FAQ

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What makes Piano Power the best choice for music lessons in Chicago and the North Shore?

* We’re a teacher-centric studio, and that makes all the difference. Read more about what that means.

* We bring the lessons right to your door — no driving around, no bored siblings, no stress.

* We take time upfront to understand your student, and then pair them with a teacher who “gets” them.

* We understand the needs of your family long-term, and we grow with you as those needs change.

* We have fun and popular recitals twice a year!

* We have the best admin team in town, taking care of you every step of the way.

* Our amazing teachers have different skills and personalities but one common passion: nurturing a lifelong love of music.

What’s your teaching philosophy?

Our teachers combine a strong focus on theory and fundamentals, with a very flexible approach to repertoire. We want to know what your students are listening to, and we incorporate their input as early in the process as possible — even if it’s just learning a simple one-line arrangement of the chorus to their favorite pop song. We also encourage composition for students who are interested in that. All in all, it’s an approach that keeps our students engaged and excited about what they’re doing.

Do you teach adults, too?

Yes! We teach students of all ages, including teenagers and adults.

Is my kid old enough for piano lessons?

We don’t recommend private lessons for students younger than age five. At that age, it’s better to try a group class such as the Wiggleworms classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music, which are offered in suburban locations too. We have about a 50% success rate with 5-year-olds, and a much higher success rate with 6-year-olds. Between age 5 and age 6, there are a few important developmental things that happen: fine-motor skills get stronger, reading ability improves, and the ability to sit still and concentrate goes way up. All of those things make piano lessons a lot more successful.

Do you teach lessons in my neighborhood?

We offer piano, guitar, drum, and voice lessons in the following North Shore suburbs: Deerfield, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood, Northbrook, Northfield, Riverwoods, Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka; and in the following Chicago neighborhoods: Albany Park, Andersonville, Avondale, Bucktown, Edgebrook, Edgewater, Gold Coast, Humboldt Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Logan Square, Near North, North Center, Ravenswood, River North, Rogers Park, Roscoe Village, Uptown, West Rogers Park, West Town, and Wicker Park.

If you don’t see your neighborhood or suburb listed here we may still be able to serve you. Please contact us.

Where do your instructors come from?

We maintain ongoing contact with many different sources to find and retain the highest-quality teachers. Some come directly from referrals from top undergraduate and master’s music programs, others are referred by current instructors, and others are peers from the Chicago music community. You can get a sense of their backgrounds and personalities on the Our Instructors page of the Piano Power website.

Does Piano Power teach Suzuki method?

Piano Power teachers, in general, don’t teach Suzuki method. Suzuki is great for ear-training, but we’ve found that when we’ve inherited Suzuki-trained students, there’s a lot of catch-up to do when it comes to note-reading. So overall, we find traditional method to be better than Suzuki for giving students a well-rounded background in theory and fundamentals.

How much are lessons?

We offer both in-home and virtual lessons. Our 45-minute private lessons start at $79. Our hourly sessions start at $95 (i.e., $47.50 per back-to-back, 30-minute private lesson). You will receive a 5% discount if you have weekday lessons starting before 3:30pm Central Time, or starting after 6:45pm Central Time. Our tuition fee covers all books and materials, as well as our annual recitals. There are no additional charges of any kind.

Do you offer every-other-week lessons?

We don’t offer lessons on an every-other-week basis. Our teachers work weekly schedules, so an every-other-week student would create a recurring schedule vacancy for them.

Do you offer 30-minute lessons?

Yes, as long as two or more students will be taking back-to-back lessons in the same household. We have a 45-minute minimum per household visit. Because our lessons are in-home, this is our only means of ensuring that our teachers are teaching more than they’re driving. That said, our teachers are experts at keeping lessons well-paced, diverse, and fun, and our students generally do just fine with the time frame.

What’s your cancellation policy?

The Piano Power calendar covers all major holidays and school breaks throughout the year. Other than our scheduled closures, you are allowed a limited number of free-choice cancellations — two from September through May, and two from June through August — which you may use for any reason. Outside of your free-choice cancellations and Piano Power’s scheduled closures, you will be invoiced for any additional cancellations.

We don’t have a piano. Do you have any suggestions for renting one, buying one used, or purchasing a keyboard?

Regarding upright or grand pianos, Yamaha, Kawai, and Baldwin are all reliable and reasonably-priced brands. Another good option might be to purchase a digital piano. Digital pianos (as opposed to keyboards) have weighted, piano-style keys that foster the development of great technique for a beginning student. They’re also reasonably affordable (the “sweet spot” between price and quality is roughly $350-700). Yamaha, Roland, and Casio are all reliable brands for digital pianos with weighted keys — we’d say Yamaha is the gold standard. You can get a good sense of some Yamaha digital-piano options here.

Can you recommend a piano tuner?

These recommended tuners are able to tune a piano or evaluate the overall “health” of a potential purchase: Steve Young 312.371.0705, David Coots 847.800.0844, and Randy Fleer 773.294.0147.

Can you recommend a piano mover?

Kevin’s Piano Movers, 847-395-7048, is our favorite company for in-state piano moving.

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