Exposure and Repetition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0REJ-lCGiKU

This is beautiful and amazing. Watch. See how he can predict what is coming next? See how he loves it? See how his body feels the same tempos and peaks and valleys of the music? I want you all to see it because it is such a beautiful example of an external manifestation of what goes on internally within a child when they deeply know and love music. Expose, expose, expose. Repeat.

Prep info for Christmas Concert

I hope everyone had a joyful and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday! Our Christmas Concert is around the corner in a few days and here are some reminders for that and for the upcoming week:

*Be sure to check the studio google calendar for this next week. I am in rehearsals for "Annie" at Pioneer, and had rescheduled many of you for this week. The calendar is all correct.

* Saturday December 3, 11:30 - 1:15, Quaker Meeting House. Final Group Class rehearsal for all for Christmas Concert.

*Sunday, December 4, Christmas Concert. Wear your own choice of nice clothes. No jeans, sweats, or shorts.

*Bring: 1. a ROCK STOP FOR THE VERY SLIPPERY FLOOR

2. your own chair if you are not comfortable sitting in anything smaller than a full size orchestra chair. There will be no small chairs there.

3. Bring your music binder to turn in (even if during the concert you are sharing with your stand partner)

*If you play Popper Gavotte or Danse Rustique, arrive at 4:30. Everyone else arrive at 5:00. Audience admitted and Concert starts at 5:30.

* Once again there will be a box for donations to help pay for the room, new music, and many new binders. Suggested donation of $2 per person or $7 per family.

Thank you for all of your hard work and support to help create the best cellorific Christmas concert of the season!

Christmas is coming . . . .

Yes, here we are. Summer seems hardly over, and we've already had our first snow.

It's time to pass out the Christmas books, and work on our skills of playing all together as a group. Here is the group class and concert schedule. It is short but intense, since our concert date is the first Sunday in December. Please do your best to attend as many groups as possible.

October 27 Thursday: Group at Quaker Meeting house. 171 East 4800 South. The order will be 5:15 Group A, 6:15 Group C, 7:15 Group B, 8:15 Group D.

November 17 Thursday: Group at Quaker Meeting house. 171 East 4800 South. The order will be 5:15Group A, 6:15 Group C, 7:15 Group B, 8:15 Group D.

November 19 Saturday: Everyone all together at Quaker Meeting house from noon to 2.

December 3, Saturday: Everyone all together at Quaker Meeting House from 11:30 to 1:15

CONCERT: Sunday, December 4. Books 4 and + be there at 4:30, everyone else arrive at 5:00, concert starts at 5:30. Same place as the last years: U of U Music Building (Gardner Hall), Room 270 (way at the far north west corner of the building behind Libby Gardner Concert Hall. I will have signs to lead you). This is always a very fun and entertaining event, so feel free to bring family, grandparents and friends.

We have a Jewish dance song, an Irish Jig, and two new Christmas Carol arrangements waiting for us. Looking forward to our biggest and most exciting group performance of the year!

Fall Calendar

The online google calendar is now updated for the fall term (Labor Day to Jan 1). Watch carefully for group classes and put them on your calendar now. Let me know if you see any surprises or errors in what you expect for the lesson schedule.

Changes:

*each Group class with be an hour

*The order will be 5:00 Group A, 6:00 Group C, 7:00 Group B, 8:00 Group D

*Group will generally be on the last Thursday of the month, the exceptions will be the holidays.

*There will always be lessons on the same weeks a group.

Sames:

Group A = book 1 & 2, ages 5 - 9

Group B = books 1 & 2, ages 10 - 15

Group C = books 3 & 4

Group D = books 5 and +

*We will always end group with performances from whomever wants to. These are superextremelysoverycompletely casual, so that everyone is comfortable, it is always a celebration, and kids just get used to playing for each other and for people.

*We will continue our exploration, especially in the older groups, of theory (heavily camouflaged as improvisation).

Yes, Christmas concert is coming and will happen. We will have some extra sort of rehearsal in December, and the concert will be also in December. TBA.

Cheers!

Policies, Rates, etc.

Greetings families. Yes, It is time once again to talk policies and rates and things. Hereis a review of my policies and procedures.

*The year is divided into three terms. Fall (After Labor Day - Dec), Spring (January - April), and Summer (May - Labor Day).

*For Fall and Spring terms, I don't do make-up lessons. You are welcome to switch with someone if you know in advance that you have a conflict. Click on the studio calendar link to see who has lessons when, and see your email inbox for a list of everyone's phone numbers. Also people have had switching success by sending out a general email to the whole studio to ask if anyone can conveniently switch. For summer term, I will switch, or insert you in a blank spot with 24 hour notice.

