Group Class

In addition to weekly private lessons, all students attend and perform in group piano class every other Friday. The primary purpose of the class is performance practice.  The tone is informal, and socializing is an important part of it. Through this experience, students develop friendships and enter into a supportive network of peers.

Other issues we address are:

• what to listen for in music
• how to talk about what we hear
• structure and imagery in music
• composer’s lives and styles
• how to practice
• music theory

Group class attendance is required: a missed class must be made up in the alternate week.

Group classes are closed to observers.

Performance Opportunities

1. Recitals: All students perform in three studio recitals per year. All recitals except the concerto recital are open to the public; guests are welcome.
2. Other noncompetitive events: All but the youngest students take part in selected community music events.  This gives students specific goals to meet, exposes them to a variety of piano literature, gives them a sense of how they’re doing in the real world, and introduces them to other children who share their interest in music.  Preparing for these events motivates students to polish their repertoire and to constantly reach for higher goals.
3. Competitive events:  Students may choose to participate in competitive events as appropriate.

Missed Lessons

No makeup lessons unless I miss a lesson or in the case of school closure due to severe weather.

If you take a family vacation outside of the school holidays, you forfeit the lessons missed. The summer lesson schedule, however, is flexible.

Lesson Swaps

If a lesson must be missed, use the calendar to check my schedule. Exchange times with another family and inform me of the change.

Parental Involvement

I expect parents of young children to observe most or all lessons, and to help children practice at home. Lesson observation should be discontinued by the student’s 9th-grade year, if not earlier.

Practicing

To build muscle strength and coordination, piano students “train” every day by practicing.  I expect parents to assist them in the following ways:

Make a practice schedule. At the beginning of the school year, assist students to make a chart showing one week’s schedule, with the time and duration of all activities and showing specific practice times for each day. Students render this schedule in an artistic way according to their choice, and present it to the group class.

Keep the room quiet. Do not allow phone calls, visitors, TV or other distractions.

Supervise the practice. Parents who do not actually sit with the student during practice time should read the practice assignment each week.  If questions arise, ask for clarification. Read the Parents’ Guide to Practicing.

Sight-reading

The student who graduates with good sight-reading skills is the student who will play the piano throughout life.

To this end, students borrow sight-reading books from our studio library and are required to sight-read a certain amount at home each day. They are graded on sight-reading at lessons.

Donations to the sight-reading collection are welcome.

Technique

Musicians work out just like athletes.  They do exercises and routines like dancers.  We call this part of our study technique; and we do a lot of it.  There is a myth that practicing technique is simply mindless repetition.  Actually, it requires just as much imagination and alertness as practicing repertoire; and when that attention is given, it is just as enjoyable.

Students need

• a well-maintained instrument (tuned at least two times per year)
• a metronome
• a music dictionary
• a good quality recorder
• a three-ring binder
• short fingernails. Long nails make proper finger position impossible. Cut nails flush with the end of the finger, and keep them that way for daily practice.

Tuition & Fees

Annual tuition covers

• 39 lessons from July through June. (Five lessons in the summer)
• 16 group performance classes (all during the academic year; no group classes in the summer)
• 3 studio recitals
• Keyboard Companion magazine

Tuition rates are as follows:

Lesson length	Annual rate	Trimester rate
60 minutes	$4035	$1345
75 minutes	$5100	$1700
90 minutes	$6120	$2040

Payment schedule

Trimester tuition payments are due July 1, November 1 and March 1, respectively. Statements are issued two weeks before each due date. The July statement includes a $30 registration fee.

A $10 late payment fee is assessed if payment is more than two weeks overdue.

All tuition payments are non-refundable, unless lessons are terminated by me.

Scholarship Assistance

Please inquire if scholarship aid is needed.

Contact

Call me, if you have questions or concerns, at 202-237-1525 or 571-338-6411, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please do not call after 3 pm unless it is essential to reach me immediately.  Because I practice and prepare lessons during the day, my answering machine is usually on; however I try to find a time each day to return calls. I check my email regularly (nancy@brethstudio.net).