Piano, Guitar and Singing lessons in Coburg North
Whether you want to learn Herbie Hancock, Sam Smith, Katy Perry or Adele our teachers can get you playing the music you love. We can teach you jazz, classical, blues, composition, contemporary, prepare you for exams – anything you want. Our tertiary educated teachers are trained in multiple styles, have a wealth of experience and are keen to help you progress on your chosen path. We believe in structuring our piano lessons on strong theoretical foundations so that students of all levels can confidently learn and explore the music they love..
Our curriculum: although all students have different goals and aspirations, we have various studio-wide term challenges and activities that we encourage all of our students to participate in. Some examples include composition (writing, scoring and recording a piece), music of the world, duets, ten-piece challenge and many more. All students experience elements of theory, improvisation, performance and composition.
Our teachers have a wealth of teaching experience, specialising in composition and improvisation with both jazz and classical backgrounds. All of our teachers are formally educated, have industry experience and teach multiple styles.
We screen our teachers to ensure not just flawless theoretical knowledge, but a real understanding and appreciation of music; they have the ability to really listen and hear music – enabling them to transcribe and teach anything you’d like to learn.
They are all talented and practising musicians, and above all, have the ability to transmit those abilities to others.
BMus in Jazz Piano
Queensland Conservatorium
Music Mentor Training at Independent Music Academy, Brisbane
Current Victorian Working With Children Check
Allegra has loved the piano ever since she can remember. She began taking lessons at age four and grew up learning Classical before moving into Jazz, all the while figuring out her favourite songs from the radio. Later in life she completed her Classical Exams with AMEB and ANZCA, and then studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
Taking her piano tuition with Steve Newcomb, she graduated with a Bachelor in Music majoring in Jazz Piano in 2008. She’s played in jazz, tango and reggae bands (to name a few), various ensembles, and Big Bands. She enjoys travelling, performing and playing with friends, but has come to love teaching most of all.
James started learning piano at 5 years old, and was soon improvising, composing, and learning pieces by ear, before finally being drawn to the rhythm and energy of jazz. He later completed his degree in Jazz Piano at the Queensland Conservatorium, and his classical LMusA. He’s performed in pop, hip-hop, tango, Iranian and klezmer bands, as well as some work as a clarinettist.
Under the tutelage of teachers such as Yitzhak Yedid, Steve Newcomb, and Therese Milanovic, James maintained an interest in a diverse range of styles, and developed a variety of skills that he enjoys passing on to students in his work as a teacher.
We understand the value and importance of live performance, and encourage our students to perform at every available opportunity. Not only does it provide a great motivation both before and after the ‘gig’, it builds confidence, consolidates practice and above all is a great experience. Ask any musician – nothing beats the feeling after a live performance!
We hold two recitals per year: a mid-year winter recital, an end-of-year Summer Duets recital (they’re more like a parties) where all of our younger students perform for fellow students, family and friends, showcasing their talents with songs they’ve learnt and/or composed throughout the year. You can see pictures of our latest recital here. For our more mature students, we hold ‘wine and cheese’ nights at the studio every term, where our adult students can meet others in a friendly atmosphere, all the while getting an interesting and varied concert. Always a relaxing, constructive and fun evening!
While we don’t force or pressure our students to take exams, we certainly encourage them. Exams cover most aspects of musical education, and provide both structure and deadlines. Whether the student wants to take exams or not, we teach all of the aspects examined, such as sight-reading, performing, aural skills and theory. The decision to take exams or not is down to the student – on one hand they can be rewarding and beneficial for those who work well with the exam structure, for others they are overly stressful and can end up turning students off music altogether. We find that the majority of students lie somewhere in the middle.
Our teachers can help students prepare for AMEB, ANZCA and VCE exams. Our students currently have a 100% success rate.
Exams are scheduled throughout the year; it is necessary to book in advance, before the closing dates. If you’d like to organise exams please talk to your teacher and we’ll arrange the booking for you.
Enrolment at Allegra Music is based on an 11-month school year (Feb-Dec), with 40 weekly lessons per year, divided into 4 terms.
The annual fee is based upon the VMTA recommended hourly rate of $78.00. You have three options for fee payments: per annum, per term or in monthly instalments. Whichever you choose, the total cost is the same, as outlined below.
Please note: All lessons are paid in advance, and are non-refundable.
The 2019 rates listed below all include GST.
| 30 Minute Lesson | 45 Minute Lesson | 60 Minute Lesson | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $1716 | $2574 | $3432 |
| Per Term | $429 | $643.50 | $858 |
| Monthly (Feb-Dec) | $156 | $234 | $312 |
* Due to school holidays, some months/terms have more lessons than others. Please click here to view our term dates
A 5% discount applies when 2 members of a family are enrolled. For 3 or more family members, a 10% discount applies (does not apply to annual studio fee).
There is an annual non-refundable studio fee of $30 per student to cover enrolment in online theory and practice courses, teaching materials and printing costs.
Preferred payment method is via direct deposit; however, we do accept cash if required. Invoices are issued either two weeks before the 1st of the month, or two weeks before the 1st day of term. Payment is due within 14 days.
29th January to 1st April
(9 weeks)
23rd April to 1st July
(10 weeks)
15th July to 22nd September
(10 weeks)
5th October to 20th December
(11 weeks)
The studio operates as normal on public holidays that fall within the term.
We ask that you to adhere to the following studio policies:
If you can’t make your lesson you have three choices:
We understand that kids (and adults!) get sick sometimes and have to stay home from school. If this happens, please text, call or email before 9am (8am on weekends) on the day of the lesson and we will schedule a make-up lesson. Alternatively if you’re not that sick, we can do a Skype lesson. It goes without saying that if you’re too sick for school/work, you’re too sick for a lesson (don’t share those germs around!).
Your lesson time is reserved for you each week, so please arrive on time. Lessons always start and end at the scheduled times.
Students are expected to fulfill all homework and practice requirements. A goal of 5 days per week is optimal. As a rough guide, for very young students 5-10 minutes of supervised practice per day. For older children and adults, at least 20-30 minutes per day is recommended. Please see the FAQ section for more details.
For younger students, the parent/guardian needs to ensure students are keeping up with their piano practice.
Apart from the benefits of learning and appreciating music so that it feels ‘natural’, children also benefit in a number of other areas. A quick web search will show numerous studies, but as a quick sum up taken from the Dept. of Education NSW:
The benefits of playing a musical instrument are outlined in the below short (4:44) TED video, for people in general, not just children.
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