Preschool piano
Age 3 to 5
Thursday at 11:00 and 3:30
Studies show that preschoolers who have studied keyboard score higher on spacial reasoning proportional math tests. Our preschool piano classes are one of a kind. The “Hands on Piano” method, developed by Lauren Townsend, is a visually based piano method that provides an introduction to piano lessons. This method uses pictures, stories, games and hands on materials to teach the child notes, rhythm and steady beat. In the first semester, they will work on learning 3 traditional songs at the keyboard. The child does not need to know how to read or know the alphabet to enjoy this method.
The materials are $15 and tuition is $40 per month
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
How much should we practice at home?
How much should we practice at home?
Do we need a piano/keyboard to take piano lessons?
Can we just try out piano for a few months and see if our child likes it?
Do we have to come to EVERY piano class?
I hear this a lot from new students and parents. The child's success and enjoyment of lessons is directly linked to the family's commitment to piano.
How much should we practice at home? Private and group students older than 6 should practice about 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. However, the amount of time is not as important as the quality of time. Be sure that your child practices each song assigned in the book for that week. Make sure that if there is a written theory assignment, that it is complete. This also counts as practice time. If you child has technique and scales be sure that that is also practiced. There are more ways to practice than just by repeating a song over and over. Ask your child questions about the patterns in the music. Call out the note names together. Count or tap the rhythm. Play together as a duet keeping a steady beat. Do you see a common theme here in these suggestions? The theme is TOGETHER. The more you interact in a fun, relaxed way with your child during practice, the more they will accomplish. Simply telling your young child to go in the other room and practice until the timer goes off is usually not enough. Reward your child for practice time and progress. Use the practice log on the website to show your child the correlation between practice and progress in lessons.
Do I need a piano or keyboard at home for lessons? Absolutely. If you are planning to take lessons or group classes without an instrument you are wasting your time and money. I have some students who practice at grandma's house on her piano or at a neighbor's house for a while, but it is essential to have a quality instrument to progress. Each child needs a convenient way to practice at home. There are quality keyboards and even pianos that are affordable that you can purchase. I understand that many do not want to purchase a piano until they are sure that their child will enjoy lessons and continue. However, if you do not give your child an adequate start at piano, they most likely will not enjoy it and will not want to continue. Imagine the frustration of a child in their lessons and group classes if they cannot progress because they are unable to practice at home.
Can we try out piano for a few months and see if we like it? Over the summer I offer trial piano classes so that potential students can try out piano before signing up for the term. I encourage potential students to try out classes over the summer and come meet us at our open house before signing up. Once our term starts, we set up small group and private lessons. By reserving your child's spot in a class or private lessons, you may be prohibiting another child from joining the class. Please do not consider piano as something to "try out" for a while. If you are not committed to the idea of taking lessons, your child will pick up on that and will not place much importance on the instrument. Furthermore, as with anything, there are ups and downs. At first your child will be very excited about piano. But for all students of any medium there are frustrations, low points and busy times. To be successful at anything you have to continue to try through the times when you want to quit, when there isn't enough time for piano and when it may be difficult. I suggest committing to try piano for at least a year.
Do we have to come to EVERY piano class? For group piano attendance is ESSENTIAL. For our classes, if you miss more than 4 weeks during a semester, you will have to retake the term. When a student misses a group piano class, the class proceeds without them. New material learned and new music assigned. When the child returns to class, time must be spent "catching up" the child who missed class. This prevents the students who attended class from progressing while we catch the absent student up. The classes are successive so coming in and out of a class does not work. It is not possible to take a month off or take a semester off and return back with your previous class. It is very important that the material builds each week so please be at each class. We do have some make up options- like coming to another class at the same level. Also, if you know that you are going to miss, it is possible to video the class and make it available for download off of the website. If your child is sick or unable to attend, please try to contact me and catch up on the work missed. We cannot make up group classes with private lessons and we cannot offer refunds for class missed.
I hope this helps to answer some of the questions about our classes and lessons. We want each student to have the best opportunity for success and lifelong enjoyment of music. If you have any other questions, please contact me at imaginationsmusic@bellsouth.net
Do we need a piano/keyboard to take piano lessons?
Can we just try out piano for a few months and see if our child likes it?
Do we have to come to EVERY piano class?
I hear this a lot from new students and parents. The child's success and enjoyment of lessons is directly linked to the family's commitment to piano.
How much should we practice at home? Private and group students older than 6 should practice about 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. However, the amount of time is not as important as the quality of time. Be sure that your child practices each song assigned in the book for that week. Make sure that if there is a written theory assignment, that it is complete. This also counts as practice time. If you child has technique and scales be sure that that is also practiced. There are more ways to practice than just by repeating a song over and over. Ask your child questions about the patterns in the music. Call out the note names together. Count or tap the rhythm. Play together as a duet keeping a steady beat. Do you see a common theme here in these suggestions? The theme is TOGETHER. The more you interact in a fun, relaxed way with your child during practice, the more they will accomplish. Simply telling your young child to go in the other room and practice until the timer goes off is usually not enough. Reward your child for practice time and progress. Use the practice log on the website to show your child the correlation between practice and progress in lessons.
Do I need a piano or keyboard at home for lessons? Absolutely. If you are planning to take lessons or group classes without an instrument you are wasting your time and money. I have some students who practice at grandma's house on her piano or at a neighbor's house for a while, but it is essential to have a quality instrument to progress. Each child needs a convenient way to practice at home. There are quality keyboards and even pianos that are affordable that you can purchase. I understand that many do not want to purchase a piano until they are sure that their child will enjoy lessons and continue. However, if you do not give your child an adequate start at piano, they most likely will not enjoy it and will not want to continue. Imagine the frustration of a child in their lessons and group classes if they cannot progress because they are unable to practice at home.
Can we try out piano for a few months and see if we like it? Over the summer I offer trial piano classes so that potential students can try out piano before signing up for the term. I encourage potential students to try out classes over the summer and come meet us at our open house before signing up. Once our term starts, we set up small group and private lessons. By reserving your child's spot in a class or private lessons, you may be prohibiting another child from joining the class. Please do not consider piano as something to "try out" for a while. If you are not committed to the idea of taking lessons, your child will pick up on that and will not place much importance on the instrument. Furthermore, as with anything, there are ups and downs. At first your child will be very excited about piano. But for all students of any medium there are frustrations, low points and busy times. To be successful at anything you have to continue to try through the times when you want to quit, when there isn't enough time for piano and when it may be difficult. I suggest committing to try piano for at least a year.
Do we have to come to EVERY piano class? For group piano attendance is ESSENTIAL. For our classes, if you miss more than 4 weeks during a semester, you will have to retake the term. When a student misses a group piano class, the class proceeds without them. New material learned and new music assigned. When the child returns to class, time must be spent "catching up" the child who missed class. This prevents the students who attended class from progressing while we catch the absent student up. The classes are successive so coming in and out of a class does not work. It is not possible to take a month off or take a semester off and return back with your previous class. It is very important that the material builds each week so please be at each class. We do have some make up options- like coming to another class at the same level. Also, if you know that you are going to miss, it is possible to video the class and make it available for download off of the website. If your child is sick or unable to attend, please try to contact me and catch up on the work missed. We cannot make up group classes with private lessons and we cannot offer refunds for class missed.
I hope this helps to answer some of the questions about our classes and lessons. We want each student to have the best opportunity for success and lifelong enjoyment of music. If you have any other questions, please contact me at imaginationsmusic@bellsouth.net
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
piano lessons picture