* Your Fall and Spring tuition includes 13 lessons for the term (an average of 3 a month plus one extra in case of car trouble or illness since there are no make ups), and 4 group classes. It will also include events such as Celebration, Graduation, book recitals, Workshops, Federation, Summer Recital Picnic, extra group class rehearsal for the Christmas concert, and the Christmas Concert.

*Tuition can be paid monthly or by the semester in advance. Here is a chart of my monthly rates.

*It is also time once again for a small rate change. Here is the chart for rates starting for September. For those of you sending checks from your bank, remember to change the amount. Thanks!

lesson length	Early (before the start of the month)	On Time (from the beginning of the month - 20th)	Late (after the 20th of the month)
1/2 hour	95	105	110
3/4 hour	130	140	145
1 hour	165	175	180
In Alpine (reduced because of increased student numbers.)	add 10	add 10	add 10

*Checks can be placed in the manila envelopes in my studio. I also encourage you to either put post dated checks in the envelopes to help prevent forgetting to pay, or to set up your bank to send me tuition monthly.

* At my house, come on in the door when it is your lesson time. During wet weather, take shoes off and leave them on the mat. You can take your cello out of its case and wait quietly by the piano or sit on the small chaise while you wait for me to finish the previous lesson. When I have taken a final bow with the previous student, then you can come on through the room to the red couch or set your things up.

* At my parent's house, come on in to the solarium at the back of the house, and take your cello out and shoes off while you wait for the previous lesson to be over, and then come on in after the final bow.

*Practice:

I expect my students to be practicing regularly at home. Without steady, consistent practice of the things that I assign at the lesson, students' brains and muscles can not develop the skills they need to play the cello with ease and confidence. Practice should be at least as long as the lesson, and be happening at least 5 times a week, but preferably 6.

Lets have a great year progressing, learning, expressing, and growing together!

Summer Picnic Recital Dinner

Announcing the 6th Annual Picnic Recital Dinner on Friday August 19

Greetings cello fellows! I Am greatly looking forward to next Friday. My parent's love hosting this event, and it is so pleasant to sit outside and eat and listen with you all. Here's some notes about the event:

*Students only need to play who want to and who are ready. We can discuss it at your lesson this week and next week for who wants to and is ready.

*5:30 everyone gathers at 1818 E. 3900 South. There is not enough parking here for people, so I suggest that one driver drops of people and instruments and dinners and blankets, and then goes and parks in the church parking lot on 2000 East and 3900 South (just 2 blocks away) and walks back.

*Food: You supply your own blanket and picnic dinner, but lets all bring a dessert to share for after the recital. Napkin friendly, not bowl or spoon or fork needy.

*Cello choir folks: We will play Banana, Ashokan Farewell, and Road to Lisdoonvarna, as the final pieces for the concert. Bring your books and stands and a chair.

Great!

See you soon!

Margaret

Summer Cello Band Concert

I would proudly like to invite you all to the final concert for my teen cello band at the Salt Lake Public Library outdoor amphitheater. This is the camp that my Jr High and High School cellists do every summer, and is quite a musical treat. We will be playing out doors (pray for good weather) at the amphitheater (seen clearly above) on Friday, August 5 at 7:00. On the program are some of my very favorite selections of Bach, Bazelaire, Liz Davis Maxfield, Celtic Tunes, and Apocalyptica.

We will also be playing at the Salt Lake Farmer's Market the next morning at 10:00, around the far South West corner of Pioneer Park.

You can find information about the concert also on Facebook as the event "Cello Band Concert", or find me on facebook as Margaret Romney Lewis.

This is one of the most motivating and musically creative concerts I am a part of, and would love to see you there.

Summer Group Classes

Greetings, families. Here are the dates and times of group classes for the summer:

FRIDAY JUNE 10 (soon!)

Quaker meeting house

Group A 11:15 (ages 4 - 8)

Group B 12:00 (ages 9 - 14, books 1 & 2)

Group C 12:45 (books 3 & 4)

Group D 1:30 (books 5 & up)

FRIDAY JULY 22

Quaker meeting house

Group A 11:15

Group B 12:00

Group C 12:45

Group D 1:30

FRIDAY AUGUST 12

Quaker meeting house

Group A 11:15

Group B 12:00

Group C 12:45

Group D 1:30

Additional activity:

Summer Picnic Recital Dinner

In the hollow behind my parent's house

Details TBA

6:00

Summer Lesson Times

So, check out the calendar on the right for a list of the days and times and places I am teaching in the summer. The schedule is all updated through April and May, and the first full week of June will be the start of summer lessons. See what is there on and after that first week of June, figure out what you would like and get back to me about when you would like your regular lesson time.

