contact heather.
Ask a question, see if your home is within her travel area, check her availability, or schedule a free trial lesson.
Travel Area
Within 25 Miles of Apache Junction
Open Hours
M-Th: 8:00am – 8:00pm
heatheranne696@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
(Policies & Procedures)
What if I need to cancel a lesson?
I schedule the next month on the last lesson of the current month. If you know that you will need to take a week off, let me know then! We can either reschedule or cancel. Life happens though, and if you need to cancel last minute, I understand. I will still charge for cancellations within 24 hours of the lesson. If you cancel before that, I will give you a free lesson credit for the next month.
What are your practice recommendations?
My general goal for each of my students is five days of practice, not including the lesson. Practice is key for musical progress and motivation. I find that the more consistent a student’s practice, the more excited and motivated they are to continue learning. However everyone’s needs and priorities are different, so I’m happy to work with you to establish doable practice goals which fit your lifestyle. When practicing, younger students normally play each song a certain amount of times (ex. 3x). Older students practice for a given amount of time (15 min. – 1 hour depending on their age & level).
What kind of books do you use?
Although there are certain piano books I prefer, I pick books based on the needs of each student. My book selection will depend on each person’s level, interests, and skills. If you already have certain books, then I will consider using those in order to save you money. I do tend to like Piano Adventures for beginners and Basics of Keyboard Theory for theory books. These can be purchased on Amazon or at your local music store.
How Do i get set up for an online lesson?
Online lessons can seem intimidating at first, but the set-up is actually fairly easy. All you need is an elevated cell-phone, tablet, or laptop with a good view of the keyboard. You will want to position it off to your side and slightly behind you. This enables me to see your face and the keyboard while you play. Make sure that your electronics are either fully charged or plugged in during the lesson, so that they don’t die. The platforms I have used to teach lessons include Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype. So far Zoom is my favorite because I can share my screen with you to point out things on the music. However I’m happy to experiment with other platforms to figure out what works best for us. During our lesson, I take homework notes on a shared Google Doc so that you can reference them as you practice during the week.
What is your Payment Schedule?
On the first lesson of each month, I charge for that month. I will take a check or Venmo depending on your preference. Checks are made out to Heather Dressler.
Can I leave the house while you teach my kids?
If you have an emergency and really need to leave, feel free to talk to me. However, my general policy is that at least one parent/adult must be at home while I teach the kids. When I’m teaching an adult, there must be at least one other adult in the house. Thank you for understanding!
will i have to perform?
I will highly encourage you to perform. I realize it is difficult to get up in front of people, but performing offers many wonderful benefits. These include increased confidence speaking/performing in front of others, concrete goals that further personal and musical growth, and the chance to inspire and be inspired by other musicians. For kids, performances look great on college applications, help in winning scholarships, and provide credentials for future music-related jobs such as piano teaching.
What if there’s a song i want to learn?
Then let’s learn it together!!! I love it when students bring me songs they want to learn. It’s such fun to explore new songs and discover new composers with my students. Even if I’m not familiar with the style, I am happy to do some research and practice, so that I can help you learn the piece.
Why Theory?
Many people hear theory and think boring scales and worksheets. While I do incorporate scales and theory worksheets, I do so in the context of learning songs. It’s amazing the amount of times scales and other theory-related patterns will appear in various piano pieces. This is actually because classical music is based on these patterns. Learning theory opens up a whole new way of understanding and appreciating the multitude of pieces within the classical world. So, yes, at first theory can be boring, but if you persist, you will begin to understand music at a deeper level.
Are You a Vendor with ESA or Utah Fits All?
Yes! My home school families in AZ and UT can now use their tax dollars to help pay for music lessons with me. You can find me listed under “Heather Dressler Piano Lessons.”