FAQ

Each one-on-one composition lesson with either Kevin or Kincaid is $75 USD, with the option of bundling four lessons for $250 USD. This price includes the one-on-one lessons, a weekly group composition seminar, performance and collaboration opportunities, and access to our community on Discord.

That’s up to you. Most students take lessons for at least four to six months, but we both have students who have followed us for years.

We accept a maximum of 30 composers weekly, but not all composers take lessons every week. While some composers take lessons every week, others do biweekly or monthly composition lessons. Between the two of us, there are only 30 slots for one-on-one lessons each week.

We also maintain a waitlist for prospective students interested in when slots reopen. All students are served on a first come, first serve, case-by-case basis.

All Canopy Composers must be at least 18 years of age. We do not have an age limit. You do not have to be or want to be a professional composer to be part of our creative community.

All composition lessons and group seminars will be on Zoom. Canopy Composers will have lesson times scheduled individually.

We believe that you can get different things from different teachers. Both of us had different educations at different institutions in which we focused on different ways of creating music.

At first, after we have a complimentary consultation lesson, we will select a composition teacher based on your needs. Each decision is highly personal, but you will get the opportunity to work with both Kincaid and Kevin while you are a Canopy Composer. After you complete each project, we will reevaluate which teacher you should be working with. If you still prefer one of us after working in our community a while, you’ll probably continue to study with that person.

As professional composers, Kevin and Kincaid both work with a variety of performers and ensembles, both student and professional alike. Many of our friends and colleagues have expressed interest in working with our students to bring their works to life, so that what they work on in composition lessons with us are not merely works created in a laboratory, but living, breathing music.

We understand that life sometimes happens, and we ask for at least 48 hours notice for cancelled lessons. For lessons cancelled with at least 48 hours notice, we will do our best to accommodate making up your lesson time. For cancellations made within 48 hours, we can make no promises about being able to make up your lesson, but if we are available, we will schedule you in. If one teacher is unavailable for a make-up lesson, the other may act as substitute.

Both Kevin and Kincaid are professional Finale users, but we can adapt our teaching to any program or medium accepted that you use for traditionally notated scores. Handwritten scores are acceptable, but we highly encourage notation software for traditionally notated works.

Both Kincaid and Kevin are most proficient in Logic Pro X, but we accept any DAW or medium for electronic or electroacoustic music.

Graphic, text, or non-traditional scores are also highly encouraged. We want to empower you to experiment with what music can be.

All lessons for Canopy Composers’ Studio are taught in English.

Kevin and Kincaid are partners, romantically, artistically, and professionally. We live together in San Diego, CA, USA. We give each other advice, help with musicmaking, laugh together, and support each other.

You click here and fill out the form. One of us will be in touch within 24 hours to let you know about availability and how we can proceed.