mistwood music

Yes. If you are a piano student, you will need an acoustic piano or an 88-key weighted-action digital piano with sustain pedal, music rack, and bench, on which to practice daily the homework assignments assigned at the weekly lesson. We recommend Classic Pianos in Portland for a used or new acoustic upright or grand piano, or Guitar Center for a digital piano. Acoustic and digital pianos may also be found used on Facebook Marketplace. Sara, our piano teacher, can advise.If you are a cello student you'll need to rent or buy a cello and bow in the correct size for your development. We recommend David Kerr Violin Shop in Portland, but sometimes good instruments can be found via private sellers. Noah, our cello teacher, can advise.

Yes. We expect students to practice at home most days - and to have done their best to master homework assigned by the teacher at the prior week's lesson. Length of practice time is determined by age and level. Young beginners will need to practice 20-30 minutes per day, intermediate level students should practice at least 45 minutes per day, and advanced students should practice for at least 1 hour per day. Students who do not practice regularly will kindly be asked to drop from the lesson schedule. See FAQ "Are current students guaranteed a permanent spot?"

We encourage families to be realistic about their availability. Private music lessons should be a priority if you decide to sign up. We can not make up lessons due to conflicts with other activities. Please read our policies & pricing page carefully before enrolling.

Yes. We expect our students to study year-round for consistency. We understand that summer is a time for family vacations and we are flexible with our make-up policy during those months. We ask that you inform us in advance of any lessons you will be missing so we may alter the schedule accordingly. (If you are a summer-only student, lessons run from July through August.) Please read the policies & pricing tab carefully before enrolling.

Yes. Both studios have seating for two. However, we ask that you consider whether siblings can stay quiet and still, and whether your music student may be distracted by having others in the room.

Not automatically, and that's a good thing. Before taking on new students, we like to have a conversation to make sure our teaching philosophy and your goals are a good match. If it turns out another teacher might be a better fit for you, we're happy to point you in another direction.

Most likely, yes. However, if a student isn't practicing or progressing, or another issue comes up, the teacher will assess, and any decision about continuing will be made collaboratively — between teacher, student, and parents. Sometimes that means switching teachers, or having an honest conversation about priorities and commitment. Our goal is to find what works best for everyone involved.

The quick answer is no. Our philosophy is that music is, first, for the person making it. Performing is a way to share your pieces, build performance skills, and set goals that keep you motivated — but music can just as easily be a personal pursuit. Music should be for anyone willing to commit to learning the craft.

We teach traditional lessons, which to us means teaching "classical" technique (hand position, bow hold, efficient and healthy physicality, scales, arpeggios, etc.), we use method books along with supplemental repertoire, and we emphasize sight-reading, music theory and ear training. The piano studio loosely follows the OMTA Syllabus structure, and the cello studio relies on Suzuki book collections as well as etudes, rhythm exercises, and other methodologies. We try to ensure our students enjoy and have input on which supplemental/recital/adjudication pieces they're tackling. There are tons of choices!We do incorporate some songwriting/composition, accompanying, jazz/contemporary concepts into our teaching to ensure our students are well-rounded and equipped with the skills they need to play whatever they wish later on, but if you're looking for a real jazz/pop teacher, we'd recommend you contact a music store or a local university music department office to ask for ideas.