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CONGRATULATIONS! Your decision to provide your child with music
instruction is an investment in your child's future. In making it possible for
your child to play the piano, you are providing the opportunity for
self-expression, creativity, and achievement.
Parental attitude support and involvement are
important factors in a child's ability to successfully learn to play and enjoy
music. Part of my job will be to assist you in giving your child the best
support possible for his or her musical endeavors. Like any skill, interest and
motivation count far more than talent. With the right support from you, playing
music will become a natural and fun part of your child's life.
From time to time I will send home Progress
Reports, along with helpful tips on what you can do to enhance your child's
performance. I also have a different program each month (contests, challenges
et.) to help motivate my students to make continued progress.
Recitals I schedule two
recitals a year. Performance in these
recitals is optional. The recital fee is $10 per student. There are additional
opportunities each month to perform in recitals through the Music Teacher's
Association. These are held at University Center at Chaparral and there is a
$5.00 participation fee per family. From time to time I have my students
perform at the Senior Centers and area businesses, senior centers and
hospitals. Our holiday concert is at Tagawa Gardens in December.
Contests In spring I encourage all
of my students who qualify to participate in the annual DEMTA Spring Music
Competition, National Music Federation, Clavinova Festival and the Yamaha Piano
Competition in Denver. I am a member of the American College of Musicians. Each
year my students may audition for the National Piano Guild and become student members of
the National Fraternity of Student Musicians. Each student receives a report
card, silver, gold or bronze pin depending on how many pieces are in their repertoir,and certificate. I will help all interested students qualify. I also offer the National KITS theory course and will prepare all interested
students for the annual spring exam. Students receiving 90% and higher are listed on the National Theory Honor Roll published each June.
Practice Time I recommend lessons
of one half hour per week, and at least fifteen minutes a day, five days a week
of practicing for beginners, then increasing the time as I will suggest. The
average time for elementary students is ½ hour per day, intermediate students
45 minutes to 1 hour a day, and advanced students 2 hours per day. These are
average times; students will spend more than this when preparing for a special
event. Students need to have a regular non-interrupted daily practice time on a
well-tuned instrument. The assigned piece/exercise should be played a minimum
of 5 times per session. Theory homework
is essential to progress and I will assign a small theory assignment each week. PLEASE BE SERIOUS ABOUT
PRACTICE! If you cannot practice one day, this time should be made up the
following day or days. Some students might find it helpful and more effective
to divide their practice into 2 or 3 sessions each day,
Arrive on time Students arriving late will
not have their lesson time extended. Please make sure that your child is in the
door before you drive away.
Parking Please park on the right side of the driveway or
in the third car garage space. Please do not park in front of the mailbox.
To adhere to neighborhood covenants please do not park on the street if possible
and if you must please park in front of my house.
Pick your child up after
the lesson I
cannot supervise children after their lesson, as I must give my focus to the
next student. Children must remain in
the waiting area while waiting for parents.
Tuition I charge $100.00 per month
for weekly 1/2-hour lessons and $170.00 per month for 2 children on a lesson.
This charge is the same whether there are 4 or 5 lessons per month.
Tuition is due on the first lesson of the month. You will not receive an invoice or bill.
If I must cancel a lesson, I will offer a makeup or credit your account for the
following month. If your child is absent or you cancel your child's lesson I do not guarantee a
makeup lesson and there is not a discount or refund for the missed lesson.
Please walk right in when it is time for your
scheduled lesson. Ringing the doorbell disrupts lessons.
You may relax in my waiting room as I conclude the lesson
prior to yours. Parents are welcome to quietly observe a lesson at any time.
I prefer siblings that are not currently taking lessons to not attend lessons as it
is very distracting to the student.
If you have questions or concerns about your child's lesson please email me at
pianoteacher@comcast.net to set up a private conference. It is best to air concerns
outside the lesson time.
Students may arrive 5 minutes early, come in quietly and warm up on the Clavinova
with headphones.
