It NEVER gets old to witness a student's musical journey and growth, including their "AH-HA" moments. Last night, I was teaching a 6-year-old student about the treble clef. I drew it several times, in steps, while he looked on. I then asked him to draw a treble clef by himself and his eyes grew wide. I thought he was nervous, so I said, "Don't worry; just do your best." To which he replied: "This is gonna be a little hard...but it's gonna be FANTASTIC!" Kinda how I feel about life sometimes. =)
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SIGNS... Isn't life surprising? Amazing? Sometimes, when we need it most, something extraordinary happens to help restore our faith. Today, a woman visited the studio asking about drum lessons for her 4-yr-old daughter named "Bella," who was there with her mother. I told Bella that she had the same name as my Bella studio and that makes her taking drum lessons even more cool. Bella smiled. And then, the mom told me that her younger daughter is named Angelina, and they call her "Angel." Bella Angel...WOW! Thank you for this sign. It brought a smile to my heart...and was exactly the boost my soul needed today. =)
I have a student named Abella. She is 5. She loves the fact that her name is "just like Bella, but with an A at the front." Tonight, she announced at her lesson that she is "smarter than a person going into 2nd grade." When I asked her how she is smarter, she explained that this person "doesn't even know 10+10, 3+3, or where meat comes from." I love what I do. ROCK ON! =) Focus on these five main areas when considering music lessons for either your child or yourself.
1) Safety Be sure the studio is licensed and certified to be in operation. This means that the teachers have undergone background checks, the facility has been inspected, and all of the necessary requirements have been filled at the city and state level. If a studio has the proper licensing & certification to be in operation, the information should be made very clear on their brochures & website. As well, the licenses should be displayed in the reception area of the facility. 2) Teacher Credentials Are the teachers degreed? Do they have teaching and performance experience? You're paying tuition and are entitled (and should demand) that the instructor is qualified to be working with either your child or you. 3) Tour the Place Are studio tours available? This should be standard but, unfortunately, not all studios offer this. Quite simply, you should have the option to tour the studio, meet with the owner, and make your decision. 4) Payment Policy Be sure you know what the payment policy is; this information should be made available to you from the beginning. Paying month to month is fair and reasonable. There are some studios that require you to pay for 6 months (or more!) in advance for lessons. But keep in mind that if you do pay month to month, fees may be applied for late payments. 5) Prices Speaking of paying...what are the studio's prices? Be sure to price around and take into consideration the following: location flexibility (Is there a cancellation policy? 24-hours' notice is reasonable, but some studios are more strict and require several days notice or don't even offer make-up lessons.) reputation qualifications of teachers Best of luck on your journey to becoming a music maker! Ellen Bartolozzi Owner, Bella Angel Music |
Bella Angel Music...is a leader in the music business, providing music lessons and beautiful music to Chicagoland since 1986. Archives
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