Where do the lessons take place?

Lessons take place in my home in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Once you are booked I will send you details of my address.

When do the lessons take place?

We appreciate that for parents with young children life can be pretty hectic, so we aim for lessons to be flexible around your busy schedule. Most availability will be at weekends and school holidays but while you are booking, we can discuss the schedule that works for you and your child.

Do I need to purchase any instruments before hand?

No, you don’t need to buy anything. All resources will be provided for the lesson.

How will you monitor my child’s progress each week?

At the end of each lesson we will capture your child’s progress with a short video performance for you to watch back. Your child will also complete a quick reflection of the lesson – what they learnt and what they enjoyed - in their “First Note Passport”.

Would you travel to our home privately?

Unfortunately, this isn’t a service we are able to offer on a regular basis. However, we wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to learn music so if you’re unable to travel please do get in touch and we can discuss alternative arrangements. It will be dependent on availability and a travel surcharge would be incurred. You would also need to have a piano in your home which is an essential resource for the programme. 

What if my child doesn’t want to learn one of the instruments?

We encourage all our budding musicians to have an open mind and give everything a go. If they don’t enjoy that instrument after the lesson, there is no need to revisit, and through that instrument they will have developed musical skills which will transfer to the next one they try!

Why don’t you offer any of the more popular wind and brass instruments such as flute, clarinet, trumpet or saxophone?

These are great instruments for your child to learn when they are aged seven and above, so in the meantime recorders and JSaxes are great foundation instruments. They are more suited to smaller learners, and will give them the musical foundations to pick up other instruments at a later stage in their musical journey.

What if my child would like to carry on lessons after their “First Note” experience, can they continue lessons at the “First Note Academy”?

Following the programme we will discuss the next steps for your child. If they would like to learn an instrument I will support you to find a teacher – whether that is with the “First Note Academy” or another local teacher.

Do you offer group lessons?

One of the core principles of the “First Note Academy” beginner experience is to offer personalised and bespoke individual lessons. We want to create a musical experience where we can focus solely on your child, strengthening their musical skills by developing their individual needs. If you would like your child to learn with a friend or a sibling, you can book a series of paired lessons, but we offer no more than a group of two.