Spring Schedule, 2011

Below please find the schedule for performance classes and recitals for the spring semester, starting in Jan 2011.  All classes and recitals will be on Saturdays at 11 am, held at Central Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MO at the corner of Hanley and Davis, just north of Hwy 40.  Classes and recitals should last no longer than one hour.

Students should pick rep absolutely no later than three lessons before a recital and no later than one lesson before a performance class.  Pieces chosen should be pieces worked on previously that the student is comfortable with and likes well enough to continue polishing.  The topic of choosing repertoire will be discussed in lessons with each student several weeks prior to a performance.

Jan 29, 11 am:  Performance Class
Feb 5, 11 am:  Recital
Feb 26, 11 am:  Performance Class
Mar 19, 11 am:  Performance Class
Apr 16, 11 am:  Performance Class
May 14, 11 am:  Performance Class
May 21, 11 am:  Recital

Please reserve these dates on your calendar as we look forward to an exciting semester of musical growth for your children!

2010-11 Studio Policy

• The minimum practice requirement for continued lessons and studio participation is at LEAST 30 mins a day, 6 days a week. This is the absolute bare minimum. Anything less is a waste of everyone's time and an indication of lost interest on the part of the student.

• Rates are $40 per hour, adjusted accordingly depending on the length of the lesson ($20 for half hour lessons; $30 for 45 minute lessons). Please make checks payable to me at the first lesson of every month for the entire month's worth of lessons.

• Please give at least a 24-hour notice when able if the need for a cancellation arises and I will hold myself to the same standard.  Of course emergencies come up, which are completely understandable, but if possible a day's notice of an anticipated missed lesson would be greatly appreciated.

• Make-up lessons will be scheduled at the mutual convenience of both the family and myself. Otherwise the lesson remains missed and payment is kept by the teacher as compensation.  Any lesson canceled by the teacher will either be made up or deducted off the following month's bill.

• If the need to switch the student's lesson day arises, please contact me within the first two to three weeks of teaching.

• If you need to contact me immediately for some reason, the quickest way to reach me is by text message. I'm not always at liberty to take phone calls but will respond to your missed call as soon as I'm available, usually within a reasonable amount of time.  You may of course also feel free to email me at any time with questions or concerns.

• All students must have a 3-ring binder in decent condition to hold practice charts, sheet music, and their Thumb Chart.

• All students must have a working metronome.

• The quickest and easiest way to check your pianist's weekly progress is to check the Thumb Chart in the binder. Each student will receive a weekly evaluation of each lesson: 2 Thumbs Up, 1 Thumb Up, or No Thumbs Up. The Thumb Grade is holistic mark of the student's weekly progress and overall attitude during the lesson.

• All students are expected to participate in studio performances, to be scheduled by the teacher and given sufficient advance notification. Performance expectations for each student will be outlined by the teacher during lesson, according to the student's abilities and the date of the performance. 

The Talent Code

I am currently in the midst of reading "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle and let me just tell you, it is phenomenal. He talks about how human beings cultivate talent, not necessarily by genes or their environment, although these factors contribute significantly. Rather, he attributes talent to a brain mechanism called myelin... aka the insulation of neurons and synapses, which creates a broadband of information in the mind. The thicker this insulation, the greater the skill level. Even more interesting, this mechanism is not skill or gene specific... none of us are exempt from its advantages, meaning we each have the capacity to cultivate world-class expertise should we so desire. Furthermore, he goes on to describe what makes a world-class expert, these 3 categories being: deep practice, ignition (or motivation), and master coaching. Along with this description, Coyle compares different examples of talent through the ages, from the Bronte sisters to the Z-boys to the artists of the Florentine Renaissance, breaking down their seemingly "genius" capabilities that came out of nowhere to explain each of these cases had been cultivating talent from an extremely young age, deep practicing with a high level of commitment. A fantastic, inspiring read for parents and teachers in all fields and walks of life.

Spring Recital

I am so super excited to let you know that my good friend and fellow pianist Anne Robinson and I are teaming up again to put on a recital of our students to show off all the hard work they've been doing throughout this past semester. We have finally nailed down a date!

Thursday, 13 May 2010 at 7 pm in Room 145 of the Fine Arts Building on the campus of the University of Missouri

Feel free to come a little early if you would like your pianist to have a chance to play parts of their pieces beforehand... probably no earlier than 6:30 or so. If we have not discussed recital rep in their lessons, we will be doing so in the next week.

Please have your pianist dressed nicely and at the Fine Arts Building no later than 6:50 the night of. If for some reason, there is a schedule conflict and your pianist is unable to participate, please contact me as soon as possible. I look forward to fantastic performances from each of your wonderful kids!