Welcome Back!!!

This week, we will be starting back into lessons! I am SO excited! I really enjoyed my Christmas break, and I hope that you did too, but I am SO excited to be back into lessons. I have really missed the kids and missed teaching.

This week will be a little different because I will be giving out music for the duet recital. If your kids are playing in the duet recital, they will be coming with their partners. The students who are not participating in the duet recital will come to a regular lesson, but not at their usual times because I have to work around duet lessons.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call!

Scheduling

Thank you for being so patient with me as I figured out the schedule for next semester! It has really been a challenge with my heavy course load at school, and I apologize for taking longer than I initially thought. Thank you for being flexible and taking some times that were not your first choice. The schedule is officially done!!! If you have any questions about it, please call or e-mail me ASAP! If you did not receive an e-mail or phone call regarding scheduling, your time stayed the same as last semester.

Thanks!

Program Covers

I'm now taking student art work for our recital program. The drawings must be in black and white and have something to do with Christmas and Music!

I'm looking forward to lots of great art work!

Wonderful Group Lessons!!!

I am so sorry that I haven't posted for a number of weeks! Thank you for being so patient with me and for understanding when I have so many things come up!

Group Lessons were AMAZING!!! The students did such a great job and I was so proud of everyone! I know that it was a busy week, and I am sorry that so many kids had to miss group lessons, but if your child missed it is ok. I will catch them up!  

The students did such a great job playing for each other. I love group lessons because it is such a good opportunity for students to get used to playing for each other! We also learned about Claude Debussy, so I encourage you to ask your kids what they remember about him and Impressionist music. We listened to Clair de Lune and learned a lot of great things about Debussy. 

I loved the costumes that everyone wore and it was super fun to see them all in their Halloween gear! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Also, be listening for Christmas music! I sent it out last week, and everyone is already working so hard on it! The recital seems so far away still, but it is really just around the corner! Please encourage your kids to practice and remind them that recital music has to be memorized! :)

Watch for an e-mail in the next couple of days. I am starting to finalize my school schedule for next semester, and I will have to make some changes to my piano schedule, so I will be getting in contact with you if I will need to change lessons, so please look over your schedule so we can find something that works for both of us!

Group Lessons

Next week we are having our group lessons!!! Please read the e-mail that I sent out about group lessons and the day that your child is coming. You can also check their folder, which should have their group lesson time written in the "teacher comments" box of their practice sheet. Please remember that group lessons will "count" for the kid's lessons this week and that they will not have their regular private lesson.

Also a reminder that students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to the group lesson if they would like!

Please have your kids bring their Halloween music, even if they have it memorized, because we will be checking it in at the end of group lessons! Thanks!

October Break

This week is October break for your kids (exciting!) but I am still in school, so I am still teaching if you still want to come to lessons. Some of you have talked to me about canceling this week, which is fine, but if you are planning on missing your lesson this week, please just let me know at least a day in advance so that I am not planning on you! If you already talked to me, you are good to go, so don't worry about it. I hope that you all have a very restful break! I am sure that you can all use it at this busy time of year!!!

Just a reminder that if you have not e-mailed me back about group lessons to please do so this week so that I can finalize all of the groups! Thanks!

Thoughts

I have had such wonderful experiences the last couple of weeks that I really just want to share them with you. Your kids are awesome!!!

One boy came to lessons so excited about a piece because he had come up with a whole story to match the song. He played so well because he had a great picture in his head of what the music meant. The music really came alive to him as he told me his story so animatedly!

Another girl came to lessons and when it was time to turn in points, she saw that her sister did not have as many points as she did and she let her sister use some of her points so that they could both get the same rewards.

When kids memorize a song, they usually look at the "memorization board" and see how they are doing compared to others, but rather than say something like "I can't believe how far ahead of me so and so is" they say something like "Wow! Look how good they are doing!"

A boy came to lessons so excited and animated because he had learned one of his favorite popular songs, complete with chord accompaniment, by ear in just one week. 

Many students have come with their Halloween music already learned, and some have come with it even memorized!

I love that the kids come and tell me how their weeks are going and everything they are involved in. We have students in dance, drama, football, soccer, choir, orchestra, student council, cross country, cheer, softball, volleyball, tennis, etc. Some students are writers, babysitters, artists, etc. Your kids are so very talented and I am grateful that I get to be a part of their lives. As you can tell from these stories, your kids are amazing! I am in awe at their kindness, dedication, and excitement! Thank you for helping them be so great!