Notes are the easy part.Voice and piano lessons in Sun City, Arizona
One-to-one teaching for adults who are starting late, coming back after forty years away, or finally learning the thing they always meant to. Children are welcome too.
Musicality is the difference between playing the notes and telling the story.
It is the shaping — where you breathe, where you lean in, where you let a phrase sit before you move on. Two people can perform the same page correctly and only one of them will make you feel something.
That difference is not talent, and it is not something you are born with or without. It is a skill, and it can be taught.
It matters because stories are how people connect to each other. A song is a story told without words, and when you learn to tell it well, people lean in. That is true singing in a choir of forty and true playing for one person in a living room. We teach musicality because the point of learning music is connection, not performance.
Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully. — Psalm 33:3
- p (piano — quietly)
One lesson, $25
Nothing to sign, no obligation to come back. Most people use it to find out whether they like being taught.
- mp (mezzo-piano)
Weekly lessons
45 lessons a year, one to one, in 30, 60 or 90 minutes. You pick the day and it stays yours.
- mf (mezzo-forte)
Sing with the choir
Thursday afternoons, September through May. No audition, no cost, and you do not have to be a member of the church.
- f (forte)
Play for the room
Sunday morning solos in a sanctuary that seats a thousand, with an accompanist provided. Take it when you are ready.
One price, billed monthly, 45 lessons a year.
Tuition is spread evenly across twelve months rather than charged per lesson, so the amount is the same in December as it is in March. The per-lesson column is the number that actually matters.
A $35 annual registration fee applies when you start lessons. The first lesson is $25 with nothing to sign.
| Lesson | Per month | Per lesson |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | $149 | $39.73 $1,788 a year |
| 60 minutes | $298 | $79.47 $3,576 a year |
| 90 minutes | $447 | $119.20 $5,364 a year |
The sanctuaryA Steinway model B and room for a thousand people. This is where the recitals and Sunday solos happen.
The choir roomWeekly lessons and Thursday choir rehearsals.
The waiting areaSomewhere comfortable to sit if you are waiting on someone.
Rory Dowse has been teaching music for more than twenty years.
He is the music director at Faith Presbyterian Church in Sun City and the founder of the academy. In 2026 one of his students, seventeen-year-old Freya Terris, became the first one-handed pianist to pass Grade 8 with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in the board’s near-140-year history — after relearning the instrument with her left hand alone, taught online across a seven-hour time difference.
Voice lessons are taught by a dedicated voice teacher, currently being appointed. Piano lessons are taught by Rory.
The choir costs nothing and asks nothing of you but turning up.
No audition and no experience needed. If you have not sung with other people since school, this is the least frightening way back into it — you are one voice among many, and nobody is listening to you alone.
- Thursdays
- 2:00 – 3:00 PM — Choir room
- Sundays
- 9:00 – 9:30 AM — Warm-up before the service
- Performs
- Sundays, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
- Season
- September through May
- Cost
- No cost
- Audition
- No audition
How much do lessons cost?
Tuition is $149 a month for a weekly 30-minute lesson, $298 for 60 minutes and $447 for 90 minutes. That covers 45 lessons a year and works out at $39.73 a lesson for the 30-minute option. There is a $35 annual registration fee.
I am starting from nothing. Am I too old?
No. Most of our students are adults over 55 and a good number have never had a lesson in their lives. Adult beginners tend to progress faster than children because they already know what they want to sound like.
Can I try a lesson before committing?
Yes. A first lesson is $25, with nothing to sign and no obligation to continue.
Where do lessons take place?
Lessons are held at Faith Presbyterian Church, 16000 N Del Webb Blvd, Sun City, AZ 85351. Parking is free and level, and the teaching rooms are on ground floor.
Do I have to be a church member?
No. The academy rents space at the church and is open to everyone regardless of faith or membership.
Tell us what you would like to learn.
Rory reads and answers these himself. If you would rather talk to a person, call (623) 253-6422 during lesson hours.