I am dedicated to helping each of my students reach their musical goals and potential. My teaching style and passion makes learning the piano or organ a satisfying and enjoyable experience for all!

There are many reasons individuals decide to teach music. I started teaching private piano lessons in high school, and I realized it was something I wanted to do long-term. It was so rewarding to be able to have a direct impact on the lives of my students! I find great joy and satisfaction in helping my students grow, both musically and as people.

Having studied classical piano with a private instructor from age 4-19, I understand what students go through as they practice, perform, compete, accompany and audition. Having taught piano for over 16 years, I have gained many different tools to help meet the many varied needs of my students. I have worked with students with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression and autism. I have worked with young and old. My role is to teach piano, but also to instill confidence in my students, and to show patience and love.

As a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA), and Katy Music Teachers Association (KMTA), I provide extra value to my students with opportunities to play in recitals, be adjudicated, take music theory tests, and build relationships with other music students in the area. Participation in these events are encouraged, but optional.

I am passionate about keeping up on the best practices for piano pedagogy. I use several cutting edge new methods, as well as older/tried and true methods, and am happy to work with you to set your/your child’s goals for piano!

I have taught in a commercial music school, and while it was a valuable experience for me as a teacher, I didn’t feel like the students at that school got as much as they could out of lessons! Students were assigned a teacher, they didn’t get to pick. I feel like the student-teacher relationship is critical to student success, so I prefer the private lesson setting.

Yes! Most of my students jump right into weekly lessons, but if you are not quite sure how you or your child will respond to lessons, I offer a prorated trial lesson before you commit to weekly lessons.

Typically ages 7 years old through adult. I will teach students younger than 7 if they are sufficiently motivated and parents are willing to sit in during lessons. I enjoy working with students who have had lessons before and are looking to take their playing to the next level!

I have taught students with the following methods: Alfred, Bastien, Faber & Faber, Piano Pronto, Step by Step, Succeeding at the Piano, SuperSonics, and Thompson. Each of these methods has merits, but I suggest my students use Piano Adventures with Piano Pronto and/or SuperSonics for supplemental learning!

This question doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer – it depends on many factors (such as goals, time spent practicing, etc.) Learning to play the piano or any musical instrument is a lifelong journey that should be enjoyed. How far you want to take the journey is up to you.

I work with each of my students to set attainable practice goals. Each student has a different attention span and different learning style, so I encourage goal-based practicing. Example: play a particular section of a piece 3 times without any mistakes, or play the piece up to tempo without any note errors.

Practicing should happen at least 5 days a week for adequate progress.

Yes! I host a Christmas and Spring recital in my studio. I am also a member of the MTNA, TMTA, and KMTA so I can provide many additional performance opportunities for my students. I want to give my students a full and rich musical experience during their time in my studio.

The Payne Music Studio is located in Westgreen Park in Katy, TX

I have a variety of different lesson options to meet a range of student/parent goals. To get more information on these different options and see which would be the best fit for you/your child, please contact me

Yes! I recognize that many families have more than one child interested in learning the piano. To make this more accessible for families, I allow family members to split hour long lessons (a 25% discount off of normal tuition for 30 minute lessons). Additional family members also receive the 25% discount.

I have traveled to teach before, but after thoughtful consideration, I no longer travel to teach. This allows me to spend more time focused on what I love most: teaching! I have a dedicated studio for my students that I have worked hard to make a positive learning environment.

Come as you are. I work with students of all levels and ages to help them achieve their individualized goals, so I do not require anything special of my students.

If you are serious about piano, you will need an acoustic piano in good condition. An acoustic piano is the most motivating to practice on.

If you are just trying out piano to see if it is a good fit for you, you can start lessons with just a keyboard. When choosing a keyboard, look for one that has more than 61 keys (88 is best) and has weighted keys.

Billing by tuition rather than per hour or per class is similar to most colleges and universities, where you don’t pay for each individual class you attend. This method helps encourage commitment; learning to play and enjoy the piano cannot be done on a piecemeal basis – students need to stick with it for the long-term. There are also several other good reasons for the tuition method:

• The tuition method compensates me for the significant amount of time I spend outside of lessons preparing for our time together
• Billing the same amount for tuition each month is also generally easier for parents, who can budget a consistent monthly amount
• Fixed monthly tuition makes working around missed lessons, sick days, and holidays much easier.

According to my studio policy, tuition is a flat rate each month and includes:

• A safe and positive learning environment in which a long-lasting love of music can grow and flourish
• Reserved weekly time slot(s) for lessons
• A monthly “Performance Class” and other opportunities to grow confidence
• An individualized plan of study to meet your child’s specific needs
• Development of teaching materials to meet your child’s learning style

Instead of having a certain number of lessons in any given month, the Payne Music Studio calendar is divided into three trimesters: September-December, January-April, and May-August. Enrolling in the Payne Music Studio entitles students to 15 lessons per semester. Studio closures will be posted on the studio calendar that may be synced to your personal/family calendar.

I understand that life happens and you might not be able to make every lesson. As a result, I offer several options if you need to miss a lesson:

• We can schedule a Skype/Facetime lesson if the student is available online during their normal lesson day/time
• I can record a video lesson and send it to you to have the student watch at their convenience
• You can try swapping your lesson time with another student

Tuition is due by the 1st lesson of each month. There is a 3-day grace period to turn in your tuition without penalty. If you are more than 3 days late, a $15.00 late penalty will be added to your invoice.

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