May 2011: perf class, dress rehearsal, and recital June 1

Hopefully this post finds you well.  Seems everyone is running on "E" these days as the academic year comes to a close...

That being said, we are going to push through this last month of piano before we adjourn for a few weeks this summer.  I've already had a chance to discuss this with some parents.  But this is the official notice of year-end details :)  Here is the schedule for May and this summer...

Performance Class:  14 May @ 11 am at Central Presbyterian choir room (we'll continue talking about Beethoven and start performing recital pieces)
Dress Rehearsal:  31 May, 4-5 pm at Steinway Piano Gallery @ Dorsett and 270 (first come, first serve -- come anytime during the hour to practice recital pieces in the hall one last time before final performance.  Lacefield students:  dress rehearsal + the recital will count as lesson for that week)
Recital:  1 June @ 7 pm at Steinway Piano Gallery (come 10-15 mins early to warm up; appropriate recital attire required -- no jeans, no flip flops, no cami straps, skirts must be knee-length or longer please)

(the former date of May 21 is no longer on the performance calendar per my last email)

Please notify me by this coming Monday (May 9) whether your child is able to participate in the June 1 recital or not.  Recital participants MUST have their music picked out and approved no later than 16 May.  Recital participants are strongly encouraged to attend both the May 14 performance class at Central in addition to the May 31 Dress Rehearsal.

For this summer:  lessons will adjourn for the month of June.  Summer lessons begin in July for anyone that would like to take lessons as available.  Summer lessons will end the last week of July and the studio will break for 2 weeks before starting the fall teaching semester, which begins 15 August.  I will post more details regarding fall semester within the next week or so.

This is exactly what I look for in beginning students...

I laughed so hard, I almost cried.

The Final List

For those of you following the series of New York Times articles on the Top 10 Composers of All Time by Anthony Tommasini, click here to access the final list.  I don't agree with everything he says, but his process has sure been interesting and he makes a lot of really valid arguments.

Top 10 Composers of All Time

The entire interactive video series of articles done by the New York Times on the 10 Greatest Composers of all time can be accessed by clicking on the above hyperlink.  Apparently my last post missed parts 1, 3, and 4:  Bach, Schubert / Beethoven, and Debussy.  Part 5 to debut Jan 17, 2011.

Vienna Four

Great article in the New York Times about the 10 greatest composers of all time, this article focuses specifically on the Vienna Four:  Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert (first article in a series continuing through Jan 21, 2011).

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.