Private Lessons
Welcome to Private Lessons at The Masters School!
Information and registration for the 2024-2025 school year
SPRING 2025 REGISTRATION: We will reopen registration for all who would like to add private lessons for Spring Semester from January 6-15. Contact Curt Ebersole (curt.ebersole@mastersny.org) for further information.
General Information
Read the information on this page, then click the link to register at the bottom of the page.
Tuition for Spring Semester 2025 will be $900.00 for 12 forty-minute lessons, January through May, payable through student tuition accounts. Financial aid is applied by the Business Office at the time of billing, in the same percentage as financial aid for academic tuition.
Scheduling information (teacher/day/time/room) will be distributed through advisors on or before Friday, January 24 . Spring Semester lessons will begin on Tuesday, January 28.
Please read all the important information below, then click the registration link at the bottom of this page. Your registration is complete when you have completed the online form and returned the student contract, completed and signed.
IMPORTANT: Sending in a contract alone does not constitute registration. You must complete the online registration form and submit a signed contract in order to be scheduled.
Lesson Assignments
US and MS students' lesson tickets will be distributed through advisors when scheduling is completed.
Scheduling is completed once for everyone. The process is not rolling nor ongoing.
Spring Semester lessons start on Tuesday, January 28
Every student will receive a lesson ticket with all their lesson info from their advisor on or before Friday, January 24.
Every student's private teacher will contact them individually to confirm their first lesson. Your teacher does not contact you, contact Mr. Ebersole.
All lessons in 2024-2025 will be taught in Estherwood, as Strayer Hall is closed for renovations.
Private lessons information and details
40 minute lessons are offered for everyone, and scheduled according to your division:
Upper School students/Staff/Faculty — Lessons are offered both during and after school. During registration, you can indicate your preference for one or both:
During the school day, during free periods/study halls; these lessons will rotate with the 8-day schedule. You do not need to input your schedule on the registration form, as the Coordinator has access to your class schedule, and will assign your lesson accordingly, according to your free periods/study halls. (If you do not have 4 recurring free periods/studies per cycle, you may also be scheduled for a back up time after school, to provide a lesson time when a week rotates with no available daytime lesson.)
After school, 3:45-7:45 pm on the same recurring day each week. On the registration form, indicate ALL the 40 minute slots of time you are available. The more slots you offer, the better your chances to be scheduled successfully.
Middle School – Lessons are offered after school only, 3:45 -7:45 pm (assigned to one weekday, repeating weekly). On the registration form, indicate ALL the 40 minute slots of time across all five days of the week that you are available. The more slots you offer, the better your chances to be scheduled successfully!
Be sure to read the Student Handbook (posted below) before completing your registration; it contains important information about our policies.
Download the Student Contract when indicated to do so during Registration. You must print, sign, and return the signed contract to Mr. Ebersole in the DoPA Office by September 17 to complete your registration before you may take the first lesson.
Tuition is $1800.00 for 24 lessons (October through May), billed to the student's tuition account. Financial aid is applied by the Business Office at the time of billing, in the same percentage as financial aid for academic tuition. Students do not pay teachers during individual lessons.
Students must supply their own instruments; we do not have loaner instruments or offer rentals of school-owned instruments. Contact Ardsley Music in Hastings if you need to rent an instrument.
Students need to make a firm selection of instrument before starting lessons. We do not offer pro-rated tuition, and there are no trial lessons. Once a student commits to lessons, the commitment is for the entire school year (24 lessons, from October to May).
If you are requesting to study two instruments/two lessons per week, you will need to download, print, complete, sign, and submit the Multi-Instrument application by Tuesday, September 17. Permission is granted by Department approval only, and is reserved for those students who show the dedication and track record of exemplary academic and musical performance. Permission for multiple lessons is rare for Middle School students. In the Upper School, with the 8-day schedule, we cannot guarantee that all requests for two lessons per week will be possible.
There are no tuition refunds after the student completes the second lesson.
Please note that, as in the past, registering early in the registration period does not guarantee assignment of your first choice day/time. Students are placed by instrument/voice studio, not in order of registration.
Faculty
Our Private Lessons faculty includes (as of August 2024):
Piano:
Ms. Barbara Ciannella
Ms. Nancy Kennedy
Ms. Sima Wolf
Voice:
Ms. Gwendolyn Bradley
Mr. George Croom
Drum set/Percussion:
Mr. David Jones
Guitar (Acoustic/Electric), Electric Bass:
Mr. Brian Connie (also Harmonica, Mandolin)
Mr. Brian O'Connell (also Ukulele)
Strings/Winds:
Ms. Olga Tymchenko (Violin, Viola)
Mr. Ark Ovrutski (String Bass)
Ms. Stefani Starin (Flute)
Ms. Barbara Cifelli (Clarinet, Saxophone)
Ms. Darlene Kaukoranta (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba)
Registration and forms
Registration has closed.
Link to Student Contract. This must be completed/submitted by September 17 AFTER registering. NOTE: Submitting a contract alone does not constitute registration.
Link to Multi-Instrument Application. This must be completed and submitted by September 17 if you are applying to take two lessons per week.
Link to Student Handbook. You can also view it below.
Questions?
If you have questions, contact Curt Ebersole, Private Lessons Coordinator (curt.ebersole@mastersny.org)
Private Lessons Handbook
Preview our Private Lessons policies and instructions by reading the Handbook below.