Student Expectations
For Students and Parents
We suggest all students read this too!
What to Bring to Your Lesson
Each student is expected to bring all books that they are currently working in. Even if you didn’t have theory homework this week, bring your theory book every week. Once you have finished/ “graduated” from a book, only then should you leave it at home. Students must also bring their practice notebook every week.
Good Attendance and Preparation
Students are expected to attend a lesson every week at their appointed lesson time. Do not make excuses and cancel your lesson for silly reasons. Students are expected to practice daily and be familiar with their assigned songs when they come to lessons. Students should come prepared, meaning that you have practiced everything on your practice sheet and you have not avoided your least favorite assignment. You also completed any written homework at home, making sure that it was complete before you arrived at your lesson.
How to Practice at Home
A half-hour of practice every day is better than four hours of practice one day a week. I tell my students to “hit the piano every day.” Students should keep a regular practice schedule and try to stick to it. It is good to practice at the same time each day. For instance, maybe you can practice after dinner every day, or right after school every day. It is not wise to leave things until the last minute and cram before your lesson. You may be able to cram for a test at school, but cramming the whole week’s practice time into a frantic hour the night before does not work! Students should try to go over all assignments on their practice sheet each day. Make sure you are doing quality practice also. This means not rushing through to get it over with, but trying to fix your mistakes and spending lots of time slowly crawling through the hard parts. Don’t get frustrated with yourself. Learning the piano requires patience and attention to details. Believe in yourself! How long should you practice each day? These are minimum recommended practice times, but you are welcome to practice for longer!
·
Beginner through level 1 books (1st year): 15 - 20 minutes per day
·Level 1 through Level 2 books (2nd year): 30 minutes per day
·Level 3 through early intermediate (3rd through 4th year) 45 minutes per day
·Late intermediate – early advanced (5th year and beyond): 60 – 90 minutes per day
Logging In Your Practice Times and Getting a Practice Witness to Sign
Don’t forget to fill out the practice record at the top of your practice sheet. When you finish practicing each day, write in how many minutes you practiced in the appropriate box. When the week is over and it is time to come back for your lesson, get a parent to sign where it says “practice witness” on your practice sheet. You should be filling in all of those boxes with something. If you can't practice every day, try to fill in something for at least 5 days. Look at the clock before you sit down, or use a timer to time your practice.
Theory Homework
Don’t forget to check your practice sheet to see if you have theory homework. This is a written homework assignment. The teacher expects you to have it complete when you arrive at your lesson. Please use pencil to complete your theory assignment, not pen!
Stickers and Prizes
If you are under the age of 14, you can earn stickers each week for coming to your lesson prepared and working hard at the lesson! For each song you "pass," you earn a sticker. If you memorize the song (adding it to your repertoire list), you get an additional sticker, and if you master a scale or technique exercise, you get a sticker. Once your wall chart is full, you get to choose a prize out of the prize basket!
Hands and Nail Care
Students are expected to come to lessons with clean hands and trimmed nails. I encourage students to keep their nails as short as possible to prevent flat-fingered playing. Students need to stand up on their fingertips and have very curvy fingers for good playing technique! Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before touching the piano and computer equipment.
Masterclasses (once per month for private students)
Group masterclasses for private students are offered once per month on the third Friday and Saturday of the month at various times (see calendar page of studio website). Masterclasses are an hour and a half long, and they are included in your tuition. Masterclasses will serve as a makeup lesson if you have missed a lesson earlier in the month. A mixture of levels will attend, the goal being that advanced students encourage beginners and the beginners are inspired by the advanced students. Students must be prepared to play one piece (memorized or unmemorized) for a friendly peer audience. The audience members will give the performing student constructive criticism, and the sessions will be recorded to give students audio feedback on how they sound. Monthly sign-up sheets will be posted on the sign-up wall of the studio. Students should sign up for a time they can attend each month.
Recital Performance
Music is a performing art, and students are expected to participate in the recitals for their program. Recitals will be held in November and March, and the recital dates will be posted on the calendar page of the studio website. Students are expected to get excused from conflicting activities and make recital participation a high priority. Students must play 1 piece for the Fall recital and 2 - 3 pieces for the Spring recital. The teacher may require that one piece is memorized. Recitals are fun and build confidence in young musicians.