See the post about Summer Lesson Structure if you have questions about travel dates and other conflicts.

Summer Lesson Structure

Greetings folks! Summer planning season is here. Here are the notes about how I will structure summer lessons. It will be pretty much like last year.

* Tuition rates stay the same through the summer as through the school year.

* New make up policy just for summer - I will make up lessons with 24 hour notice.

* You still get an average of 3 lessons and 1 group per month ( 3 lessons x 4 months = 12)

* You sign up for 12 lessons from the beginning of May through the end of August.

* As soon as I get the weekly schedule hammered out, I will publish it here, and send an email of phone numbers so you can make switches as needed.

*May is around the corner, and I might not hear from you before then, so I will assume all lessons are on for the month of May.

* Orange means school year lesson time (even if it is during Summer semester). During the first five weeks of Summer Term lessons, May 1 through June 4, your lesson time will be the same time as during the school year.

* This will also be the case for the week of August 29 - September 4. Lessons will be during your fall lesson time, but count in the summer term. Fall term starts after Labor Day.

* Green means summer lesson time.

* Blue means extra. I will also offer 6 extra days of lesson times. This might mean that one week you get two lessons in stead of one, but you can get 12 in for the Summer Term.

Here are the weeks that I am teaching. Please copy and paste the list of weeks below into an email to me and indicate yes or no to let me know which 12 of these weeks you would like lessons:

Orange dates are school schedule lesson times

Green dates are summer schedule lesson times

Blue dates are extra in case you can't make 12 lessons off of the orange and green times.

Week of May 2: __________
Week of May 9: ____________
Week of May 16: ____________

Week of May 23:______________

Week of May 30: (Tues - Fri, no Monday lessons)___________

Week of June 6: ____________

Week of June 13: NO LESSONS (teaching at ISSI)

Week of June 20: ________________
Week of June 27: ________________

Week of July 4 (no lessons Monday the 4th):_____________

Week of July 11: ________________

Week of July 18: ________________

Week of July 25: ________________

Week of August 1: NO LESSONS - Teen Cello Choir Camp

Week of August 8: __________________

Week of August 15: ________________

Week of August 22: No lessons for first week of school
Week of August 29: _____________

Extra summer teaching days:

Friday July 8 from 9:30 - 1:00 am at my house____________

Saturday July 9 from 8 - 1 in Holladay _____________

Friday August 19 from 8 - 1 at my house___________

Saturday August 20 from 8 - 1 in Holladay ____________

Friday August 26 from 11 - 5 in Holladay______________

Saturday August 27 from 8 - 1 in Holladay _______________

Thanks for getting all the way to the end of this long and detailed post! Feel free to talk or call or email with questions or in need of clarification.

Cello Choir Camp!

It's that time of year again - preparing for summer. For all my students going into 7 - 12th grades, you are invited to join my cello choir camp. I don't think I am exaggerating when I say it is the favorite cello event of the year for everyone who has participated. Let me know if you can join us.

What: a week of cello joy as we rehearse a large variety of material written for multiple part cello ensemble (Celtic, Tango, Contemporary, Classical)

Who: all students entering 7th - 12th grades, all book levels invited

When: August 1 - 6, 9:00 - 1:00 for 7 - 9 graders, 12 - 4 for 10 - 12 graders

Where: Mon-Thurs in Holladay, Fri in Murray, Saturday at Salt Lake Farmer's Market.

How much: $195 for cellists in my studio, $245 for other cellists

Deadlines: Registration due June 1, late fee of additional $20 after July 1

What else: Improvisation workshop, study of great cellists of 20th century, rhythm games, CD

Help out a local band get on the cover of Rolling Stone . . .

So, I rarely use this blog this way, but I make an exception for these guys.

This is Fictionist. They are a band based out of Provo, and have made it to the last round of a competition to be on the cover of Rolling Stone, get a recording contract, and be featured at Bonaroo, a major music festival.

I like them lots and lots not only because their music is great, but because I watched the lead singer Stuart (front, with glasses) grow up as a young violinist, and then learned from him as we taught some Jazz for Strings workshops together. He is an amazing musician whether on violin, guitar, mandolin, or voice. His younger brother is Collin Maxfield, an excellent cellist in my studio, who played the plucky celtic piece on the 6:00 solo recital last week that we all loved.

Any way, one part of the contest is just getting rated 5 stars on the internet. Here is a link to their site where you can rate them, and also (as a thank you) download four of their songs for free.

http://www.fictionist.com/rollingstone

Thanks!

