Our Accelerated Piano & Strings Program focuses on solving the problem of home practice. In traditional piano lessons, a significant set back can be the lack of confidence students have in their abilities. Our Accelerated Program strengthens their reading skills, and develops a sense of confidence and independence that leaves our students feeling accomplished and excited about music. Here are some of the benefits:
Student’s musical reading ability will drastically improve
Students will complete their method books faster
Practice at home will become easier
Students will have fewer questions at home
"Will lessons be boring or too strict?"
At The Music Studio, we've developed a unique lesson program that delivers all the wisdom and quality of traditional classical instruction with an innovative new format that excites and motivates students to play more music than ever before! Our teachers are fun, energetic, and know how to keep students engaged and moving easily to the next level of playing.
How long do I have to commit to lessons? Is there a contract?
While we hope that you'll love our lessons so much that you'll take forever, we do not ask our families to sign a contract for any specific length of time. Lessons simply continue on a month-to-month basis. We do ask that new families to read and sign our studio policies regarding procedure, payments, and the calendar, prior to beginning lessons.
Is your Lesson Program for Piano & Strings a group setting?
Yes, most of what we offer is small group accelerated instruction. And, our program is specifically designed to help students progress faster and with stronger reading skills.
Why do kids progress faster in the Lesson Program for Piano & Strings? How can "group" be better than "private" instruction?
It's true...our students do progress faster in our group Lesson Programs than they do in Private lessons. The key to the "accelerated" part is the lesson length and teaching style.
First, our groups are not collaborative. Each student in the class works independently (with headphones) at their perfect pace, and is instructed at their level. Classes are a mix of ages and levels, and students are neither held back nor pressured to compete with others. A teacher is always at the ready to present a new concept from the lesson book, answer a question, or listen to a finished song.
Second, each weekly class is 60 minutes. The longer session allows for time to learn plenty of new music and practice it during the lesson. When a new song is completely mastered, it's listed on the student's assignment page for rehearsal at home, and we move forward to a new song!
Third, the hour-long lesson allows the teacher to step away (although we're always on the lookout for struggles) and let students work more independently. We have noted a huge increase in student confidence and initiative, and they typically will accomplish well beyond our expectations.
Finally, students play A LOT of music in an hour. More music = better sightreading.
Won't students miss the personal one-to-one time with the teacher if they are in a group?
No. Students get as much one-to-one personal attention in the group Lesson Program as they need.
Private lessons have been the standard for years, but there is a serious flaw with lessons in this format. Success in private lessons hinges on the fact that students actually "know" how to practice. The reality is that only a very, very small percentage of students actually have good practice habits in place when they begin lessons. Not even 'being from a musical family' or 'having musician parents' is indicative that kids are going to be successful in private lessons from the beginning. The whole objective to being successful in any type of lesson format is that children have to understand and know how to practice. They have to be able to self-evaluate and analyze. They have to be able to troubleshoot. They have to be independent. They have to be willing to repeat something multiple times just to get it right and not be lazy about doing it. The accelerated group lesson format addresses and solves ALL of these issues and more.
We don't mean to bash private lessons. But, when stacked against the benefits of the accelerated group Lesson Program structure -- it's group lessons for the Win! Our group students focus better, work more thoroughly and conscientiously through their songs, are more motivated, confident, and sight-read like crazy. And, when students read well, playing feels easy and they want to keep playing!
Are parents allowed to sit in on lessons? Do parents have to be present during lessons?
Of course, parents are always allowed to be with their children during lessons, if they wish. We have an open door policy at The Music Studio. There is also a waiting area separate from the classrooms, for convenience. However, if you need to run errands or get siblings to other activities, drop and go is OK, too.
Do you offer Private Lessons?
We do offer private instruction (30 minutes weekly) to children with special needs. And, we offer Elite Private Instruction to advanced students (45 to 60 minutes weekly). In order for an advanced student to be eligible for Elite Instruction, there is a strict practice requirement minimum of 10 hours per week.
Are group lessons less/more expensive compared to private lessons?
Both our group Lesson Program (60 minutes weekly) and our Private Lesson Program (30 minutes weekly) are exactly the same cost. What if I have to miss a lesson?
Students in the group Lesson Program may simply reschedule into another class if they have a conflict or get sick.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash or checks. On occasion, we set up a PayPal option when offering special short-term sessions or camps, but otherwise cannot accept on-line or automatic payments.
Would you like to schedule a time to visit our studio for a tour, and possibly sample a lesson? Click here to view our calendar openings (these are not the open lesson times, just available meeting times):