Lost and Found
If you leave something at the studio (including music books), The teacher will put it in the Lost and Found box. The teacher does not have time to call everyone who leaves things at the studio. Please call her if you think you left something important behind. Students who left items behind may stop by anytime during lesson hours to pick up their lost items.
What Parents Need to Know
The Home Piano
Students must have an instrument at home to practice on.
First Year Students: Beginners will need a piano or keyboard to practice on. For first year and group class students, a keyboard is fine. However, please avoid toy keyboards which have keys that are less than full length. The keys should be the same size as the keys on an acoustic piano. If you are not sure if your keyboard is adequate, e-mail me a picture of your entire setup – keyboard, bench or chair, and lighting. Include the make and model number in your e-mail so I can look up the specs online. I can also drop by your house and take a look.
Second Year Students: Sometime in the second year, students will start learning to play with the sustain pedal (also called damper pedal). This is the pedal on the right on an acoustic piano. Students practicing on keyboards at home will need to purchase a sustain pedal. Contact your manufacturer or do an internet search to find out which sustain pedals are compatible with your keyboard.
Third Year and Beyond: If you're a third year student and you're still practicing on a keyboard, it's time to start considering an upgrade to a quality acoustic piano. An acoustic piano will give you the right resistance to build strong fingers and develop good technique and artistry.
Benches and other Accessories: Students will also need a piano bench (not the kitchen chair) at the right height and a piano lamp or other adequate lighting over the music stand so they can see their music. If your keyboard does not have a music stand, you will need to purchase one separately from a music retailer. Students should NOT be practicing with the keyboard on the bed or in their laps, as this encourages poor posture and improper technique.
Acoustic Piano Recommendations: If it is an acoustic piano, it should have the following:
·Working sustain pedal (on the right), and working soft pedal (left-most pedal) for advanced students
·The piano should be tuned and checked for mechanical problems every six months.
·If you are shopping for a used or budget acoustic piano, check out this great article about how to detect signs of wear and damage on a used instrument: http://pianoeducation.org/pnomaint.html
Piano Cleaning, Tuning, and Maintenance
If you have an acoustic piano, your instrument will need to be tuned and checked for mechanical problems once every six months. See me for names of local piano tuners and technicians. Keep your piano clean, and keep food and drink away from it. Do not try to clean the inside of your piano. Ask your tuner/technician to clean the inside. As for the outside, the general rule is to simply wipe down the piano with a soft cloth, or lightly damp cloth. Do not use any harsh cleaners or chemicals on your piano. Helpful cleaning advice is on the following webpage: http://pianoeducation.org/pnobuyng.html
Student Supplies
All students are asked to purchase or obtain the following:
·Keyboard Adventures Practice Notebook. Beginning September, 2009, a pre-printed practice notebook will be available for purchase. The practice notebook contains everything the student needs for the year's lessons. The first year's notebook will be included in the new student's registration and materials fee.
·Metronome (keep at home for practice): The student with a metronome is going to fare better than the student without a metronome. A metronome is that upside-down pendulum-like thing that ticks back and forth. Some keyboards have an on-board metronome. In addition to the old-fashioned model, there are many digital models for the budget pianist that cost less than the old-fashioned one. Essential equipment for all students, the metronome helps you keep a steady beat and count. A metronome will cost around $30.
·Pencil: Please use pencil to complete your theory assignment, not pen! I also recommend stocking a pencil jar with highlighters of various colors for children to color-code problem areas in their music. Keep the pencil jar on the piano or on a nearby table or shelf.
