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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
We offer a trial lesson, free of charge to all of our prospective consumers. We keep a log of every students' basic information, from past experience to future goals, updated weekly during lessons. If you decide what we offer is not the best fit, you are not obligated to any commitment. After a successful trial lesson, we discuss a service agreement and payment plan, as well as scheduling options for future lessons.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Danton Arlotto completed his Master's degree in piano pedagogy at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2017 and received professional K-12 music education certification through the state of Pennsylvania. His undergraduate degrees in keyboard performance and music theory and composition are also from West Chester University.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
We offer various lesson packages, set at the market average of a dollar per minute. We also incentivize long-term lesson packages with lower rates, and we offer a 10% discount for family lessons. Payments are due every four lessons. Because we travel to students' homes, we charge a $5 travel fee per lesson.
DocRocker Music Academy exercises great flexibility in scheduling, while allowing room for cancellations without penalties.
How did you get started teaching?
Danton has been teaching music since he was a teenager, working through a local music store, giving piano and guitar lessons. This grew to making private house calls and setting up his own personal studio at home before starting a college career.
Today, he is running his own business, traveling to students and giving music lessons every day.
What types of students have you worked with?
You name it, we have taught it. Rock, blues, classical, theatre, we have experience performing and writing in those styles. Young children to adults with no experience, high school kids preparing for college auditions, professional musicians with performing careers, we have experience teaching and improving their musical skills on very deep levels. DocRocker Music Academy lives and breathe music, and we cannot see ourselves doing anything else better.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
In June, 2018, students at DocRocker Music Academy came together for the first time to give a public recital at a local retirement community in Downingtown, PA. Students varied from young child to adult, bare beginner to conservatory applicant, and piano to classical guitar. Everybody that attended thoroughly enjoyed the performances, and the residents loved every minute of it! We look forward to booking more recitals in 2019.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Hire someone who shows diverse experiences and abundant passion for the art of music making and teaching. One-to-one music lessons involve just as much of a personal relationship between the teacher and student as they do professional skills of the teacher. Seek instructors who display good people skills and demonstrate flexibility in their work. A strong bond between the teacher and student can make or break the lessons.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Am I sure I want to commit to music lessons? I need to set aside time for daily practice, invest in a worthy instrument, and pay a modest sum for a working professional to come to my house each week to monitor my progress. Music is a way of life; am I ready for the call?