Hello Lovely Parents and Students,
Here is more news and useful info from the wonderful world of piano lessons for your reading pleasure.

Cancellations and Make-Up Lessons

* As you know, refunds are issued for the first 2 canceled lessons. For subsequent cancellations, I am happy to teach a make-up lesson. Make-up lessons will be offered on Saturday afternoons throughout the school year. These classes will cover different material than the regular lessons. Please contact me if you would like to arrange a make-up for a canceled lesson.
* If you need to cancel a lesson with less than 24 hours notice, please call me rather than email.

Facebook Page Launch

* I’ve started a facebook page to share information about my teaching practice and life as a musician. This is a professional page with family friendly content. I’ll be sending a friend request to parents and students who work with me and I hope to see you all soon online.

Flashcards

* I’ve been incorporating flashcards into my students’ lessons and am encouraged by the results. This is a great way to practice note reading and I’d like all my students to have their own set of flashcards. For those of you who don’t already have them, they cost about $6.00 and will be added to your November or December invoices.

Practicing

* Establishing a consistent, effective practice routine is the best way to maximize your investment in piano lessons, and to ensure the greatest possible benefits of music study for your child (or yourself). I recommend building piano practice time into the student’s daily schedule. This way the student will not “run out of time” during the week and end up with no practice, not enough practice, or a couple of “cram sessions” the day before the lesson.
* Children is grades 1-3 generally require some assistance with their practicing. They might need help reading and following my instructions and a reminder to complete their written assignments.
* Older children (and those independent-minded younger ones) can usually practice well on their own. However I would encourage parents to check on them occasionally. Is the student following their practice assignment? (i.e. opening their piano binder and reading the instructions) Going through the practice assignment even just once during the week with your child would be very helpful for their learning process and it’s a great way to help them use their time practice time effectively.

Guidelines and Goals
These numbers are the minimum amount of practice I recommend. More practice is highly encouraged!

* Hal Leonard Student Piano Library Level 1 – 60 minutes every week. Try four 15 minute sessions, every second day.
* Hal Leonard Level 2 – 80 minutes every week. Try four 20 minute sessions.
* Hal Leonard Level 3 and Older Beginner Level 1 – 100 minutes a week. Try four 25 minute sessions.
* Hal Leonard Level 4, Alfred’s Adult All In One Level 1, and Alfred’s Older Beginner Level 2 – 120 minutes a week. Try four 30 minute sessions.
* Hal Leonard Level 5 and Alfred’s All In One Level 2 – 140 minutes a week. Try four 35 minute sessions.
* Alfred’s All In One Level 3 – 180 minutes a week. Try four 45 minute sessions.

Playing For Fun

* It’s so important to play for fun in addition to practicing. If the student only touches the piano to practice, where’s the fun in that? Music study is so much more than note reading and mastering songs. It’s an exploration of sound, expression, and creativity. Before and after practice sessions, in between practice sessions are all good times to play for fun.

Thanks so much for reading. As always, please send along any comments or questions you may have.
Alison

http://www.alisonmaira.com
In-Home Piano and Music Theory Lessons