Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that each student possesses a unique musical voice waiting to be discovered and nurtured. I approach teaching not as a one-size-fits-all endeavor but as a dynamic and personalized journey that respects and celebrates the individuality of each student. 

Though the path for each student will vary, the end goal is the same; effortless, beautiful cello playing. My goal is to equip you with the knowledge to play and perform effortlessly. Our lessons will focus on practice techniques and goal setting. Both of which can be extremely useful across many aspects of life and study. 

Overall, cello playing should be a fun and stress relieving activity that blossoms into a lifelong hobby, or more! Together we will embark on a journey of discovery, growth, and musical fulfillment. 

Policies

Tuition

Tuition payments shall be collected on the first of each month and paid in full. Tuition is always non-refundable, even in the case of mid-month cancellations or emergency absences. A courtesy invoice will be emailed to the parent/guardian during the second to last weekend of each month. A late fee of $25 will be added onto tuition for any payments over 5 days late. 

24-Hour Cancellation Notice

If for any reason a student cannot attend a scheduled lesson, a text or email must be sent no later than 24-hours prior to the start of the lesson in order for a “make-up” lesson to be scheduled. 

 **Excluding extenuating circumstances

Make-Up Lessons

If 24-hour notice is given, a make-up lesson will be scheduled at some point within the same billing cycle or month. If a make-up lesson cannot be scheduled, a lesson credit will be added to the following month’s invoice. 

Withdrawal

If a student wishes to withdraw from lessons, I ask that a written notice either through text or email is given AT LEAST 15 days prior to the final month of lessons. Tuition payment will not be refunded for discontinuing lessons mid-month. 

Payments

Tuition fees may be paid via Zelle, Venmo, or check!

“I like taking lessons with Mr. Andrew because he is very nice when he teaches me.”

Lezyz, age 8

“Andrew Loveland has been my cello instructor for about 10 months now.  I was approaching my 50th birthday, had attended countless orchestra performances featuring my daughter, an accomplished violinist, and as a new empty nester I was ready to pursue a dream I’d been secretly harboring since I was about 7 years old.  Andrew was kind enough to accompany me to Metzler to pick out a suitable instrument to rent and we began.  I had no prior musical experience, save singing in church choirs and naturally, I’d managed to avoid learning to read music.  The task seemed overwhelming, but Andrew demonstrated extraordinary patience and took me step by step through an introduction to basic theory and practice.  He communicated correct technique in a way that I was able to apply gradually, albeit with many challenges along the way. I was able after 3 months to join a beginning strings group with a local community orchestra and have since performed with them on two occasions with another event scheduled soon. I’ll admit that I struggled to have patience with the process.  I’m a huge fan of classical music, have a decent ear and knowing how these basic pieces should sound, I can often feel frustrated with slow progress.  Andrew seemed to know instinctively how far to push me in lessons so that we stayed on track, and he also gave incredible insight into productive practice.  Whether it’s a book, an app or a video, the supplemental instructional materials he recommended were always very helpful. During our sessions, his calm corrections inevitably improved whatever hurdle I was facing.  He is always tactful in his direction and quick to give positive feedback when I show progress, even when I am unable to discern it in the moment. As we approach the one-year anniversary of my dive into this journey, I can honestly say that I am in love with this instrument.  I have every intention of playing cello for as long as I can, and I intend to invest in the best instrument I can afford.  I am eternally grateful that an instructor of this caliber is available to me, and I can’t recommend Andrew enough.”

Suzanne, adult student