Hello Lovely Parents and Students,
Here we are at the end of another very successful year of piano lessons and music study! There’s lots of news, and changes, and information I have for you regarding piano lessons so here goes:

Summer Piano Concert:
As you know, our year end piano recital is taking place on Saturday June 18 at 2:00pm. The location is Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, 1700 Mountain Hwy in North Vancouver. Church appropriate attire for performers, please. Here is the initial draft of the concert program. Please RSVP to me if your plans have changed and you are no longer attending, if you need a different slot in the lineup, if I have accidentally overlooked someone, or misspelled your name.

1. Bronwen O’Callaghan Fur Elise
2. Finlay O’Callaghan Once A Man Was So So Mad
3. Cecilia Cooper Please No Bees
4. Megan Finch When You Wish Upon A Star
5. Trevor Donohoe Casey Jones
6. Max Faber Star Wars
7. Rebecca Knowles Rockin On the Soccer Field
8. Jacqueline Faivre-Duboz Bingo
9. Emma Zappacosta Watercolors
10. Angela Wall Popeye The Sailor Man
11. McKenna McManus Bayou Blues
12. Averi Duerichen Pachelbel Canon
13. Grace Confortin Happy Days
14. Aidan Faivre-Duboz James Bond
15. Adam Romanick She Loves You
16. Nolan Pomeroy A Day In Vienna
17. Holly Duerichen Ribbons
18. Sylvie Romanick Ob La Di Ob La Da
19. Sheavon McDougall Fifteen
20. Alessa Haas Floating
21. Michaela Gobas Waltz in G Minor
22. Emma Hughes Hello Goodbye
23. Nitara Heywood These Eyes
24. Callem McDougall Postcards From Far Away
25. Alison Maira Ray’s Blues

Deposit for Time Slot Reservation For September 2011:
If you would like to reserve your current time slot, I require a postdated cheque to pre-pay the total for September’s lessons. This deposit is non-refundable should you change your mind about continuing.

Summer Lessons:
If you would like to take piano lessons during the summer, please send me your available dates for July and August (some of you have already done this, I know). An invoice for the total amount of summer lessons will be issued to you, and in the event of cancellations I will make every effort to schedule a make-up lesson with you. No refunds or credits for missed summer lessons.
Summer lessons are my favorite, in a lot of ways. I focus on repertoire from songbooks, composition, duet playing, and music appreciation. We let go of Lesson, Technique, and Theory books temporarily and I encourage the student to choose their own songs whenever possible. It’s great to have a few ‘Summer Projects’ to work on and I find students often make wonderful progress as there is more time to relax and enjoy playing without the distraction of so many other activities. Plus, you always have an answer for a bored child on a rainy day – “Go practice some piano!”

Student Performance Videos:
I’ll be bringing my camera to lessons the week after the recital to film students playing their prepared performance song to be posted on the “Students” section of my website.

Signed Copies of Studio Policies:
This is one of a few business policy changes I will be implementing in the fall. At the first lesson in September, I will drop off 2 copies of my current studio policies (regarding cancellations, etc) that I have signed. Please go over the policies and sign them as well – this will serve as a contract of sorts that we both agree and understand the terms of our professional relationship. I will collect one copy the following week, and we will both have a signed copy that should eliminate any confusion in the future.

Phasing Out 30 Minute Lessons:
All new students will be starting with a 45 minute weekly lesson (60 minutes for adults). As my teaching experience grows, I find there are many additional topics that I wish I could cover with all my students every week but there just isn’t enough time in a 30 minute lesson. These include:
– completing theory pages in the lesson so the student doesn’t have to remember to do them during the week
– rhythm exercises (clapping, singing, etc)
– ear training (recognizing notes and patterns by listening)
– duet playing (to help develop steady beat and listening skills)
– composition
– learning songs ‘by ear’, especially the student’s current favorite songs for which there may not be sheet music, or perhaps no sheet music at the appropriate level.
– music appreciation and analysis (listening to music to introduce the student to different genres, discussing stylistic features, exploring the role of emotion and expression in music)

I have a few available slots for longer lessons. I realize that many of you will prefer to stay with your current 30 minute lesson and that is not a problem at all. But if you would like to change to a longer lesson, please contact me.

Thank you all for a great year! I really feel that this one has been exceptional. With the introduction of note-drill flashcards, the metronome, breaking down the practice sessions into 5/10/15 minute sections for the older students, and 8/10/12x sections for the younger students, I have observed definite, wonderful progress and skill development in everyone. I love my job, and I feel so grateful that you all give me the opportunity to do it, to make it better, and to keep striving to become a better teacher.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any comments, suggestions or concerns you may have.
Looking forward to Saturday,

Alison

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