About Alvin
Alvin, an accomplished music educator, offers piano and saxophone lessons online, in your home, and at his studio. With a Bachelor of Music degree in Saxophone from the University of British Columbia, Alvin combines academic excellence with practical experience. He tailors his lessons to suit each student's needs, emphasizing a strong foundation in music fundamentals while fostering exploration and creativity. Alvin's versatile teaching approach spans various genres, including classical, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, ensuring an engaging and enriching learning experience. Book an interview now.
BOOK AN INTERVIEW WITH ALVIN NOW
My teaching philosophy revolves around making music education easy, enjoyable, and effective. I firmly believe in laying a strong foundation in music fundamentals while also allowing flexibility for my students to explore their personal interests and passions.
Name: Alvin (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 28
Gender: male
- University of British Columbia - Bachelors of Music concentration in Saxophone
I completed my formal musical training at the University of British Columbia, where I focused on saxophone and actively participated in wind ensembles and jazz bands. Graduating with a 3.9 GPA was a significant achievement during my time at UBC. During my music degree, I also had the opportunity to study jazz saxophone and piano at VCC (Vancouver Community College) under the guidance of talented instructors like James Danderfer and Sharon Minemoto. As part of my musical journey, I had the privilege of playing piano with the VCC Legacy Jazz Ensemble and the New Orleans Combo, both directed by James Danderfer. For over three years now, I have been sharing my passion and expertise by teaching saxophone privately. I truly enjoy working with students and I'm excited to continue this rewarding journey with even more aspiring musicians. I'm well-versed in various genres, including classical, jazz, r&b, and hip-hop, and I tailor my teaching to cater to the unique preferences and goals of each student. Currently based in the vibrant Downtown Toronto area, I offer in-person lessons for students who prefer a more traditional learning experience. However, I also embrace technology and provide online lessons for those seeking a flexible and convenient approach to learning music. Whether you're a beginner eager to explore the saxophone or an intermediate player looking to hone your skills, I am here to support and guide you on your musical journey. Let's make beautiful music together!
English
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
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 travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
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.
3. Illness Policy
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.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
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).
Lessons in your home
Alvin is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Alvin can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.
Alvin's Studio Location
Alvin offers lessons from his studio. Please note that map locations are based on the postal code of the teachers studio. address will be released to you if needed.