About Ashton
My passion for music is boundless, and my greatest desire is to instill that same love for music in my students.
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My passion for music is boundless, and my greatest desire is to instill that same love for music in my students. During my time in University, I experienced burnout due to the excessive focus on drills and technical exercises, overshadowing the joy of making music. As a result, I am committed to providing my students with a positive and motivating learning experience. In my lessons, I prioritize the music itself, allowing the student's chosen pieces to guide the journey. While I do cover theory and technical exercises when necessary, I ensure they serve the music being learned. Moreover, I actively encourage my students to take part in selecting the music they want to play, fostering a sense of ownership and excitement in their musical education.
Name: Ashton (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 27
Gender: male
I hold a Music Diploma in drumset performance from MacEwan University, and I have successfully completed my RCM Level 9 piano exam with first-class honours. Currently, I am diligently preparing for the Level 10 exam. In drums, my dedication and talent were recognized with multiple full scholarships to participate in the prestigious Youth Jazz Canada Workshop at Humber College in Toronto. This enriching experience brought together Canadian and international musicians for an intensive two weeks of rehearsals, masterclasses, and performances. The workshop provided invaluable opportunities to collaborate with guest faculty, showcase our skills at the Jazz festival and esteemed venues like the Jazz Bistro, and even record in Humber's professional studio. As for piano, I have had the privilege of studying under the guidance of esteemed concert pianists and educators, Emilio De Mercato and Yoana Kyurkchieva. Their mentorship has been instrumental in shaping my growth as a pianist and instilling a deeper appreciation for the art of piano performance.
Canadian Roland V-Drums Competition youth finalist
My journey in music has been diverse and enriching. For several years, I had the privilege of being a member of a captivating West African percussion ensemble, where we performed traditional West African music and delighted audiences in the Edmonton area. My love for drums and percussion led me to play in pit orchestras for numerous musicals, including the iconic West Side Story. Remarkably, at the age of 15, I secured my first orchestra gig for the musical Once Upon a Mattress, a memorable milestone in my musical career. As a child, I immersed myself in the Yamaha program on piano for an inspiring seven years, laying a strong foundation for my musical journey. In my junior and senior high years, I eagerly participated in jazz workshops at MacEwan University and Humber College during the summers. These workshops granted me the invaluable opportunity to learn from esteemed jazz musicians, refining my skills in big band and small ensemble playing, and deepening my passion for jazz music.
Cantonese
Mandarin
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
Ashton is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Ashton 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.