Laura's Music Studio: January 2021

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

How Can You Learn Piano at Home During a Pandemic?

People around the world are facing tough times during this pandemic. Even in the midst of difficulties, it is important that we should take a positive outlook and avoid negative thoughts. Challenges also bring new opportunities, and we should take advantage of those opportunities. Maybe at some point, you have wanted to learn the piano but previously due to your busy schedule, you failed to get started. Now that you are spending more time at home, now might be the time for you to learn the piano from the comfort of your home.

In this post, I will share with you some of the ways by which you can learn piano at home during this pandemic.

Get Online Piano Courses and Lessons
Technology has changed the world and made things a lot easier for us. There are some very good online piano courses and lessons available. One of them is the Piano for All course which is an online piano course. These courses make learning piano more convenient and accessible especially for beginners. Moreover, apart from these online courses, there are also piano learning apps available. For example, you can check out Flowkey, a piano learning app.
Another good thing about online piano courses and apps is that they have good graphical interfaces that make the lessons attractive, easy to follow, and self-paced.

Watch Online Tutorials
You can find some good piano tutorials online. These tutorials may not be as good and well-structured as online courses but definitely can help you get started with learning piano. Search tutorials on YouTube and follow and watch those that you think are easy to follow. You may also try a couple of them until you find ones that are a good fit for your learning style.

Follow Piano Learning Blogs and Websites
This is also another way of learning piano at home during this time. There are some good piano blogs that post regular posts regarding learning piano (like this one!). Just Google “best” or “top piano learning blogs” and you will get the list. If you have any questions or queries, you can also write to the blog owners, and let them know that you follow their blog, like the content, and have some questions regarding piano learning. Good sites will respond to you.

Get Good Piano Books
For those who prefer to read, piano books are another way to learn piano. Here are some good piano books on Amazon. You can order a couple of them and follow the learning instructions as mentioned in the books. See how things go. If there is anything that you want to know and you need additional help, you can always search it online or if you know anyone like a friend or relative who knows how to play piano, you can always ask them to help you with your questions.

Even in these hard times of pandemic, you can still learn to play the piano without going out of your home. From the above-mentioned ways, whichever learning way you choose, just keep one thing in mind, the more you practice, the better and faster you will become good at playing the piano. Remember to celebrate little achievements in your piano learning journey! If you are looking for personalized, one-to-one lessons, fill out the contact form on the right.

guest post by Furqan from Musicgny

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Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Give the Gift of Music

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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Giveaway: Classical Snap - Winner!

Drumroll, please! I am pleased to announce the randomly-chosen winner of the music posters giveaway: Kathy

Please send me an email at pianolessonsmn (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll send you the music game.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Giveaway: Classical Snap

Time for another giveaway!

Prize: 1 Set of Classical Snap.
This fun musical game is a perfect addition for your studio. Your students will love this!

Enter between January 5, 2021 and January 11, 2021 (11:59 pm CST)

Winner will be announced on January 12, 2021 and emailed for confirmation. Winner must respond to winning email within 72 hours or new winner will be selected.

Open only to readers located in the U.S. and Canada.

Winner chosen randomly. No purchase necessary.

To enter, comment below with how you would use these in your music studio.

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Saturday, January 2, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some of the questions I am asked most frequently.

- What is your teaching style?

My teaching style is to approach each student as unique with unique abilities, interests, and points of struggle. I try to tailor my lessons to the needs, interests, and goals of each student. A typical lesson that I conduct spends time going over what I've assigned the student to practice the previous week, and then I spend time going over new music, working on sight-reading skills, and points of technique, artistry, and theory.

- Do you hold any recitals?

I usually hold two recitals each school year. Attendance and participation in them is optional, but I strongly encourage students to participate. The recitals are usually held in May and November.

- What piano books do you use?

I prefer using the Piano Adventures series, but if a student already has books, I am open to using those.

- What guitar books do you use?

