30 minutes
a lesson$32
- Short pieces, songs and rhythm games
- Plenty of time for a young attention span
- A sticker chart in the practice book
Piano lessons that start where the pupil is
One to one lessons with Mira Castell for children from five and adults at any age, each one matched to the pupil's age, level and the music they love. Come to the garden studio, have Mira visit your home, or learn online.
From age 5and no upper limit
3 placesstudio, your home or online
2 recitalsa year, playing is optional
Mira Castell, piano teacher for twenty six years
Mira trained as a pianist, played for ballet classes and choirs, and has taught piano full time since her own children were small. She teaches every lesson herself, so a pupil never meets a stranger at the keys.
A five year old starts with finger games, songs by ear and the first notes around middle C. A returning adult might go straight to a piece they abandoned at fourteen. Each lesson is planned for that pupil's age and level, and the plan changes when the pupil does.
- Classical, film, jazz and pop on the same piano
- Reading, playing by ear and simple improvising
- Written practice notes after every lesson
The studio, your sitting room or a screen
Most pupils pick one place and keep it, but a lesson can move online for a week of snow or a sprained ankle.
| Where | Suits | Piano used | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden studio | Every age, and pupils working towards exams | Baby grand and upright | Music books and the practice notebook |
| Your home | Young children and families with siblings | Your own piano or keyboard | An adult at home for pupils under 12 |
| Online | Teenagers, adults and pupils who move away | Your own piano or keyboard | A camera angled over the keys and a quiet room |
Home visits are within about five miles of the studio and add $8 to each lesson for travel.
Fees for a weekly lesson
Lessons are billed each month for the lessons that fall in that month, so holiday weeks are never charged. The first lesson is priced like any other, with no commitment to continue.
45 minutes
a lesson$46
- Pieces, scales and sight reading
- Time for theory at the piano
- Exam pieces when a pupil wants them
60 minutes
a lesson$60
- Longer works and recital pieces
- Aural and theory together
- Room for the questions adults bring
Fees are paid directly to Mira at the start of each month. With 48 hours notice a lesson moves to another slot that week or the next; a lesson missed without notice is still charged.
On the music stand this term
Pupils choose much of what they play, and Mira fills in the technique around it.
- First pieces with five fingers
- Film themes
- Baroque dances
- Jazz chords and walking bass
- Pop songs from a chord chart
- Duets with a brother or sister
- Hymns and carols
- Sight reading every week
- Making up a tune
- Exam pieces and scales
Adults often arrive with one piece in mind. That piece becomes the plan, with the scales and reading it needs added along the way.
For parents: checks, sitting in and home visits
Mira holds the background check that the law requires for teaching children where she works, and renews it on the schedule those rules set. The rules differ from country to country, and she will show parents what she holds before the first lesson.
Parents are welcome to sit in on any lesson, in the studio, at home or online. For pupils under 12 an adult stays in the house during home visits and nearby during online lessons, and messages about lessons always go to a parent, never privately to a child.
- Background check shown on request
- A chair for parents in the studio
- An adult at home for every child under 12
- Lesson messages sent to parents only
Exams and recitals, when a pupil is ready
Neither is compulsory. Both give a pupil something to aim for, and Mira only suggests them when the playing is ready, never to fill a calendar.
Graded exams
Preparation for graded piano exams for pupils who want them. Exam boards, syllabuses and fees differ by country, and the board sets and marks the exam, so no teacher can promise a result.
Prepared inweekly lessons
Two recitals a year
A Sunday afternoon in a community hall each spring and winter, where pupils of every age play one piece for family and friends, then share cake.
Pupil placesno charge
Theory and aural
Reading, rhythm and listening skills taught at the piano inside each lesson, with short written theory sessions for exam pupils.
Included inevery lesson
A week at Middle C
Small hands, returning adults, a recital and the notebook that travels home.
Families and adult pupils (example reviews)
Mira comes to the house on Tuesdays, so our two girls have back to back lessons while dinner cooks. The practice notes mean even a parent who cannot read music knows what to listen for.
Gave up the piano at thirteen and came back at fifty eight. Lessons began with the nocturne that had beaten that teenager, and by spring it was played at the recital.
Moved two hundred miles away and kept the same teacher. The online lessons work better than expected, because Mira spots a dropped wrist through the camera every time.
Asked at the piano bench
Is a digital piano good enough for practice?
For the first year or two, yes, as long as it has 88 full size keys that are weighted and a sustain pedal. Mira is happy to look at a listing with you before you buy, and she will say honestly when a pupil has outgrown it.
How much should a child practise each day?
Little and often works best. Ten minutes a day suits most five and six year olds, rising to twenty or thirty minutes as pieces grow. The practice notebook says exactly what to do, so the time is never wasted.
What do online lessons need at home?
A piano or keyboard, a phone, tablet or laptop on a stand angled over the keys, and a steady connection. A second view of the pupil's hands from the side helps but is not essential.
Can siblings share a lesson slot?
Siblings can have lessons back to back on the same day, which suits home visits best. Each child still gets their own full lesson and their own notebook.
What happens at a recital?
Each pupil who wants to play chooses one piece and plays it once, to an audience of families. Nobody is marked, nobody is compared, and pupils who prefer to listen are just as welcome.
Is there a waiting list?
After school slots fill first. If none is open, Mira offers the nearest time or adds you to a short list, and she writes as soon as a slot opens up.
Ask for a lesson time
Tell Mira who is learning, where the lessons should happen and when suits you. She replies within two working days to accept the time, offer the nearest one she has or explain if the week is full.
- Lessons matched to the pupil's age and level
- Parents welcome to sit in, at home, online or in the studio
- Fees paid to Mira directly each month
The garden studio
Mira teaches back to back on weekdays, so calls go to voicemail during lessons. A message or an email gets an answer the same evening.
Phone or email Mira
A garden studio on a quiet residential street on the north side of town, with home visits within about five miles
Teaching hours
| Monday to Friday | 15:00 to 20:30 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 13:00 |
| Sunday | Recital Sundays only |
Next recitals
The spring recital is on a Sunday afternoon in May and the winter one in early December, both in a community hall near the studio. Families receive the date and the running order three weeks ahead.