HOW MUCH ARE LESSONS?
All of our pricing is a flat per-month basis or a flat-Tuition amount. We do not charge on a per-class basis for any of our classes. Some months your child will have 5 lessons, and other months if school has a week off they may have 3, in general they will have 4 lessons a month.
GROUP CLASSES
All Weekly 60 Minute Group Classes are $175/month
INDIVIDUAL LESSONS
Individual One-on-One 30-Minute Weekly Lessons $195/Month
Individual One-on-One 60 - Minute Weekly Lessons $390/Month
What is the current lesson availability?
currently we teach classes/lessons monday - thursday at the studio. the specific lesson availability can be found at the links below
MUSIC THEATER
Musical Theater-Audition Required. - (price varies per show)
*Ticket Sales and other fees may apply depending upon individual show factors.
Orchestra Pit for the Musical Theater Shows - Audition Required. (price varies per show)
Stage Design and Lighting - Assessment required (ages 12 and up) - (price varies per show)
BANDS
Rock Bands - Audition Required - $175/Month - (10 Month Commitment) see terms for complete details
Canceling and Rescheduling a Lesson
Rescheduling a lesson is accomplished online and is available provided that the original lesson was cancelled at least one day in advance. The particular ins/out of how to cancel and reschedule a lesson/class can be found on this webpage.
Extended Vacations/Absences Policy
Families that are going to be gone for 4+ consecutive weeks (typically during the summer) can either use makeups (must be used within 30 days of canceling the lesson) OR they can unenroll by giving a 30-day notice and then re-enrolling upon their return into a lesson or class spot that has availability.
Typical Weeks off at our studio (no classes)
We take the following days/weeks off each Calendar Year
January - New Years Day and MLK Day
February - President’s Week (we mirror the same week that the Poway Unified School District is closed)
March - None
April - Spring Break (one week - that again mirrors that of Poway Unified School District)
May - Memorial Day
June - the week immediately following the last week of classes in Poway Unified School District
July - the week that contains the 4th of July
August - None
September - Labor Day
October - Halloween
November - Thanksgiving (one week)
December - Winter Break (mirrors the days taken off by Poway Unified School District)
HOW DO I STOP LESSONS?
GROUP & INDIVIDUAL LESSONS
We require a 30-day written notice (e-mail is fine) for students taking individual lessons, and whenever possible during those last 30 days we try to have the student end on a positive note by performing in a Friday Fest for their friends and family. You can process your cancelation by emailing us coordinator@musicpillars.com and we’ll process your 30-day cancelation. Easy Peasy!
ANY DISCOUNTS?
Sibling Discount
We do offer a sibling discount which is $10 off each month for each additional child in a family.
WHAT PIANO DO YOU RECOMMEND?
For a piano initially, we would strongly recommend NOT buying an expensive acoustical upright or grand. But rather spending $600 - $4,500 on a "fully-weighted" (which means that the keys are weighted and have the same action and feel as a grand piano) digital piano. As students become more intermediate/advanced, you can then upgrade (and place like Greene Music accepts back your previous purchase for 100% of its value up to a certain amount of time after purchase towards another piano) your piano…but this is MANY years down the road after starting. Here is a great link to our “Good, Better, Best Pianos”.
We recommend digital pianos for a few reasons:
Digital Pianos have more educational versatility than an acoustical. You can plug many of them into ipads, and when coupled with a few of the really great apps out there, it makes for a much more interactive and faster learning experience for students. A student's entire family does not have to listen to their practicing because the students can put on headphones (this is especially helpful for families with babies or toddlers who nap). Built-in metronomes and other instrumentation on the keyboard are VERY helpful features.
They are far less expensive than acousticals, and can last at least a decades without any maintenance costs. Moving them is much easier (they typically weigh 60 lbs or less). Maintenance costs are essentially zero (acousticals need to be tuned at least once per year - rates are roughly $135- $250 per tuning - and if there are other repairs - the costs go up from there).
Connecting your digital piano as a Midi-Controller through various DAW (Digital Audio Workstations) opens us the world of music and technology - an acoustic does not have that ability.
WHAT GUITAR DO YOU RECOMMEND?
The type of guitar we recommend for the vast majority of beginning guitar students is a Steel String Acoustic Guitar. If your child is between the ages of 8 - 12, a ¾ size Steel String Acoustic Guitar would suit them the best. These are smaller sized guitars that are easier to play for children because their hands don’t have to reach as far on the fretboard. The best way to approach purchasing a guitar for your child is to take them to a local music store and have them try out several guitars to find one that they like. There are many guitars out there, and at the end of the day, you want one that your child is going to enjoy playing. Below are a few options you may want to consider.
Yamaha JR-1 - $150.
The Yamaha JR-1 is a very practical beginner guitar for children that sounds good and is reasonably priced. It’s a great guitar to start out on and learn the fundamentals.
Baby Taylor - $369
Another great ¾ guitar that is a big step up in quality would be a Baby Taylor. It is slightly more expensive, but it’s a considerably better guitar.
GS Mini Taylor - $499
If you’re looking to get an even higher quality instrument and are okay with spending the extra money, a Taylor GS Mini is a fine guitar that will last your child many many years.
