faculty after about 2 years.

Most of my pupils start at age 5, 6, 7, or 8.  I have taught older children and teens who switched teachers extensively as well as adults of all ages (40's, 50's 60's, even a 90-year-old).  I worked with a young autistic woman from about age 16-18.

COVID has reduced our in-person performance opportunities significantly in 2020 but we are extremely optimistic about resuming them beginning this fall/winter.

Try the teacher out for a free initial session and you'll get a feel for what your lessons would be like.  With us, you are under no obligation to continue unless you are completely happy and satisfied, and decide to continue yourself, or make the decision on behalf of your child/teen.

On the student's side, you'll need a decent piano (usually upright) OR a good electric keyboard that you'll be practicing on in between lessons.  Realize too that if your lesson is half an hour, you'll be practicing about a half hour at home every day (except the day of the lesson). 

The three big "needs" of piano playing are Note Reading, Counting, and Fingering.  If you're a beginner, we'll be guiding you through these basics with appropriate songs and materials at your own pace.  For transfer students, what you bring to us is what we'll work on, and we'll introduce you to new ways of playing, and new pieces of music, that you might not have thought of or known before.