·Bag, backpack, or tote to carry books
Suggested Optional Materials – Digital timer (Loudoun Learning, Leesburg) or kitchen timer to time practice, post-it flags for marking your current songs in books, as well as problem areas (Office Depot or Staples, Leesburg), nail clippers (short nails are a necessity to developing good technique)
What You May Do While Your Child is In Lessons
We recommend that parents attend the lesson if the child is younger than 7. We require parents to attend our Pee Wee Piano class (ages 4 - 6). As for children over the age of 7, I have found that children respond best to private instruction when parents are not hovering over them. In general, children listen better and are less distracted when it is just the teacher and student interacting. However, I do welcome parents to observe an occasional lesson, especially if the student is under the age of seven. If you would like to observe a lesson from time to time, that is fine, but please put cell phones and pagers on vibrate and keep comments to a minimum. Most parents drop off their children and return to pick them up. Here are some suggestions if you’re not sure how to burn 45 minutes:
1. Wait in the vacant adjoining studio, on the bench out front, or in your car.
2. Play in the front or side yard (weather permitting). I have two children who are here with their Dad during most lessons (Andrew, 9 and James, 1). Andrew loves to play with visiting children. If you have other children with you, they are welcome to play outside with Andrew DURING NICE WEATHER, but please limit your play to the front yard, and please help me out by supervising the playing children, including my own! And please - CUSTOMERS AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE NOT PERMITTED TO PLAY ON THE TRAMPOLINE! This is a device intended for our children ONLY. Obviously, our youngest child is too young to play with other children, and is always in the care of his Dad or a babysitter.
3. Visit the Purcellville Library, a great resource that’s right down the street. To get there, take a right out of the teacher’s driveway, a left at Main Street, and it’s on your immediate right.
4. Take your other children to the playground at the Community Center. If you need directions, let me know. It’s about two minutes away.
5. Run your errands to the post office, grocery store, and your local bank. They’re all minutes away.
6. There’s a Farmer’s Market every Thursday afternoon (4- 7) across from Magnolia’s Restaurant, and every Saturday morning at the Town Hall parking lot (Main and Hatcher).
Helping Your Child Succeed
There are a number of things that parents can do to help their children succeed at piano. Here are some suggestions.
1. ATTENDANCE. Getting Your Child Here On Time, Every Week is Half the Battle! Please try to keep your schedule clear of conflicts during your child’s weekly lesson time. We only meet once a week, and there are no individual makeups (only a group masterclass once per month). Allow time for traffic, especially afternoon school buses. The teacher will not consider other activities, having out-of-town guests, and appointments as acceptable reasons for missing your lesson. If you miss your lesson due to your own cancellation, you are still financially responsible for the lesson time I have reserved for you.
2. MODEL. The best music education starts at home...model a passion for music. Parents - do you play an instrument or sing at home? Do you listen to music for pleasure, especially instrumental music of a wide variety? When you model passion for music in your life, this has a strong effect on your children. Enthusiasm is contagious, and if you show no enthusiasm for music yourself, you can't expect your child run to the piano and play for fun! Music should be listened to in the car and at home. When you listen together to music as a family, allow it to be a springboard for discussions like "What instruments do you hear in this song?"
3. INSPIRE. Take your children to hear live music! There are many free or low cost recitals and concerts advertised regularly in the newspapers. Do you take advantage of these opportunities? Check out the Friday section of the Washington Post, the Go section of the Loudoun Times, and the Calendar section of the Purcellville Gazette. Attending live performances inspires children. Does your child attend church services with live music? It is important that your children see instrumentalists who make music for pleasure and/or devotion, and are not doing it because someone forces them to. Children who see music as a compulsory activity are most certainly going to dread practicing.
4. THE PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT. At home, provide a practice area that is conducive to student concentration, away from the television, X-Box, Nintendo Wii, and other distractions. I prefer a separate room with doors that close, but I understand that this is not always possible. If you have a digital piano, I recommend the purchase of headphones to minimize distractions. Family members need to respect the student’s practice time and have an understanding of the importance of quiet time during the student’s practice session.
5. MAINTAIN YOUR INSTRUMENT. Keep your acoustic piano in tune and in good repair! Digital pianos also need periodic repairs. I guarantee that an in-tune, fully working piano will generate far more practice hours than an out-of-tune, poorly maintained piano. Sometimes kids tell me “the keys are sticking” or “my piano sounds way different than yours.” These are all signs that a visit from a piano technician is due. Most piano tunings cost around $115. Repairs may run a little more, but it’s worth the investment. After you get your piano tuned, watch the difference in your child’s practice habits. It’s like getting a new toy! SEE ME FOR A REFERRAL TO A LOCAL PIANO TUNER.
