This year (2011) I want to take another step in my long-term plan of eventually living in the Perth Hills, by providing music lessons as a peripatetic (travelling) teacher.

I used to only teach at my best friend's home in Morley (where I was a border), but in April began driving into the hills (or foothills) to teach students in their own homes.

*** Currently (June 2011), I can only accept new students in the Shire of Mundaring or the Midland foothills. ***

My thinking as at 04 February 2011: teach in the hills (and foothills) one or two days a week. This may change if I have no takers but it seems like a good way to start.

Update (as at 20 February 2011): I've started teaching two students in Mt Helena on Saturday afternoons.

UPDATE (as at 02 June 2011): Have moved to Parkerville in the hills. Now have students in Wooroloo, Sawyers Valley and Mount Helena on Saturdays. Will soon have Fridays available for hills students (have given 4 weeks' notice to give up a day job in disability support I was doing on Fridays).

Subjects offered: all, that is:

piano (ages 6 to 76), singing (over 18 only), vocal health, music theory, tone-deaf drones, speech technique.

Fees: essentially the same as for Morley:

Students under 18 years: $35
Over 18 years: $50

All lessons are usually about 45 minutes, even for children.

However, with some young beginner piano students we can try 30 minutes ($25) as some may find their concentration drops after half an hour, and some others may find they are absorbing quite enough to do well with a short lesson. Even so, 45 minute lessons are the norm for most of my students, of any age.

Travelling charges

I add $5 per lesson for children under 18 years. If there are two or more having lessons at the same house one after another, it's only $5 overall, that is, a maximum travelling charge of $5 per house. Perhaps you have a friend who wants to have lessons at your place?

There are no travelling charges for adults.

Peripatetic lessons will have to be weekly (whereas lessons I gave in Morley could be fortnightly).

What areas / suburbs?

My peripatetic teaching is offered in these localities:

Mundaring (town), Stoneville, Parkerville, Hovea, Mahogany Creek, Glen Forrest, Darlington, Boya, Koongamia, Greenmount, Jane Brook, Stratton, Swan View, Midvale, Midland, Bellevue, Helena Valley, Sawyers Valley, Mount Helena, Chidlow, Gidgegannup.

Books and other teaching materials

Initially, I always try to use whatever music teaching books students  already have. Bear in mind that what counts is not so much which materials are used, but how the materials are used.

With beginner and intermediate piano students I use a lot of things I have made myself over the years (some of which were published), and these are printed from my computer at no cost to the student (I print them at home and bring them with me). These include finger exercises, beginner studies to develop co-ordination, theory pages, and sight-reading exercises.

When we need more books etc I will provide them to you and bill you for them on the next invoice. I try to keep these costs minimal.

Fees for music exams, eisteddfod competitions etc are also placed on the next invoice.

My long-term plans

Eventually I want to rent a house in the hills or foothills, but that might not happen for many months or even several years. In the meantime I'm house sitting in the hills and teaching all my students in their own homes, including the students I used to teach at the home in Morley.

I grew up in Parkerville and Hovea, went to school at Parkerville PS, Eastern Hills SHS, and Governor Stirling SHS (this was all in the Good 'ol Days, up to 1978), and I would really love to live somewhere up there again.

Give me a call or send me an email if you live in Western Australia and want lessons in singing, piano, theory, keyboard harmony, or voice care, or you need speech restoration. Contact me if you're looking for piano accompaniment for exams, auditions etc, or solo piano for restaurants.

Click on the links to learn more or reach me by phone or email.

My mobile phone is 0414 374 701. 

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