Music lesson at ABC Academy of Music, Toronto

Learning music builds skills that transfer across everything else. The right teacher makes the difference between quitting in month two and playing for life.

What Music Lessons Cost in Toronto

“We’d love to try lessons, but we have no idea what to budget.” That’s the most common thing parents tell us when they call. So here’s the straightforward breakdown — what private lessons cost, what group classes cost, and what actually drives the difference.

Private Lesson Pricing

At ABC Academy of Music, private lessons run at two lengths: 30 minutes and 45 minutes. We no longer offer 60-minute private lessons. Music Together group classes run in 10-week seasons. All current rates are on our tuition page.

Those rates apply to piano, guitar, voice, drums, and all other instruments we teach at our two private-lesson locations: 2180 Bayview Ave (Lawrence Park) and 12 Conway Ave, M6E. Both studios run year-round.

Barnaby Kerekes, who has run ABC Academy since 2003, fields this question himself sometimes: “Parents often assume lessons cost less because a student is younger or a beginner. The lesson length is what sets the price, not the level.” A 30-minute slot with a university-trained teacher is the same rate whether it’s your child’s first lesson or their hundredth.

What About Music Together Classes?

Music Together is a group class for children from birth to age five, with a caregiver. It runs in 10-week seasons. Every new family gets a free demo class before they commit.

Every new family gets a free demo class before they commit to a season. ABC Academy is an official Music Together licensee — one of a small number of licensed providers in Toronto — which means the curriculum, songs, and approach are the same ones used in Music Together programs across North America.

Music Together runs at three of our four locations: 2180 Bayview Ave (Lawrence Park), 611 St. Clair Ave W (Wychwood), and 363 Howden Blvd (Brampton).

Per-Instrument Cost Pages

If you want pricing in the context of a specific instrument or program, the pages below go deeper:

Is This Expensive Compared to Other Schools?

Toronto has music schools across every price range. You can find lessons for less — and for more. What changes is the teacher’s training and the school’s accountability structure.

At ABC Academy, every teacher has a university music degree or equivalent training, and every teacher who works with children has passed a Toronto Police Vulnerable Sector Check. Those aren’t extras. They’re baseline requirements we set in 2003 and haven’t relaxed.

If you’re comparing costs across schools, those two questions — what are the teachers’ credentials, and have they been screened by police — are worth asking every time.

Common Questions About Pricing

Do you offer a trial lesson?

Music Together families get a free demo class before committing. Private lessons don’t have a separate trial, but there’s no long-term contract — you pay season by season, and you can stop when it no longer works for your family.

Is there a registration fee?

No registration fee for private lessons. Music Together families pay the three-month billing cycle when they register.

Do siblings get a discount?

We don’t run promotional pricing. Each lesson is billed at the standard rate. Some families find value in booking siblings on the same afternoon at 2180 Bayview, where Kennedy Dance also operates — so a child can do a dance class while a sibling has a music lesson at the same address.

What if we miss a lesson?

Each teacher has their own make-up policy. Ask your teacher when you start. We keep schedules consistent so families can plan around them.

Ready to talk about which program fits your family? Reach out to us directly — no sales process, just a straight answer.