About Carmen
Carmen is a dedicated music teacher specializing in piano lessons for students aged 3 to adults. With a teaching philosophy centered on nurturing students' passion for music and building confidence, she aims to inspire their musical potential for a lifelong love of music. Carmen holds a bachelor's degree in Music Studies, focusing on piano performance, and a postgraduate diploma in Music Education. She offers lessons online and in students' homes, covering areas like Burnaby and Vancouver. Fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, Carmen is well-equipped to teach a diverse range of students.
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My philosophy of learning music is to nurture students' interest by making lessons enjoyable and fostering a sense of accomplishment. Setting realistic and broad goals together allows for steady progress and motivation. I believe in a holistic approach to music education, encouraging exploration of different genres and musical traditions. Creating a supportive environment, I provide constructive feedback, celebrate achievements, and approach challenges with patience. By nurturing students' passion for music and instilling confidence, I aim to inspire their musical potential and cultivate a lifelong love for music.
Name: Carmen (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 30's
Gender: female
Under the tutelage of Mr. Shum Kin Wai, a renowned Steinway Artist and prizewinner in international competitions, I obtained a bachelor's degree in Music Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), specializing in piano performance. My education journey continued with a postgraduate diploma in Music Education from HKBU, preparing me for a fulfilling career as a secondary school music teacher.
Other qualifications:
・ATCL Diploma in Piano Recital from Trinity College London
・Grade 8 (equivalent to RCM Grade 10) Theory from The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)
・ Grade 8 (equivalent to RCM Grade 10) Piano with Distinction from ABRSM
・Choral Conducting and Rehearsal Certificate Course from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA)
・Creative Music Teaching Certificate from HKAPA
・The International Music and Arts Competition (HK) 2013 - Silver Award (Chopin Waltz)
Cantonese
English
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
Carmen is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Carmen 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.