Music Studies
I believe that it is important to be balanced in music. Therefore I have my students study: theory, scales, etudes (exercises), sight reading, and performance pieces from many different periods of music.
Practicing
Music playing is a skill and as such it is very important that students practice every day. My students should practice 5 days a week, excluding Sunday and lesson day is optional though recommended. If a student would like to practice on Sundays, I leave that up to them.
It is up to the parent to make sure that practicing is being done at home. As the teacher I can encourage practicing but I cannot enforce it. Children thrive from schedules, so please try to make it part of their daily routine. During lessons we will talk about what to practice and how to practice it.
The length of time that my students should practice depends on their playing level. Beginning students should start by practicing just 10-15 minutes a day, and then after a couple weeks slowly work up to 30 minutes a day. If needed the 30 minutes can be broken up into smaller chunks of time to keep the students attention focused. Intermediate students should practice 45-60 minutes a day, and Advanced an hour or more. Don’t worry, I will make sure that there is enough things for them to practice to fill up their practice time. If your child ever feels overburdened let me know and I can discuss with them why they feel that way, and make changes.
Master Class (Group Lesson)
Every other month I have a group master class for all of my students. The master class is 45 min long and is in addition to regular lessons and is optional. During these masterclasses the students will have the opportunity to practice performing in front of other students their age, work on sight reading, ear training, and theory.
Recitals/Festivals
As a member of my studio I expect my students to participate in the two recitals that I have each year. One recital will be in the Spring, and the other in the Fall. Also, for all of my violin students (not including adults) I expect them to participate in the Utah Valley String Festival which occurs each March. For more information on the festival visit www.utahvalleyarts.org/uvsf.
Required Materials
Violin Students will need a violin, shoulder rest, rosin, a cleaning cloth, pencils, metronome and books that I assign.
Piano Students will need a piano at home to practice on, that is well maintained. Pianos need to be tuned at least once per year. (I do tune pianos and offer a discounted rate to my students). They will also need pencils, books that I assign, and a metronome.
I will provide a book to keep track of lesson assignments. If you would like I can also purchase the books your student will need and bill you for their cost (saves you a trip to the music store).