Students
Lessons are available at my home in Emeryville, or at your home in Berkeley/Oakland with a travel fee.
Some things to think about before you start...
Taking up the cello is a big commitment. It takes a lot of work just to learn how to make a simple sound. You have to learn to listen and adjust the sound at the same time that you are learning technique - and the process of learning technique makes it very tricky to adjust the sound. So your ears and your technique will develop together -- slowly...
You will need to schedule regular practice time into your life, or else it will be very frustrating. And it may sometimes be frustrating anyway. If you can't put practice time into your life, it might not be the best time to start lessons.
If it's so hard, why learn to play the cello?
Because it is also incredibly rewarding, and you learn to love the process of working on your playing. Yes, it is work - but it is fulfilling work. (although it is not for everyone)
I've been working on my playing for twenty years now, and there is still so much waiting to be explored and learned. I think that deciding to learn the cello was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
How to set up lessons.
Schedule an interview/mini lesson by e-mailing me at myrajoy.cello@gmail.com. Be sure to put cello lessons in the message subject, so that I know your message is not spam.
After the meeting, we'll decide whether we would enjoy working together.
Rates
These are my standard rates. They assume that you will be coming to my home on a weekly basis, and the entire month's lessons are paid for at the beginning of the month. Single lessons can be arranged at a higher rate, and rates for lessons in your home are determined based on my travel time.
1/2 hour (very young children only) $35
45 minutes $45
one hour $50