FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Beethoven at Home is Canada's leading provider of in-home and in-studio music. Lessons from our teachers take place either in your home or at our teacher's studios. Just tell us the instrument you wish to learn as well as where and when you would like to learn it and our consultants will place you with a music teacher near you. All Beethoven at Home teachers have passed a police database background check and have been evaluated by Beethoven at Home looking at experience, education and attitude. Additionally we monitor our client and teacher experiences to ensure that our customers are satisfied with the service we provide. Beethoven at Home is the only coast to coast service of its type operating in Canada.

A student should take lessons according to their needs. Most young children just beginning an instrument will take a half hour lesson weekly to start. Adult beginners will be able to sustain focus and interest longer and as such should take a 45 minute to 1 hour lesson. All students take weekly lessons to ensure progress. Some of our clientele take 2 lessons a week if they are preparing intensively for a recital, exam or other special project.

Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has traveled to the location.

A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.

Beethoven at Home screens our applicants for teaching positions weighing education, experience and attitude. Additionally, all applicants complete an RCMP criminal records database check as well as a search of local police records through our partner www.backcheck.ca.

Beethoven at Home charges $59.00 per 60 minute lesson, $49.00 per 45 minute lesson and $39.00 per 30 minute lesson. Clients that travel to their teacher's studio pay the above rates only. If you want to have instruction in your home an additional per visit travel fee of $15.00 will apply. Families with multiple children taking multiple lessons are charged only one travel fee per teacher provided all the lessons are grouped together on the same day for in home lessons.

While we do not offer a family discount per say families with more than one child do save on the convenience of in-home lessons as they are charged only a single travel fee as long as the lessons are grouped together on the same day with the same teacher. Additionally, our per hour rate drops as children progress and require longer lessons to make things easier on families with multiple students making progress. We also have mini-lesson rates that are available to clients that already have at least one child already enrolled in at least a 30 min lesson. These mini rates allow a younger sibling to have a shorter lesson (15, 20 or 25 minutes) until they are ready for a full 30 min time period. The mini-lesson rates are $34.00 for 25 minutes, $29.00 for 20 min and $24.00 for 15 minutes. To enquire further about this possibility just write to us at info@beethovenathome.com or call the office at 1-800-380-0850.

Not at this time. Our posted rates are per student. The intention being that as students require a longer lesson the cost per hour decreases. Families may not for example group children together in a 1 hour lesson rate for 20 or 30 minute intervals as the teacher must prepare for each student separately. Occasionally we have requests for couples or a parent and child to study together for a 1 hour period. While we can accommodate this pedagogically these situations are billed out at the half hour rate as two 30 minute lessons. The teacher may at the client's discretion combine a group of students initially in the case of multiple children being beginners at the same stage within a family. This is to maximize value to the client by accelerating progress by eliminating repetition in the first few lessons (how to hold a violin, how to clean a flute etc.). This is practiced only at the outset and the students will be taking individual private instruction as soon as possible. There is no rate change as a result of this as all Beethoven at Home students are enrolled in private instruction.

There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).

Yes! Once you have provided your credit card either by online registration or by phone we will release your teacher's full contact information to you via email. We will also contact your teacher and your teacher will be in contact with you within 24 hours. You can ask your teacher any questions about their teaching and experience on the phone at this time. There is no financial obligation for meeting your teacher on the phone. If you choose not to go ahead with the lessons we will be happy to help you select another teacher. No charges are made to your card until we have a booking confirmation from your teacher after your phone meeting. If you want to meet your teacher prior to providing payment information it can be accomplished but will take a few more days. Interviews can be set up on our phone exchange. These calls are recorded for quality control and adherence to our policies. To accomplish this complete a registration and request a callback instead of the credit card gateway.

Unfortunately, our system cannot accommodate this kind of payment relationship. In our system students and teachers have a musical and pedagogical relationship only. All billing and other aspects of a transactional nature are handled by our administration. Students are billed at the outset of each month for the amount of weekly lessons in a month minus any pre-reported absences etc. This enables us to pay the teacher right away at the end of the month.

At this time, we can only receive payments via credit card or VOID cheque.

Yes. In any musical instruction you will need an instrument to practice on in order to make progress.

Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.

Students of all ages can enroll at Beethoven at Home. Typically the youngest age we have students studying music is 4 years old. We even have students starting to learn in their seventies so at the other end of things there are no limits!

For privacy reasons we cannot divulge any information about our teachers until a registration is booked. All of this information is provided to you immediately upon receipt of payment information.

Certainly, if you and your instructor agree to reschedule your lesson time your instructor will inform our administration to adjust your schedule and billing.

Musical instruction with Beethoven at Home takes place on a weekly basis. Progress on an instrument requires weekly practice.

Our administrative operations are based in Vancouver. Our teachers are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Gatineau and Montreal.

Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.

Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher. BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment. No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.