Frequently Asked Questions
For shift workers, we have you as a “floater”. We fit your lesson in according to both our schedules each week. You will need to have private lessons.
We go by the month and enrol all year around. As payment dates for tuition fall on the first of the month, you start at the beginning of the month to get the most benefit.
Not if you don’t want to. Singing does help you keep track of where you are while playing. If you don’t like the sound of your voice, you can just sing in your head.
That’s fine, you can take time off whenever you like. If you want to retain your spot, you need to pay your tuition fee to hold it. If you don’t pay, we will give you a spot if it’s available when you get back.
We require a responsible adult, be it parent, guardian or grandma, to be at the lessons. The adult will need to be an active part of the lesson, learning alongside the child. The adult will then assist the child at home with practice. If you are unable to do this, ask about our Home Coach Program.
Yes, there is no age limit on piano lessons. In fact, studies have proven that music lessons are the best form of brain training. The eldest Simply Music student I know was in the USA and started lessons at 97!
Yes, absolutely. Our minimum enrolment is two months.
Lessons are run all year around. We have the week off whenever a public holiday falls in Victoria, Australia. Please see our Calendar page for more information.
No. Only the student and one parent (as coach) are allowed in the lesson.
No, there are no exams. However, the students are assessed in studio at the end of each Foundation Level to ensure they are ready to move on to the next level.
Yes, we want to make lessons affordable for families. Each additional student from immediate family receives $10.00 off their monthly tuition fee.
No, you will need to come to the studio in Colac, or have lessons online.
Lesson length will vary depending on the age of the student and whether it is a shared or private lesson. We cover all this in the Free Introductory Session. The average lesson time is 30 minutes.
We choose not to list our lesson fees for two reasons:
- The method we teach is unique. We want you to check what we offer before we tell you our fees. We want you to know all about us and the method before you decide. It makes sense to find out about fees after you know the value of what we offer. Come to one of our Free Introductory Sessions to find out more about us.
- If you’re price shopping for piano lessons, it’s really hard to compare us to any other piano studio in Colac since no one does what we do. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. At Tinkling Ivories Piano Studio we pride ourselves on the value that we can bring to you. We care about results more than anything.
Of course, we have taught many adults to play using the Simply Music method. Most adults just want to get straight into playing great sounding music. We do this by delaying the reading of music. You will play with both hands from the very beginning.
We have a 30 day cancellation policy. Give us 30 days notice in writing when you want to finish lessons.
No, not a contract. You will sign an Enrolment Form and agree to our Studio Policies before we accept you as a student. You pay by the month and can cancel anytime.
We start children from 4 years of age with a shortened class and using the Play-a-Story program. After a month or two, when the child is ready, we introduce the Simply Music curriculum. Older children are generally ready to start with Simply Music straight away.