Fall 2020, Lesson Improvements to Make Your Life Easier
Published: Aug 13, 2020 | Category: Lesson Updates
Dear Music Families,
This year sure has been a doozy so far. I hope this email finds you safe and well.
We’ve all been under a lot of stress this summer as we get ready for an unusual Fall, due to COVID-19. So, I’ve been brainstorming about how to make music lessons lower-stress for you.
1. I’ve decided to move the start date for lessons to the day after Labor Day.
So many families are dealing with changes to school and work schedules! This will give us all time to settle into the new groove before we begin lessons.
If you need a later start date, just let me know. I will do whatever I can to make things easier for you.
If you need a later start date, just let me know. I will do whatever I can to make things easier for you.
2. Lessons will be ONLINE. That will keep everyone safe, and give you the gift of no commuting.
Switching to online learning in the Spring was really tough at first, for everyone. But we all got better and better at it over the next several weeks.
By the end of Spring, all the students were doing well — even the youngest ones, who had such a hard time at first.
And there has been a huge BENEFIT: Now I can finally help the students in their home environment, where they practice every day. Every piano is different.
And how they sit at their own pianos! That’s so important, and now I can help them.
Speaking as a teacher, switching to online has required me to make a huge financial investment. New technology. Expensive equipment. Paid apps. And monthly subscriptions to things that will make online teaching as good or better than in-studio.
But it’s all worth it, because it helps the students.
By the end of Spring, all the students were doing well — even the youngest ones, who had such a hard time at first.
And there has been a huge BENEFIT: Now I can finally help the students in their home environment, where they practice every day. Every piano is different.
And how they sit at their own pianos! That’s so important, and now I can help them.
Speaking as a teacher, switching to online has required me to make a huge financial investment. New technology. Expensive equipment. Paid apps. And monthly subscriptions to things that will make online teaching as good or better than in-studio.
But it’s all worth it, because it helps the students.
3. This year, I won’t be doing the annual cost-of-living adjustment to tuition. Prices will stay the same.
4. Another thing that will help us all: Instead of two lessons per week, we’ll change to
• One planned lesson per week (approximately 50 minutes) with
• Unlimited practice checkups (up to 6 sessions), which you can sign up for throughout the week.
The practice checkups can be 5–10 minutes. This way, you’ll have support with questions that arise, or just a buddy to cheer you on with your daily practice. Students love to show off what they've just learned, and telling them, "Let's show your teacher!" is a great way to motivate your child during your practice time with them. (Hint: You can also ask grandparents or friends to sign on for a video chat. "Look what I can do!" is so much fun for students.)
This should be an improvement on what we had before. With lessons + practice support, the students will be helped to make better progress.
This was an improvement I had planned before COVID-19. My goal was to motivate the students. And the best way to motivate students is to make their daily practice sessions successful. Small victories, every day, makes students love to learn!
What’s fantastic now, with the crazy year we are having, is that it will be easier for you to schedule just one lesson into your busy week.
The practice check-ups can be scheduled by you or your student, online, anytime. You’ll control that. Easy-peasy!
5. One more change to make things easier: Instead of a weekly group time, we’ll plan to replace one
regular lesson each month with a group lesson.
This will depend on enrollment, because it’s good to group similar grade levels and/or abilities together.
So, please spread the word about our music school to your friends. Think how much your child would love having the friends they miss most participating in the group lesson.
The group lesson is our way of building community and connection.
This 2020 has been a hard year for all of us. I hope this new plan will help students flourish, and will give your family some breathing room.
Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you and your students this year!
Sincerely,
Suzanne
Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you and your students this year!
Sincerely,
Suzanne
Singing & Movement
It's time to make practicing more fun!
Best of all, enjoy the thrill of playing unisons and duets. Nothing is more fun!