FAQs

As soon as you are able! You can start lessons any time of year. Just contact us and we could get you started in as little as one week, based on availability.

Most of our teachers travel to homes in Glenview, Northbrook, Wilmette, and Skokie IL, and one of our teachers travels to Crystal Lake! If you are unsure about your area, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Yes, we do have two recitals a year, a Winter recital in December and a Spring Recital in early June. They are NOT required but we highly recommend them for your own sense of accomplishment, and because performing is an important part of the music experience!

If you have travel or vacation plans, or time conflicts, give us or your teacher one week of advanced notice and you will not be charged.

You will be charged for the reservation of your time slot on your teacher’s schedule. We have no official makeup policy, but we encourage you and your teacher to discuss make up lessons on a case by case basis. Your teacher may be willing to honor the time based on capacity in their schedule.

No. Avant-Garde does not bill in a subscription format, so enrolling with us is low stress and easy. You do not need to know exactly how long you want to take lessons. But we recommend committing to lessons once a week to ensure your time slot with your teacher is reserved and you get the most out of your investment.
Additionally, we recommend trying it for at least two-three months before giving up. You can end lessons at any time, just give us one week’s notice to avoid a charge for your time slot.

No. We collect payment every two weeks after your lessons, so it is essentially pay as you go, which allows you flexibility to explore if lessons are right for you without wasting money.

The extra costs cover the time and gas mileage for your teacher to travel to you. Most of our clients find the extra expense well worth the convenience of not leaving the house and sitting in Chicago traffic. Driving to a music school can easily double the time you spend on lessons each week.

We recommend at least getting a full sized keyboard with weighted keys. Many clients start with a more inexpensive one if they are unsure how long they want to take lessons, and then invest in a higher quality one as they continue.

Contact Adam at Avant-Garde or your teacher and we can help get you started!

Fill out our contact form on this site- the more information the better! Tell us about your desired instrument, musical goals, age, learning style, and we will contact you within 1-3 business days. Adam will match you with a teacher based on their availability and your unique interests. Your new teacher will contact you to discuss materials you will need and see you at your trial lesson!

For optimal learning results and to make the most out of your money, we recommend 5 days a week, and 3 minimum.  Try to practice the day after you have your lesson because that is when you remember the most!

We recommend once or twice a year. You may notice changes in quality of sound or pitch along with weather changes. Ultimately, it depends on how often your piano is played. Your teacher can help you identify when your piano needs tuning and when to contact Adam to schedule.

Piano tuning helps maintain the quality and optimal functioning of your instrument. Since pianos have strings wound around pegs, they tend to loosen or tighten around the pegs over time, like other string instruments.  Getting your piano regularly tuned makes playing more enjoyable because it improves the quality and clarity of sound. 

We understand that life gets in the way and Avant-Garde’s flexible approach will meet you wherever you are in your music. You can be confident you’ll learn something and still have an enjoyable lesson!