Greetings, studio families! Happy Fall Semester! Here are some reminders and general policies.
* Communication
I communicate with group email and here on the blog. Please watch and be aware of emails and the studio calendar.
*Tuition
Fall term runs from Labor Day to New Years. Your tuition gives you an average of 3 spots for lessons a month (12 in a term), one group class per month, one recital per term. Also, there are extra activities such as workshops with other teachers, SAU graduation, federation, Suzuki Institute, and personal book recitals.
* Make ups:
Spring and fall terms I give 13 lessons instead of 12, since I have a no make up policy. If you know ahead of time that you can't make a lesson, then you can switch with someone. I email out a studio roster of names and phone numbers that you can use with the google calendar to find a spot that works for you. If I get sick or cancel, I will make that up to you. There are also no make ups for group class, but I do give an extra group in the fall term to get ready for the Christmas Concert.
* Schedule/ Calendar
The schedule is published on a google calendar. There is a link to it in the upper right hand corner of this page, or you can go to google.com, (log out of your other google users,) and log in with the username and password that I have given you in an email, and will give again. I announce schedules on email, and on the calendar. It is up to you to follow them. Please let me know if you have technical difficulties and can not access the calendar.
*Group
Look at the calendar closely for group dates. They are at slightly different times of the month to accommodate different schedules. Often there are also regular lessons on group class weeks, but not always. This term I am breaking down into smaller groups for a slightly shorter amount of time. Groups are listed in Green on the calendar. Please arrive 5 - 10 min early to unpack and be ready to go when it is time. I am very excited for groups this year. We will be starting each class with Music Mind Games, and build on our theory knowledge with this genius set of fun materials. We will also be building on our scale technique, and improvisation skills with Alice Kanack's fantastic improvisation development series. These are skills and materials that I will only be teaching at the group class, so it is very important to attend so you your child can stay current with the skills we are learning. If your time listed for group class is impossible, talk to me and it would be better to match them with a different group class than to miss entirely.
*Parent attendance at group:
For the age 4 & 5 group class I would like the parents to attend full time. For the book 1 - 4 groups, this term I would love to have parent chat groups going on downstairs during the group class. Can I have some parent volunteers to be the leaders of these? I will give the parent leaders a set of questions, or conversation starters, or an article to read. This will strengthen our Suzuki community and help all parents feel more supported in this endeavor of bringing music into our children's lives.
We will be in the beautiful and spacious downtown public library auditorium this year for our grand Christmas Concert on Monday evening December 17 at 7:00 (students arrive at 6:30). Mark your calendars now and feel free to invite family. Group for December will be two Saturday rehearsals to prepare for this event. See calendar.
*Tuition:
There is not an increase in tuition this term, but I will be more strictly enforcing the Late Charge if I don't receive checks until after the 20th of the month. In order to get the best lesson rate and avoid late charges, it is best if you hand me a stack of postdated checks that I keep secure and deposit only on the first of the month.
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
|
* Entrances:
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 in and 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.
*Listening
Filling your child's world with music is the surest way to lead them into a life loving music. Listen not only to the Suzuki recordings but lots of cello music in general: Bach unaccompanied suites, cello concerti, String Quartets by Beethoven, Debussy and Ravel, etc. etc. just ask if you are interested in a more extensive list.
Three cheers for a great fall term!
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