6. ENFORCE REGULAR, DAILY PRACTICE TIME. The bottom line is, you know your child, and you know if he is strong or weak in the self-discipline department. I am lucky to have many students who practice daily because they LOVE playing the piano! But, some students don't have the same initial passion, and may initially need some loving enforcement with regard to practice. With children under 9 or 10, you may want to sit down and even practice with them in the beginning. Read over their practice sheet and try to make sure they are hitting every item on the sheet, especially theory homework (which is often forgotten by young children). Some parents use a practice timer and when the buzzer goes off, practice is over. Most children eight and older are more self-motivated, so your job will be trying to set up a practice schedule with them and helping them stick to it. Most older children will practice because they are excited to be learning a new skill and want to gain mastery of their songs.
7. PRAISE, NURTURE, AND ENCOURAGE: Piano is not the easiest thing to play. Try to be a supportive force for your child. Be engaged and interested when you hear your child playing at home. Stop what you are doing and listen when s/he wants to show you something.
8. LET YOUR CHILD BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE TEACHER. Do not lie for your child. Do not make excuses for your child and keep them home just because they failed to prepare their lesson material. Some parents think they are protecting their child from the wrath of the teacher by doing this. It is important to let the student be accountable to me. I will deal with the unprepared child in a gentle manner and try to help him find better ways to manage his/her time at home. I also have a lot of alternative activities and review assignments I can do if it's been a bad week.
9. HELP YOUR CHILD STAY ORGANIZED!
It is sad that some piano students fail simply because they are not organized. They don’t have a system or strategy to managing their time and materials. Parents can help young students by making sure they have all of their books and their practice notebook before leaving for their lesson (the teacher does not always have a copy here at the studio). A bag, or backpack that is used just for piano books is a wise investment. Get your child in the habit of packing books the night before, not scrambling at the last minute for his/her after-school lesson! They can scan down their practice sheet to make sure they have packed the right books, and have not left any behind that contain assignments. At home, have a shelf or certain place designated for the student’s piano books and notebook. Two children may want to have two separate shelves, or areas.
10. GETTING YOUR CHILD TO MASTERCLASSES AND RECITALS
Make an effort to get your child here for masterclasses and recitals. These are huge motivators and really get students to work hard and do their best! As for recitals, there are only two per year, and they require a LOT of work on my part. That said, please be on time or early to recitals. Every student is expected to participate. Please make an effort to attend recitals and get your calendar clear as soon as the dates are confirmed.
11. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE THE STUDIO!
These are published on the website, and as I receive flyers, I post them on the studio bulletin board. All audition and outside performance opportunities benefit the student by providing additional goals to work toward. The more events a student can enter, the more the student will excel and gain artistic confidence at his craft.
12. USE THE STUDIO WEBSITE!
Did you know that the teacher designs and maintains her own website and updates it almost every week? Did you know that the studio hours, policies, tuition rates, closures, studio calendar, and event announcements are posted there? Chances are, if you have a question about something, the answer is probably on the website. Use the website as your one-stop source on studio information. The studio website is:
www.keyboardadventures.com
13. CHECK YOUR E-MAIL FOR UPDATES
It is wise to check your e-mail at least once a week while your child is enrolled at Keyboard Adventures. It is the most efficient way for the teacher to communicate with everyone, so she favors e-mail over phone calls. If you are not getting e-mails from me, please check your junk folder and check your spam settings. Also, if a month has passed and you haven't seen any e-mails from me, let me know!
14. WHAT IF MY CHILD IS LOSING INTEREST OR STOPS PRACTICING? Waning interest is perfectly normal, and is especially typical when children start a new season of piano (new school year or summer term). It is important to know that diminishing interest or a change in practice habits are not necessarily indicators that your child should stop instruction. More than likely, if a student suddenly has a change in practice habits or interest, it is likely due to the child entering an adjustment period or perhaps the child is experiencing a change in routine (such as the start of school, or transition to middle school or high school). I have found that, in the majority of instances, the student is just in a temporary slump, and things are usually back to normal within a couple of months. Rather than withdraw from instruction, the best thing to do is to wait it out, and see how we can re-ignite the student's passion for music. Many issues are worked out simply by making a change in the student's repertoire or reducing the practice load for a period.
