About Our Lessons
At Andrew Parry Music, we encourage all of our teachers to teach in their own individual style and to suit each individual they teach. Having fun and being creative are the two main aims for all of our lessons, but we also can follow more formal teaching routes. Choosing to take exams is very much down to the student, parents and teacher to decide together. It is not compulsory and it is very possible to progress very highly on instruments without taking exams. However, we do have great success in putting students through exams and preparing for concerts, as these things can be great ways to focus progression. It's not that long ago that we took music exams ourselves, so we all know how stressful they can be!
As well as individual lessons, we do offer group lessons, and these can be a great way of making lessons more affordable as well as being a more social experience. Learning in a group often can be more fun, more communal and there are great opportunities in groups for playing together, learning different parts and covering wider elements of music making. Some instruments lend themselves better to learning in groups such as orchestral instruments and the guitar, some not so much, but do get in touch if you want to discuss this option as it can be possible on most instruments.
Andrew Parry Music also run a variety of different music making in schools, such as large groups, whole class instrument teaching, class music teaching, orchestras, choirs, music clubs and workshops. So if your school or organisation might be interested in any of these, do please get in touch and we'll happily create something that suits your individual requirements.
“Andrew Parry Music provides an excellent and professional peripatetic service. I have found their tutors to be brilliant, approachable and very patient with our students. The tutors teaching styles keep students focused and engaged and students are eager to continue their practice throughout the week in order to improve their technique in-between lessons. The cost of lessons continues to be very good value for money and has allowed more of our school community to access 1-2-1 music tuition.”
- April, Cornwallis Academy
Standard lesson prices (as of April 2023):
There is no difference in price between our after school and in school lessons, however there are cases where some schools subsidise lesson costs.
Individual 30 mins: £16.00 per lesson [£80 for 1 term]
Individual 20 mins: £11.00 per lesson [£55 for 1 term]
Group* 30 mins: £8.50 per lesson [£42.50 for 1 term]
*Group lessons are taught to between 2 and 4 students (2 or 3 being the norm), and can only be taught if there are 2 or more students who are suitable to group together. If you opt for your child to have group lessons, we will do everything we can to find them a partner, however sometimes it may be necessary to wait a little while until one comes along.
We usually aim to teach 5 lessons per student each term, however, due to school activities and term lengths, sometimes this is not possible. In these cases we run lessons forwards into the next term. So a student may have 4 lessons one term and then 6 in the next. A full year of lessons is typically 30.
Payments:
Our standard practice is to send out lessons invoices via email at the beginning of every half term. Instructions for payment by bank transfer can be found on your invoice. We prefer this method of payment as it is more secure.
Absences Policy:
It is our policy to charge for un-notified absences. Please, wherever possible, give us 48 hours notice for absences. Unfortunately if we don’t get that notice we may have to charge for the lesson, as unless there are extenuating circumstances, whether a student is a notified or un-notified becomes a matter for their teacher's discretion. If there are extenuating circumstances, please do get in touch!
Although we ask schools to let us know about upcoming trips, this isn't foolproof, so please also let us know if your child will be out of school on the day/time of their lesson as a fail-safe.
Notice can be sent to us by email, by the contact form in this page's footer, or directly to their music teacher. Please note, if notice is sent via the school office it may well not reach us in time!
Stopping lessons:
We usually require that notice for cancellation of lessons is given before the next term begins, ideally during the term prior, but again, please do get in touch if this is a problem. Notice must be sent to us directly, in some form of writing.
Payment issues:
If you have any payment issues, you are going to be late paying, or you’d like to discuss other options such as standing orders, please let us know. We will be as flexible and as accommodating as possible.