March Cello Madness

Groups, Recital, and Federation in March will all be a little different and eventful. Make sure to check the manilla envelopes this month for some extra charges to pay for Federation, and piano accompaniment to rehearse, perform and play at federation. Here is the list ( also all on the studio calendar):

GROUP:

WHAT: This will be an hour long event where students will rehearse with Shelley Astle on a small stage in front of other students.

WHEN: You choose! March 10 at 5:45 (full) or 6:45 or 7:45, March 17 at 5:45, 6:45 or 7:45. There are 6 different hours to choose from, pick the one that works the best for you.

WHERE: All rehearsal hours will take place at the Quaker Meeting House 171 East, 4800 South (84107).

SPRING SOLO RECITAL:

WHAT: Everyone gets to play a little or big something in front of each other and families. For those participating in Federation, we will choose one of your federation pieces. For those not, we will prepare one piece to be ready.

WHEN: Saturday March 19th at 4:30 (be there 4:00) or 6:00 (be there 5:30) Let me know which works better for you.

WHERE: Quaker Meeting House 171 East, 4800 South (84107).

FEDERATION:

March 26, Garder Hall on U of U campus, 1 hour usually in the morning. I just got the letter with times, and can tell you in your lesson, and will send in an email.

Thanks!

Cello Federation time

WHAT: a musical festival where students perform solos for other cello teachers and are given a rating and constructive comments. If a students are given a superior rating for 3 years in a row, they receive a gold cup.

WHERE: University of Utah School of Music - Gardner Hall

WHEN: Saturday March 26 generally in the morning for 1 hour.

OTHER WHEN:

There will also be a group class rehearsal during the week of March 10. Probably on Thursday and Saturday. There will be many different hours to choose from , and you pick one to come to the Quaker Meeting house to meet and rehearse with Shelley. Exact times and days coming soon.

ONE MORE WHEN: After our rehearsal with Shelly, but the week before Federation will be our studio solo recital also at the Quaker Meeting House on Saturday afternoon, March 19. There will be 2 different recital times to choose from. Exact times TBA very soon.

WHO: All cello students! And our fabulous accompanist, Shelley Astle.

HOW MUCH:

There will be a $12 fee to register for federation, and an additional fee for the room use and pianist. The pianist fee will cover all rehearsal, recital and federation time. Rates will vary depending on your book level and level of participation. It would be great to get the $12 federation fee this week if possible, and the room and pianist fee amounts I will have on envelopes in time for March tuition.

Intermountain Suzuki String Institute is around the corner!

Early bird registration for Institute ends on March 1, so make sure to check out the ISSI website HERE . It will be a great year as always, with guest teachers, and full, fun days of cello. June 13 - 18.

(For those who are new to my studio and to the Suzuki world, send me an email or call, and I will fill you in.)

New Group Class Plan for February

NEW GROUP CLASS PLAN

So, after much thought, I have decided to change the format of group. I have really enjoyed having everyone together for the initial part of group class, but I think this new format will work better to serve everyone and let everyone work in a more focused and applicable way. Here's the new info:

NEW PLACE:

My house! 1145 South 400 East. Let me know if you need directions.

Same date: February 24th

(March group class is also very different since it is the rehearsal with the pianist to get ready for the solo recital and federation. More info coming.)

( April group date will change to April 14, times TBA)

NEW TIMES:

Group B: 4:30(group B starts first)

Group A: 5:30 (notice the change here)

Group C: 6:30

Group D & E: 7:30

Here is the list of who is in which group.

Group A is age 4 - 9, in books 1 &2. Group B is ages 10 - 14, books 1 & 2. Group C is books 3 - 5. Group D & E are book 6+.

Name	Last Initial	Group
Grace	J	a
Andrew	V	a
Lauren	W	a
Will	B	a
Eliza	M	a
Taylor	M	a
Lucy	M	a
Peter	S	a
Tia	S	a
Ashlin	M	a
Clete	W	a
Rosie	F	b
Katie	A	b
Joe	E	b
Zak	D	b
Baleigh	D	b
Lauren	S	b
Emma	T	b
Paul	T	b
Jacob	T	b
Johannah	B	b
Ethan	P	c
Andrea	D	c
Duke	D	c
Lucy Breighton	J M	c c
Haydn	O	c
Dallin	R	c
Sam	W	c
Erin	J	c
Jacob	P	c
Will	N	c
Collin	M	d
Savannah	S	d
Derek	R	d
Annie	W	d
Lettie	B	d
Benji	D	d
Caleb	F	e
Patrick	G	e
Hannah	F	e
Emma Emma	M J	e e