January 26, 2023
Studio Updates
Photos & Videos of Students
I have welcomed several new families this semester, so I wanted to remind everybody about photos and videos taken of students during lessons.
I periodically take photos of students for my website or Google business page. If you would not like photos to be taken of your child, please let me know. I will happily respect your wishes.
I record 1-2 videos each semester of each student. We use these to compare against past videos to note progress and as teaching aids for allowing the student to identify what went well or not so well with a song. Some of these videos will also end up on my website. Again, if you do not wish your video to be online, just let me know. [I will still record a video, but it will not go anywhere.] Parents are welcome to distribute these videos wherever they wish.
Payments
I will be making a change for next year where the annual total is divided into monthly payments. This removes the need to "count Mondays" and then subtract out days where there are no lessons. Every month will be the same! I know next fall might feel wayyyy in the future, but I'm looking forward to the simplification and thought some of you might be as well.
Missed Lessons and a New Make-up Policy
I'm not fully satisfied with the make-up policy. The extreme ends - no makeups or come whenever you want - feel sub-optimal, and I want you to know I'm planning on changing it. The change will go into effect for the remainder of this school year. If it works, I'll keep it for the fall. If it causes too much chaos, I'll tweak it. Stay tuned.
Practicing
I know getting your child to practice is not always straightforward, and I want to be on your team with making it happen. For the next month of lessons, I plan to make Practice the theme in my studio. Here is what you can expect:
Focusing on Practice!
- We'll try new ideas, one at a time, to see what works.
- I'll be extra diligent in checking in with you so you can report back what is helping and what is not.
- We'll readjust our goals and expectations to match how piano fits into your daily/weekly life.
- I will send out an email at the end of the month with what I've observed over the month and what might be useful going forward.
Everybody is welcome in my studio. I do not expect all students to be on the fast path to becoming a professional pianist or even a music major. I recognize that some students want to explore and play without strict requirements, and their parents are okay with this. As long as the three of us are working with the same ideas in mind, we will be successful.
Stay tuned for the new (trial) make-up policy!