Piano lessons in Charlton, NY♥Collaborative piano in the Capital District★All ages welcome♥Hop on the waiting list!★Piano lessons in Charlton, NY♥Collaborative piano in the Capital District★All ages welcome♥Hop on the waiting list!★
Hi! My name is Kristinname and my hair is totally pinkcolor. I teach pianoinstrument to students of all ages in Charlton, NYplace. On Sundays I play the organnoun at Christ Episcopalplace, and I love to accompanyverb singers and musicians all over the Capital District. I live with my love Richname, our three awesomeadjective kids Edison, Claudia & Oliverplural noun, and a whole bunch of chickensanimal. When I'm not at the piano, I'm usually knittingverb ending in -ing.
Where you'll find Kristin
The studio
Teaching all ages in Charlton
The organ bench
Christ Episcopal, Ballston Spa
On stage
Accompanying local soloists & groups
The backyard
Hanging out with the chickens
The couch
Knitting something cozy
A note from Kristin —
My students learn to do more than play the right notes at the right time. We find each musician's own voice and creativity, with real technique, note reading, sight reading, theory and ear training that work in any genre. Once you find the music that speaks to you, we'll find songs you'll love playing your whole life. Lots of my students learn to accompany themselves singing or to play with friends — and we always have fun.
Consistency and quality beat quantity. No minutes quota, no practice log — just a daily habit so students come ready.
Each week Kristin writes goals and practice tips in the student's notebook. Specific requirements only show up if progress stalls for several weeks.
What to practice on
A well-maintained acoustic piano is ideal. A keyboard works if it has all 88 full-size, weighted keys.
Kristin orders the books and adds them to your next monthly bill.
Tuition
1
A bill arrives by email before each month begins.
2
Pay by the first lesson of every month, September through June.
3
Books and materials aren't included — they're added to next month's bill.
4
Tuition holds your weekly time slot all school year. Unpaid balances mean losing the spot.
Ways to pay
Check
Made to Kristin McCabe
Venmo
@Kristin-McCabe-13
Apple Pay
518-937-3135
PayPal
McCabePianoStudio@gmail.com
Calendar
The studio follows the Burnt Hills–Ballston Lake (BH-BL) school calendar, so there are no lessons over school breaks.
Snow day? If BH-BL closes for winter weather — or cancels weekend activities, for Saturday and Sunday lessons — lessons are cancelled too.
Delays of one or two hours only affect lessons before noon.
Weather make-ups happen as a group piano class.
Policies
General Information
Weekly private lessons are held in 30, 45 or 60-minute sessions. Small groups and partner lessons are also available.
Calendar & Schedule
McCabe Piano Studio follows the BHBL school district calendar. There are no lessons held during holiday breaks.
Student & Parent Responsibilities
Practice: Students are expected to practice daily on a quality instrument. Ideally this would be a well-maintained acoustic piano, but if you will be using a keyboard, please make sure that your keyboard is 88 keys and that the keys are full size and weighted.
Promptness: Students are expected to arrive to lessons on time with all materials and music. It's quite helpful to keep all materials together in a canvas tote bag used specifically for lessons. Parents are welcome to wait quietly in the waiting area, wait in their car in the driveway, or "run errands" (so long as they return to retrieve the student in a timely fashion). ☺ Students who come right after school can ride the school bus to my house and do homework or another quiet activity until their lesson time begins.
Attendance
Please do your best to attend every lesson available to you. Your student will do best if you attend all lessons regularly. When you register for lessons, your exclusive time slot is reserved for you through the teaching year. Unlike a doctor or a hairdresser, I am unable to "resell" the time slot reserved for you, nor can I create extra teaching time in my schedule. There are no guaranteed Make-Up lessons if you miss your reserved time. This being said, please talk to me if you have a family emergency or your child has a chronic illness. Special arrangements can be made.
***Any lessons canceled by me will always be made up at a mutually convenient time OR credited to the next month's bill.
Weather Cancellations
For your safety, lessons will be canceled when the BHBL school district is closed for winter storms or when the school district cancels weekend activities (for Saturday/Sunday lessons). One or two-hour delays will only effect lessons scheduled before noon. If lessons are canceled due to weather, I will offer a makeup lesson in the form of a group piano class.
Make-Up Lessons
Registration for individual instrumental & voice lessons is an agreement between the student and teacher to commit to the scheduled weekly lesson time. Lessons will be rescheduled in the event that the INSTRUCTOR must cancel the lessons. Make-up lessons or a credit on the next month's bill will always be given for lessons missed by Mrs. McCabe due to illness or professional obligations. Lessons that are missed without any prior contact with me will not be made up and no money will be refunded.
Contact your teacher directly by text, voice message or email as a courtesy if you will miss your lesson. For the fastest response, please send a text message if able.
Discontinuing Lessons
Every student stops taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of conversation between the teacher, parent and student so the lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. For this reason, the teacher asks for one month's notice prior to discontinuing lessons. However, the teacher acknowledges the right of the student to end lessons at any time. Tuition refunds are not given to students who withdraw from lessons mid-month. Note: at the teacher's discretion a student may be dismissed at any time if they have unpaid tuition, excessive absences/unprepared lessons or show a lack of interest.
FAQ
What is unique about McCabe Piano Studio?
Under my teaching, students learn to do more than just play correct notes for correct values of time. We work to find each musician's unique musical expression and creativity. Students are taught proper technique, note reading, sight reading skills, theory and ear training that they can apply to all kinds of genres of music. Once students discover genres of music that speak to them we will work together to find songs that they will enjoy playing for their whole life long! Many of my students work to accompany themselves while singing or to play collaboratively with other musicians in a positive environment filled with fun!
How Often Are Lessons?
Lessons are held weekly, in my home, for 30, 45, or 60 minute sessions
How Often Am I Required To Practice
I believe that consistency and quality - not quantity - is most crucial when it comes to practicing.
I do not require certain amounts of time for students to practice each week, nor do I generally ask the students to record how much they've practiced in a log.
Instead, I ask students to practice daily in order to ensure progress and to be prepared for each lesson. Because of this approach, my students are often self motivated and do not feel as though practice is a chore or requirement.
During lessons I write weekly goals in the student's notebook often with practice tips. We often will spend time discussing good practice habits with suggestions on how to improve particular passages. In the event that a student is not making progress for several weeks in a row I may then write specific practice requirements.
Will I Have To Purchase My Own Books?
Yes and no....I will purchase the books for you and then add the cost of the books on to your next month's bill
