We recommend a starting age of between five and seven for traditional music lessons. The Suzuki method, available for children as young as age is available in strings, flute, piano and guitar. It is appropriate and rewarding to begin vocal study at any age and we have faculty trained to meet the needs of students in all developmental stages. For more detailed information regarding private voice lessons and group classes please visit the voice department webpage.

Creating a successful teacher/student match is very important to us. Our faculty members have many specializations, diverse talents, teaching styles and personalities. The more we know about the way you or your child learns, their goals and interests, the more likely we are going to create a lasting and reward pairing. Your first step is to fill out the student profile form. This will be received by the Director of Private instruction. After careful review, a member of our placement team will then contact you to discuss placement with a Conservatory faculty member.

At SSC we feel that that finding the right teacher for you or your child is paramount. It's an important and often impactful relationship and a trial lesson gives you an opportunity to meet the faculty member and ascertain whether their teaching style and personality are a good match for you or your child's learning style and personality.

As a non-profit we cannot afford to give lessons away for free. Trial lessons, offered at the normal lesson price, offer students a chance to meet with a teacher to assess whether this is a good match and visit our community before a commitment is made.

If you would like to schedule a trial lesson please fill out and submit the student profile form and a member of our placement team will contact you or contact us directly at:

Lorna Jane Norris – Director of Private Instruction l.norris@sscmusic.org 781 749 7565 ext 23 (Hingham) Nancy Meredith – Duxbury Campus Manager n.meredith@sscmusic.org 781 934 2731 ext 11 (Duxbury)

If you have already scheduled a trial lesson with a member of our placement team, please go to the Trial Lessons web page, use the appropriate paypal button for payment and bring the printed receipt to the front desk when you come for the lesson.

Once a teacher, day and time have been established our registration team will contact you to assist you in completing registration paperwork and setting up payment. Our academic year is 34 weeks divided into two 17 weeks semesters, fall and spring. Private lesson enrollment is open throughout the year and tuition is prorated based on the start date of your lessons.  If you sign up during the fall semester you are automatically registered for the spring semester unless we hear from you otherwise. You can pay in full for the year or by semester. Deferred payment plans are available for a small fee. For detailed information regarding registration visit our registration page.

Siblings and friends are welcome to take a semi-private lesson. This allows beginning students to ease their way into lessons by learning with others at the same level. It can be a more affordable and fun way to start out. A one semester maximum is recommended for semi-private lessons before separating out into individual lessons

Pricing for 2012-2013

Since faculty members reserve a weekly teaching slot for each student, they are not required to make up lessons missed due to student absence. We encourage you to go to the weekly performance workshops every week, but especially if you have to miss your private lesson. Here, students get the opportunity to practice their performance skills, build confidence and receive recommendations for improvement by a faculty member other than their regular private instructor. This is a great benefit of studying at SSC and is open to all students. Weekly performance workshops are scheduled as follows:

One lesson per semester may be made-up if the teacher receives at least 6 hours notice and if a time should become available during the teacher’s regularly scheduled hours. If your lesson is cancelled due to teacher absence or weather related school closures that lesson will be made-up as a private lesson by the teacher.

Firstly, we encourage you to discuss this with your teacher. Often a conversation can open up new avenues and facilitate a discovery which had been preventing the connection. If there are still concerns, please contact the Director of Private Instruction at 781-749-7565 ext. 23 who will help to find a more suitable placement with the help of the department chair and the outgoing faculty member.

Finding a new time slot with the same teacher is challenging once a teacher’s schedule is set. We advise that you try to pick a time slot when working with our admissions team during placement that will allow for any changes such as sports starting up. The consistency of private instruction is one the keys to its success. Please contact the Director of Private Instruction who will try to accommodate a switch, but we cannot guarantee a mutually satisfying solution.

The Suzuki Method is a process of teaching children based on how they develop language. In our Suzuki program students have two lessons a week, one private lesson and one lesson in a group comprised of musicians of similar age and ability. Just as parents play an active role in teaching children their mother-tongue, parents here too, play an active role in their child's development. By attending lessons and working with the teachers, parents are instructed on how to help their children practice at home. In addition to daily practice, students also have a daily listening assignment which help develop their ear and learn the repertoire. Suzuki students and parents participate in a community which includes play-ins, concerts, and parent meetings to celebrate their children's progress.

Yes, financial aid is available for those who can document financial need. For detailed information regarding registration, payment options, refund policies, financial aid, work study programs, scholarships and our academic calendar, visit our registration page.