Private Lessons with David, by Phone (and Skype and Email)!
Here's how it works: we schedule a phone session, and I send you in advance (by fax, email, or if necessary snail mail) any written material or notation that you will need for that session. I have my own personal transcriptions of thousands of licks and solos and songs, and use them — at no charge — with my private phone/Skype students.
This is for serious students of any level. Since my time is limited (due to my harmonica work, my psychology work, my corporate presentation work, my unpaid charitable work, and my familial pursuits) these phone sessions are not inexpensive, although I do charge on a sliding scale (usually starting at US $50/hour). The more money you have, unfortunately, the more I ask you to pay me.
So if you want the fastest and most personalized path to your musical* goals, this is a great way to go. If you don't have the money to do it, the books and CDs will get you there too! And I do plan to eventually make some of my most popular one-on-one lessons available at reasonable cost online...
Interested? Send an email with "phone lessons" by clicking the Contact Me button, below.
* Please note that some of my "phone students" ask me for advice on a VERY wide variety of subjects, from mindfulness to business issues. For more information on WHY anyone would ask a harmonica teacher about such things, please visit www.davidharp.com.
As I've said, I'll take private phone students of any level, from total beginner to professional harpist.
However, if you decide to do a free, very short, "Mini-Meeting" over the phone, it’s helpful for me to know some specific information about you and what you need to get out of the lessons, before we start. If you decide to schedule a “Mini-Meeting,” please look at the Student Questionnaire.
First (Free) Mini-Meeting Over the Phone
When you send me the following information, please include your daytime and evening phone numbers, and a few good times for me to call you for a Mini-Meeting. This is a very short (probably 3 or 4 minutes at most) phone visit at no cost to you to see if it seems like we can work together successfully. I may ask you to play for me for a few seconds, but IT IS NOT AN AUDITION. How well you play for me does not matter. I know that many of us get nervous when we are put on the spot. It's just a brief visit to meet each other.
The Lesson Format
I prefer to work with a student on a regular basis. I've worked with some students now, on a weekly basis, for more than ten years! Weekly or bi-weekly (every two weeks) works best for me. I prefer not to do "single" or "one time" lessons. If this is what you had in mind, we can discuss it at the mini-meeting. Of course, I understand that you have to be completely satisfied in order to continue the lessons.
Skype
If you have broadband access and use Skype, we can do some of our work that way. The biggest issues with Skype are connection speed, and lag time. If you have good connection speed, we can work out the lag issues...
About Payment
Once we've decided to go ahead and work together, as I said on the website: Since my time is limited (due to my harmonica work, my psychology work, my corporate presentation work, my unpaid charitable work, and my familial pursuits) these phone sessions are not inexpensive. My average hourly fee is $80 an hour, although as mentioned above I do charge on somewhat of a sliding scale, for committed ongoing students of limited means.
Payment needs to be figured out (how much you need to pay) in advance of the lesson, and I ask for payment in advance of the first lesson, by credit card or check.
I think that about covers it. I look forward to hearing from you!