30 minute lesson - $30
60 minute lesson - $60

Typically, students in elementary school and beginners should take 30 minute lessons. Students in middle school and high school should take 60 minute lessons. However, this can vary based per student based on needs and budget.

45 minute lessons ($45) may also be an option for some students depending on the situation.

I accept Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, cash, or check.

I do NOT have Apple Pay or CashApp.

Parents can pay at the end of each lesson, or pay for more than one lesson at a time if you would like to.

Your student will gain the most benefit and improvement from having a consistent lesson every week. However, for families on a budget or for more experienced students, we can certainly discuss having a lesson every 2 weeks instead of every week.

When it comes to improving and honing a skill, you get the most benefit from what you put into it.

Some students are serious about improving on their instrument and are motivated to practice every day. However, other students and families can be very busy with extra-curricular activities and would prefer to only practice 2-3 times per week.

Students will ALWAYS benefit from taking private lessons and having 1x1 attention. Whether it’s simply wanting to get better at playing music for their school orchestra, or improve their playing technique, or learn a specific string skill, as long as the student is interested, Ms. Hunt is happy to teach them. However, it’s important for all parties (teacher, student, family) to communicate and be on the same page regarding practicing expectations.

Students in middle and high school who want to perform for the Solo & Ensemble Festival or prepare for an audition will likely need to put in 3-4 hours of practice time every week in order to prepare.

I am also moving away from asking students to practice for a specific amount of time and more towards practicing for as long as it takes to improve or solidify a specific goal or a specific skill. So a practice session may take 20 minutes or 45 minutes depending on what the student is trying to improve.

Yes! Parents are welcome to sit in on lessons at any time. It is especially encouraged for the parent to be present during lessons for the first month or two so they can see what their child is learning. Ms. Hunt also likes to talk with the parent 1x1 and answer any questions regarding how to approach and encourage your student to practice. If your student ever has a private teacher who says a parent cannot be present during the lesson, that might be a red flag.

Things happen sometimes! The best thing to do is to text or call Ms. Hunt right away.

We can reschedule for another day and time that week if I am available, but if not we will have to cancel the lesson.

LAST MINUTE CANCELLATIONS:

Ms. Hunt understands that sometimes students and families get sick and are trying to evaluate whether to come to their lesson or not. (I do the same thing!) Or sometimes you simply forget, or something urgent comes up.

Cancelling 1 or 2 lessons on short notice is understandable, but if it happens a 3RD TIME with less than 24 hours notice, Ms. Hunt expects to be paid for that lesson. (If I had more than 24 hours’ notice, I could have filled that time slot with another student.)

For extremely busy students and families, it may be beneficial to talk about scheduling a lesson every 2 weeks instead of every week.

NO SHOW with NO NOTICE before time of lesson:

Again, things happen. Outside of emergencies, if you have 2 NO SHOWS with no notice, your student will lose their spot in Ms. Hunt’s studio.

Ms. Hunt's favorite string store and luthier is Perrin's. (And no, they don't pay me to say that.)

Perrin & Associate’s Fine Violins - located in Ellicott City and Baltimore City

Call ahead to schedule an appointment!

(Don’t let the name fool you. They rent, sell, and repair violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. )

Whether you are renting or purchasing, the quality of instrument is always very high.

Other recommended string specialist stores in Maryland are Gailes Violin Shop, Potter Violins, and The Violin House of Weaver’s.

The music shops listed below are also a great start! These stores are recommended for beginners, renting smaller instruments (1/4, 1/2, 3/4), purchasing music and supplies, and for basic instrument repair.

Music & Arts

The Band Shoppe

Mike’s Music

Menchey Music

Bill’s Music is great for electric and rock band instruments, but Ms. Hunt does not recommend them for violin, viola, cello, or double bass.

Wrong! Unlike band instruments, string instruments come in different sizes based on the size of the player. EVERY string instrument comes in different sizes. Playing on a size that is too big can lead to arm pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, and poor playing technique to compensate for the size.

Ms. Hunt can determine which size your student needs and if your student is ready to move up a size or not, or you can go to one of the recommended music stores and they can see what size your student needs.

Younger players will likely need to start out on a 1/2 size or 3/4 size instrument. Most students typically move to a full size or 4/4 size instrument some time in middle school. A “full size” violin is 14 inches, no longer. Since violas are larger than violins, viola players typically advance to a 15” or 16” viola in 8th grade or high school depending on the size of the student’s arm.

Ms. Hunt recommends renting an instrument or borrowing a school instrument until your child is fully grown.

Please avoid purchasing an instrument on Amazon, Costco, or other online sites that do not specialize in music if at all possible.

Cheaper instruments are made poorly which creates a host of problems. They ultimately make it difficult for your student to produce a good tone, learn how to play the instrument, and feel successful. Second, cheaper instruments are extremely difficult to tune and do not stay in tune, which means your student will not be able to practice between lessons unless a string teacher tunes their instrument every time. Third, these instruments break easily, and music stores will not repair them because of how easily they can break again.

Talk to Ms. Hunt BEFORE you purchase an instrument. She can recommend some good quality instruments that are more affordable and in your budget.

Amazon IS OKAY for ordering music or supplies! Make sure you read all the information in the item listing. (Check it’s for the correct instrument, correct size if applicable, etc.) Feel free to send the link to Ms. Hunt if you want her to double check it!

Yes. Shoulder rests alleviate shoulder pain, neck pain, arm pain, and create the foundation for how to hold the instrument properly. Ms. Hunt recommends Kun or Everest style shoulder rests. No sponges. A shoulder rest will last for years as long as it is taken care of properly and doesn’t get damaged or lose any pieces.

Students must use their shoulder rest every time they play or practice.

You can order a new string online, but sometimes it’s faster to visit one of the shops above to purchase a new string or a new set of strings. Violin and viola strings are sold in sets or by individual string. Ms. Hunt is happy to put on the new string at your next lesson.

If you go to a music store and they try to charge you a labor fee to put on the new string, walk away!
Ms. Hunt can teach you how to put the new string on and never charges for this.

I am only teaching out of my home studio in Columbia, MD. My address is provided in the confirmation email after scheduling. If you need it before scheduling a lesson so you can check the distance, feel free to email or text Ms. Hunt.

Yes! While in-person lessons are undeniably more effective, Ms. Hunt is completely comfortable teaching the occasional virtual lesson should the need arise. We can use Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. However, if a student is too sick and doesn’t feel well enough to play and pay attention, they should definitely rest and wait until their next lesson.

Violin is highest pitched instrument of the string family. Viola is still played like the violin, but it is larger and sounds a little deeper. If violins are like milk chocolate, violas are like dark chocolate. The other instruments of the string family are cello (said like “chello”) and double bass.

The strings on the violin are E, A, D, G (highest to lowest).

The strings on the viola are A, D, G, C (highest to lowest).