Group Lessons & Policy
Group Lessons:
For students 6 to 9-years-old.
Group lessons are offered on Tuesday and Thursday.
Payment can be made through Zelle and PayPal. Personal checks are also accepted.
Payment is due to the 1st class of each month.
50-minute lessons
35$
6 to 9-years-olds only
Attendance:
A student must attend approximately 37-38 lessons during the school year. There are two weeks of winter break and one week of spring break throughout the year. The remaining missed lessons must be made up. Saturday is the day for online make up classes.
Schedule:
Tuesday: 4:00 P.M. - Beginners 6-7 years old
5:00 P.M. - Beginners 8-9 years old
Thursday: 4:00 - Students with some experience 6-7 years old
5:00 - Students with some experience 8-9 years old
Practice:
Regular practice is not required, however close to the performance additional homework practice is needed.
First class:
My first class is free. It’s usually shorter than regular class and, if a student agrees to continue studying, we make an agreement on homework practice, talk about my class, books and materials needed etc.
Performances:
We have two performances during the School Year - on Christmas (Mid of December) and at the end of the School Year (mid of June).
RCM Exams:
At the end of the school year, we organize a concert. I’m also planning to make videos to show the progress of your kids during the school year.
Cancellations and Makeups:
All the classes are non-refundable.
Technology makes it possible to avoid missed lessons by having a lesson via Zoom. For example, if the student is too ill to attend in person (perhaps stayed home from school) but well enough to have a piano lesson, we can have one on Zoom rather than having the lesson cancelled. In person lessons are definitely preferable, but Zoom lessons provide an alternative to cancellation and can be used when necessary.
Group Lesson Info:
I invite your children to my group music classes, where I teach piano. Kids will start with simple melodies and will gradually learn how to play intervals and chords and create their own music ideas. No homework is necessary for success, just regular attendance!
In 2019, I was invited to teach music at a private elementary school, which included teaching piano keyboard and singing. I could never have imagined that it would be so interesting for both me and the children! I saw that children are highly motivated when they study in a group.
In the article called “5 benefits to Group Learning” I found the benefits I absolutely agree with:
1. Reduces anxiety: it takes the spotlight off the student and gives the ability to speak with your peers for help.
2. Deeper Intrinsic Motivation: group learning does that by mutually inspiring students to achieve.
3.Deeper Understanding of Material: being able to discuss material, debate it, or even approach in a new way where each student gets to hear about or experience how another learns.
4. Individual Accountability: group learning activity can have students push each other into learning or achieving.
5.Proactive Collaboration: Group learning is fun! Students get excited about being able to work together. They’ll want to get things done together and learn; it means hanging out as well to them.
You can find the article here:
https://www.academicentertainment.com/5-benefits-to-group-learning/
During my time teaching at school, I collected a good repertoire and many ideas about the structure of my classes.
Now I am opening my own class at home to put my ideas into action!
The lesson is dynamic. In one 50 min class we have time to study the theory, read and play a new song, do little gymnastics to relax the shoulders and arms, perform exercises, and make up our own tiny music ideas. In the last 2-3 minutes the students play a little game.
The most amazing thing is that despite the lack of regular homework (this is partly because not everyone has a musical instrument), children make progress, and by the end of the 5th year of study (about 30-35 lessons per year) they can already play pieces of a level 3B and even 4th level.
At the end of the school year, we organize a concert. I’m also planning to make videos to show the progress of your kids during the school year. The size of the class is small – up to 4 kids.