Supplies - Each student must purchase
a piano book plus a theory book suitable for their level. You may purchase
supplies at a music store or order them through me. Parents can help by
supplying their child with a special folder or bag for their music, and
reminding them to bring it to each lesson.
Assignment book I will supply each
student with an assignment book. I give out two assignment books per year. I
will record weekly assignments and practice suggestions, along with messages to
parents. Please check it weekly for any information I may need to relay to you.
Lending Library I have a selection of
books that are available on loan. Some of these have nice little pieces. You
may check these out for two weeks at a time. I have a sign out sheet for this
purpose. Students are expected to return or pay for all library items.Due to copyright laws, I am unable to make copies of my personal music
for student use.
Recording Studio Each student may keep a
recording studio file. Students may record one professional quality CD at no
charge each November and June. You may purchase additional CDs for $5.00. This is a significant
savings over the $50.00 per hour recording studio rate.
Winter Policy Please! Leave wet or
muddy shoes in the entry to avoid puddles under the pianos.
Please wash your hands in the hall restroom before playing the piano.
If schools are closed due to weather, lessons are cancelled and I will credit your account one
lesson.
Illness
If you or your child has a cold or the flu please stay home and get well.
Coming to lessons while ill, coughing and/or sneezing has the potential to spread the
illness to me or to my other students. Please notify me when a student must
miss a lesson due to illness.
Finger Nails Correct hand position in
playing piano requires finger tips to strike the piano keys. Therefore, please
keep fingernails trimmed to ensure good form and less stress on finger
joints. Please also see that hands are
clean. I have a washroom near my studio for student use.
Vacation I schedule a summer break
during the last two weeks of June and the entire month of July. Winter break is the entire month of December and the first week of January. Spring break is one week. Fall break
is one week according to the school calendar. There are no lessons on
Memorial Day, President’s Day, New Years Day, Thanksgiving Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday, Martin L. King Day, or Labor Day. Lessons after 4:30 on Halloween
are canceled.
Lesson Re-Scheduling and
Cancellation If you must cancel your lessons for an entire month, and would like me
to hold your lesson time, a $40.00 payment is required at the beginning of the
month. If I must cancel your lesson I will give you a credit or reschedule your
lesson time. If you must reschedule, you may make arrangements to swap lesson
times with another student. .
Dismissal I want each and every
student to reach his or her full potential, so I must adhere to certain
standards. I expect students to come prepared for lessons. Occasionally
unexpected things come up i.e. excessive homework. I will excuse unprepared
lessons 4 times in 6 months. However, being repeatedly unprepared for lessons
is cause for dismissal. I will instruct each child on the proper handling of
the equipment and instruments. Each student must follow the rules in using the
equipment. Repeatedly ignoring the rules is cause for dismissal.
Please give me a call if
you are unable to come to lessons. I am a mom too and understand emergencies.
However, failure to notify me three times in six months is also cause for
dismissal. If I feel it is necessary to dismiss a student, I will notify you in
writing two weeks in advance. I will give you a referral for a new teacher, or
put you on my waiting list. Non-payment for tuition is also cause for
dismissal. I will also dismiss a student after receiving two returned checks in
six months. There is a $20.00 charge on all returned checks.
I am very interested in my
students and have a sincere desire to create within them a love of music so
that they will want to continue learning long after lessons have ceased, and
will enjoy their music while studying as well as appreciating and enjoying
music for a lifetime. I am keenly aware of the responsibility that is mine and
will do my best to deserve of the trust you have placed in me. In functioning as a
teacher, I strive for many goals, some of which are:
Even though it is your
child who is studying, there are responsibilities which you, as parents will
have, also. Some of these are:
You can find many ways to
help your child with music, because you are the one that knows him/her best
Special needs Please let me know prior
to the first lesson if your child has special needs (ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia et.),
so that I can be sensitive to their unique learning style. If I find that my
teaching is not effective for your child, I will recommend a teacher trained in
this area.
I look forward to sharing
in your musical accomplishments.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach your
child.
Sincerely,
Debra Lee Wilson
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