About Fiona
Fiona is a dedicated BAH teacher offering clarinet and violin lessons to students aged 8 and up. Based in Cambridge, she holds an honours degree in classical music from Wilfrid Laurier University. Fiona also teaches dictation, ear training, and advanced music theory, with lessons available online, in her Cambridge studio, and in your home in the Cambridge and Guelph areas. Her approach is adaptable, ensuring lessons are tailored to each student's needs and goals.
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It's never too late to start an instrument! Many adult beginners have come to me with no prior experience, and it's such a gift to watch them grow into budding musicians! Over the many years I have been teaching, the most important skill I have learned as a teacher, is to adjust the lesson style according to the student's needs. If they don't like a certain piece, I will not force it. We say 'play' music, for a reason. Without the playing, it becomes 'work'. Obviously practise is required to get optimal results, but even if you just want to use your lessons as practise time to keep you motivated to play, that's all that matters! You can play to your four walls, or perform in public, totally up to you. Technique is essential as it can avoid pain and injury, as well as enhance your playing in every way. The first few lessons are really about getting the correct posture in order to progress efficiently and avoid bad habits, that become hard to undo.
Name: Fiona (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 50's
Gender: female
I started violin/fiddle as a child when living in Scotland, then came to Canada and took Suzuki violin throughout high school. I started clarinet in school and went on to get an honours degree in classical music from Wilfrid Laurier University, in Waterloo. I have a certificate to teach the Mark O'Connor fiddle method, which is like Suzuki method, for fiddlers!
I founded the Guelph Celtic Orchestra 15 years ago, as well, I have been their Musical Director since the beginning. We have a group of 25 fiddlers and other celtic musicians, that perform a few shows a year. I played clarinet in the Guelph Symphony Orchestra for 15 years as well. My experience of both classical training on clarinet, and being able to 'jam' with fiddlers makes me versatile in that I can teach you to play either style. With or without music reading skills.
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
Fiona is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Fiona 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.
Fiona's Studio Location
Fiona offers lessons from her studio. Please note that map locations are based on the postal code of the teachers studio. address will be released to you if needed.