Bri Rafnel

I teach beginning through advanced violin and viola, beginning through intermediate piano and cello.

I teach children ages 5 and up as well as adults.

Lesson Length	30-minute lesson	45-minute lesson	60-minute lesson
Price per Lesson	$45	$67.50	$90

I accept cash, check, Paypal, Venmo, and Zelle. After the first few lessons, payments are due on the first lesson of each month for the number of lessons you plan to take that month (please check with me to confirm the scheduling).

Yes! If you live near Redwood City, you can get the best of both worlds by taking in-person lessons and mixing in online lessons when traveling, sick, or short on time.

All my lessons are private, one-on-one lessons. However, I do offer optional group workshops and ensembles from time to time to supplement lessons if that's something you're interested in.

Sorry, I do not travel to students' homes. You can take in-person lessons by setting up a trial lesson and visiting my home studio in Redwood City, CA, or avoid traveling yourself by taking online lessons from the comfort of your home. Online lessons are also a great option if you don't live nearby.

I highly recommend having a regular lesson day and time. The consistency is helpful when learning an instrument and also tends to make scheduling easier for both the student and the teacher. I give scheduling priority to students with a regular lesson time. However, if you need to take at a different time on particular days due to special events or need to set up your lesson for a different time each week due to a varied work or school schedule, I'm quite flexible on scheduling. Just give me at least 24 hours notice if you need to change your lesson time!

Please give me 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your lesson or reschedule. For last minute cancellations, I only offer make-up lessons or lesson credits in cases of illness or emergency.

For most students, weekly lessons will give the best results. Some adult students prefer to take a longer lesson every other week rather than shorter weekly lessons.

Practice, practice, practice.

As a general rule of thumb, aim for about 30 minutes of practice per day. However, especially in the beginning, you may wish to start with 5-10 minute practice sessions to help establish a practice habit and then gruadually work your way up to longer practice sessions.

• Instrument and bow (see my blog post for more info on renting or purchasing an instrument)
• Case
• Shoulder rest
• Rosin
• Music books
• Folder (provided by teacher at first lesson)
• Soft cleaning cloth
• Extra set of strings
• Pencil
• Nail clippers

• Music books
• Folder (provided by teacher at first lesson)
• Pencil
• Nail clippers
• Piano or keyboard (with weighted keys and a sustain pedal) at home

For local students, a student recital is offered every year in November. This is a great opportunity for students to share what they've learned with family and friends, gain experience and confidence in playing in front of an audience, and meet other students and their families. Additional performance practice may be provided in optional workshops.