I prefer using Alfred's Basic Guitar Method. However, if a student already has books, I am open to using those.

- What is your cancellation policy?

In the event of accidents, family emergencies, or illness, I ask that you give me as much notice as possible. In other circumstances if you do not contact me 24 hours prior to your lesson to cancel, you will be charged the full lesson rate.

If a student wishes to discontinue lessons, I ask to be given two weeks notice, so that I may plan for the adjustment in my schedule.

- How long have you been teaching piano and guitar?

I have been teaching piano and guitar lessons since February 2007.

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Laura's Music Studio is dedicated to providing ideas and resources to aid both classroom and private music teachers in their teaching. We highlight new ideas, print and online resources, as well as new materials.

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Contact Me

Policies and Procedures

General Information
Weekly private lessons are offered in 30, 45, or 60-minute sessions, depending on the student’s age/level.

During Lessons
Students are expected to be ready for lessons in a timely manner, with all required materials and music. To discuss student progress, parents are welcome to talk with the teacher during the first few minutes of the student's lesson -- but not afterwards, in order to respect the next student's time slot.

Practice
Students are expected to practice daily.

Materials
The student will be given an assignment notebook at their first lesson, which will be used to keep track of assigned pieces and practice suggestions/goals for each week. The teacher will obtain all needed books and materials for the student. Parents will be charged the cost of the books. The teacher will work hard to keep costs of books to a minimum.

Tuition and Payment
Students have the option of paying tuition in one of the two following methods. Please contact the teacher for the current tuition rates.
1. In monthly installments. Payments are due the first lesson of the month.
2. In weekly installments. Payments are due each lesson.
If desired, the teacher will provide a monthly receipt via email.
The teacher reserves the right to raise fees at the beginning of each new academic year.
Tuition may be paid via cash/check or online via credit card, debit card, or Paypal.

Summer Months
During the summer months, students are still required to practice and take lessons. However, plans regarding family vacations, etc. will be taken into account.

Makeup Lessons
Due to the teacher's limited availability, makeup lessons cannot be guaranteed. However, if an absence arises due to unforeseen situations such as an accident or family emergency and the student indicates a desire for a makeup lesson, the teacher will make an effort to accommodate a makeup. Please notify the teacher at least 24 hours in advance if lessons need to be canceled due to vacations or other scheduling conflicts. In case of illness, please notify the teacher as soon as possible regarding lesson cancellations.

Discontinuing Lessons
Every student stops taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. For this reason, the teacher asks for two week's notice in writing prior to discontinuing lessons. However, the teacher respects the student's right to end lessons at any time.
Note: At the discretion of the teacher, students may be asked to discontinue lessons at any time if they have unpaid tuition, an excess amount of absences/unprepared lessons, or if they show a lack of interest.

Parent Participation
Parents are encouraged to be supportive and active participants in practice at home.

Studio Events
Each year, the studio schedules a number of exciting events for private students and their parents.
All of these events are provided at no extra cost, with the exception of the optional theory/performance evaluations.
Studio Recitals: Performing in a formal recital setting is an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their hard work and improvement in the presence of their family and friends. Two recitals are held each academic year. Attendance and participation in them is optional, but I strongly encourage students to participate. The recitals are usually held in May and November.
Examinations: Students are welcome to participate in theory examinations and/or performance evaluations through the MMTA. Participation is optional. These opportunities require additional entry fees.
Music Festivals: Students are welcome to participate in local music festivals. The teacher will notify parents about these opportunities as they arise. Participation is optional. Some of these opportunities require additional entry fees.

Communication
Studio Website: Visit pianolessonsmn.blogspot.com to find teacher contact information, current studio policies and procedures, and much more.
Email and Phone: The best way to contact the teacher is via email, which will be promptly returned with an email reply. Phone calls are also welcome. The teacher welcomes emails or text messages from students during the week if they have questions regarding their repertoire or other matters.