Hello Everyone! As summer winds to a close and we look towards starting school with all of the sports and activities it brings, I'm gearing up for another successful year! Lessons begin the week of September 8th, just a week and a few days off and I have just sent out a mailing including lesson time, studio calendar and master class choice form. In this newsletter, you will read about:
--Many New Students!
--Goals for 2014-2015
--September: Establishing a Foundation for Success in 2014-2015
Many New Students!
A big welcome needs to go out to all of the new students at Katherine's School of Music this year! The studio has grown to 19 (and counting...) and a five day teaching schedule. I'm amazed and grateful and so looking forward to getting to know everyone. Master classes should be bustling events this year and I know that all of my students will truly enjoy the friendships they'll make through the studio.
Goals for 2014-2015
Today, my husband kindly blessed me with a quiet day at home while he took the kids to the park, the ice-cream shop, etc.. Finally alone with my thoughts, I began to write down this year's over-all studio goals.
Goal #1: Each student will increase the breadth and depth of listening experience with fine performances of fine and significant music. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: There is little occasion for which anything other than fine, quality sounds should come from our instruments. It is my pleasure to search out and to provide exquisite models of sound and beauty for all of my students to hear regularly.
Activities: A listening curriculum has been created for this purpose. Each month, students will receive a themed CD. The CDs progress in a purposeful order and a workbook will be included for weekly listening assignments.
Goal #2: Each student will develop strong, foundational technical skills at their technique level. Scales, arpeggios and triads are the "Practical Theory" of playing an instrument. Practice these with strict tempos and fine tone and you will master half of all the music you have yet to learn in your life. True story.
Activities: Technique will be assigned weekly according to the Royal Conservatory Development Program Level the student has been placed in. Each student's technique will be guided to mastery weekly during five to seven minutes of technique time at the beginning of the lesson.
Goal #3: Each student will make measurable progress and improvement throughout the year. This one speaks for itself! Each student is unique and will progress differently from every other student according to age, interest in the instrument, level, temperament, etc.. My number one priority for each student is that they are making steady progress individually and showing notable improvement at the end of the year. (Rarely do I fail to see this occur!)
September: Establishing a Foundation for Success in 2014-2015
While September will see students diving into new songs and exercises at their own level, I'm also continuing a tradition started last year. A huge focus in September will be on re-establishing a gorgeous piano (or flute) tone. We'll do this through listening to and playing some easy but highly lyrical piano pieces by Bela Bartok (specifically from First Term at the Piano and For Children Volume 1). Additionally, a big focus in September will be on establishing a structure and foundation for technique practice. September will conclude (except for 2 more days of lessons) with our FIRST MASTER CLASS OF THE YEAR! In that class, we'll wrap our focus on tone into the introduction of our year-long listening curriculum. We may also have a performance by a student who took summer lessons and I'll have a few students demonstrate mastery of the Bartok pieces we've studied. I can't tell you how excited I am to get started! It's going to be an excellent year!
--Many New Students!
--Goals for 2014-2015
--September: Establishing a Foundation for Success in 2014-2015
Many New Students!
A big welcome needs to go out to all of the new students at Katherine's School of Music this year! The studio has grown to 19 (and counting...) and a five day teaching schedule. I'm amazed and grateful and so looking forward to getting to know everyone. Master classes should be bustling events this year and I know that all of my students will truly enjoy the friendships they'll make through the studio.
Goals for 2014-2015
Today, my husband kindly blessed me with a quiet day at home while he took the kids to the park, the ice-cream shop, etc.. Finally alone with my thoughts, I began to write down this year's over-all studio goals.
Goal #1: Each student will increase the breadth and depth of listening experience with fine performances of fine and significant music. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: There is little occasion for which anything other than fine, quality sounds should come from our instruments. It is my pleasure to search out and to provide exquisite models of sound and beauty for all of my students to hear regularly.
Activities: A listening curriculum has been created for this purpose. Each month, students will receive a themed CD. The CDs progress in a purposeful order and a workbook will be included for weekly listening assignments.
Goal #2: Each student will develop strong, foundational technical skills at their technique level. Scales, arpeggios and triads are the "Practical Theory" of playing an instrument. Practice these with strict tempos and fine tone and you will master half of all the music you have yet to learn in your life. True story.
Activities: Technique will be assigned weekly according to the Royal Conservatory Development Program Level the student has been placed in. Each student's technique will be guided to mastery weekly during five to seven minutes of technique time at the beginning of the lesson.
Goal #3: Each student will make measurable progress and improvement throughout the year. This one speaks for itself! Each student is unique and will progress differently from every other student according to age, interest in the instrument, level, temperament, etc.. My number one priority for each student is that they are making steady progress individually and showing notable improvement at the end of the year. (Rarely do I fail to see this occur!)
September: Establishing a Foundation for Success in 2014-2015
While September will see students diving into new songs and exercises at their own level, I'm also continuing a tradition started last year. A huge focus in September will be on re-establishing a gorgeous piano (or flute) tone. We'll do this through listening to and playing some easy but highly lyrical piano pieces by Bela Bartok (specifically from First Term at the Piano and For Children Volume 1). Additionally, a big focus in September will be on establishing a structure and foundation for technique practice. September will conclude (except for 2 more days of lessons) with our FIRST MASTER CLASS OF THE YEAR! In that class, we'll wrap our focus on tone into the introduction of our year-long listening curriculum. We may also have a performance by a student who took summer lessons and I'll have a few students demonstrate mastery of the Bartok pieces we've studied. I can't tell you how excited I am to get started! It's going to be an excellent year!