ATTENDANCE -- As a courtesy to the teacher, notification of missing a lesson is appreciated, but tuition refund will not be given, and extra lessons cannot usually be scheduled. There are 32 lessons scheduled, but you are charged for only 27. The 3 free lessons scheduled for the school year serve as make-up lessons for those unavoidable occasions when a student must miss a lesson. Students with perfect attendance can consider these as bonus lessons.

PIANO CLASS INFORMATION Piano classes are 2-4 students and are grouped according to age and ability. Each student has the use of an electronic piano during class. Piano classes are 45 minutes long and meet once a week. Children enjoy learning in a fun, relaxed piano class atmosphere. Friendships develop, and the joy of sharing music is experienced. Parents are welcome to visit class at any time to check on their child. 

PRACTICE TIME--In learning any skill, daily practice produces the best results. Students should plan on practicing every day. The amount of time required to learn the pieces and develop the skills will vary with the age of the student and the difficulty of the pieces.  Each student is expected to play through their music assignments a minimum of 3 times daily. Beginning students should practice 10-15 minutes per day.  For young students, this practice time may work best broken into two separate blocks of time.  Students in book 4 and above should practice 20-60 minutes per day.  Practice minutes can be logged on paper practice charts or on the student portal online.  The assigned listening is a very important part of daily practice.

If a student does not practice 3 weeks in a row, I will be calling to discuss whether commitment is at the right level to continue with lessons.

CURRICULUM-- Music Book fees are included in the registration fee. Students begin by learning audiation and proper technique with the Music Moves for Piano series by Marilyn Lowe.We will supplement this curriculum with rote (memorized) solos.  As students grow in their ability to audiate, they will also begin learning how to read music. Students will use each music book for approximately one year. 

Music Moves for Piano is a new piano method for the 21st century that builds on Orff, Kodaly, Suzuki, and Dalcroze and applies Edwin E. Gordon's Music Learning Theory to the teaching of piano. Music Learning Theory is a sequential learning process that guides students to hear and perform music with understanding. The music learning process, similar to the language learning model, is: 1) listen  2) speak; perform; acquire a rhythm and tonal music vocabulary by singing, chanting, and moving  3) think, improvise, audiate  4) read  5) write.   

Music Moves for Piano focuses on developing the entire musician - the student's ability to sing, to move gracefully, to audiate musical substance with understanding, to make a palpable physical connection to music. And it does this in conjunction with a wise, systematic presentation of purely pianistic skills: keyboard knowledge, technique and body awareness, notation, and, initially, attractive folk literature. Students who closely follow this course should be able to make music independently and think musically. 

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES-- recitals to be announced, usually 1 per semester.

PARENTS are expected to help in the learning process by:

--protect a regular daily practice time for your child.

--sit with your child for their first practice after a lesson each week and go over the homework with them.

--hold your child accountable for practicing.

--praising and encouraging their hard work and dedication!

--refrain from criticizing or shaming your child for mistakes.  

--Keep your comments focused on praising consistent effort and good posture at the piano.

TERMINATION OF LESSONS-- Should you choose to end lessons, your child’s lessons will not be considered officially terminated until a parent/guardian notifies me. No longer attending piano class is not notification of termination. Tuition through the end of the month in which you notify of termination is still due, even if your child has attended no lessons that month.