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| Music Lessons with Mrs. BensonSo you are interested in taking music lessons? I'm so glad you are
ready to embark on a musical journey that will be both interesting and
rewarding! Research has shown that music education enhances student
skills in the areas of problem solving, team work, goal setting,
self-expression, hand-eye coordination, memory skills, self-confidence,
self-esteem, and concentration. It is my mission to guide flute, voice,
and piano students of all ages and abilities through their exploration
of music and to aid them in finding their musical voice. The rest of
this page is dedicated to telling you what you can expect as we begin
this musical journey together. Come feast on the joys of music with me! Download a lesson contract here using Adobe Reader and call or email to start today.
The tuition will be $75.00 per month,
payable at or before the first lesson of the month. It it isn't paid at
or before the first lesson, I will have the right not to give that
lesson or subsequent lessons. The tuition is based on one lesson per
week of 1/2 hour in duration, and will not be reduced if you miss any
lessons. Hour long lessons are also available for more advanced
students at the rate of $140.00 per month. If any payment is late, there will be a late fee of
$10.00. If you pay by check and your bank does not honor your check,
you will be charged an additional fee of $30.00 to cover the bank
charges and my trouble in addition to tuition. *Tuition does not
include materials or instrument rental fees. Please see the section on Required Music Materials below.
During vacation times on the Stoughton
Area Schools calendar (when there is no school), we will usually not
have lessons. Please call or e-mail me in advance for specific scheduling of
lessons during those times. In the event of severe weather or another
emergency that will prevent you from coming, please call me and speak
to me regarding your lesson. If you have to leave a message, please
follow it up with a call to me. If lessons are missed in either of
these cases, every reasonable effort will be made to offer you an
alternative, make-up lesson time that works for both of us. Please
click here to see a listing of my current lesson schedule and any
upcoming special events. Tardiness, Missed Music Lessons, and Make-UpsThe
time for your lessons is allotted to you; it is your time to use.
Therefore, it is important for you to arrive on time for your lesson
and ready to go. If you are late or not ready, the time you are losing
is your own. Your lesson will still end at the scheduled ending time.
Cancellations and Make-ups (back to top)Normally,
if you miss a music lesson, you will not be given a make-up lesson. In very
unusual circumstances, when you miss a lesson despite your best efforts
to attend and through no fault of your own, I have the discretion to
offer you a make-up lesson, depending on my availability and schedule.
All
students should come to every music lesson with the required materials
including their instrument when applicable, their sheet music or books,
a pencil, and a notebook for keeping track of assignments. Vocalists
should also come with a water bottle. Students may wish to bring a tape
recorder or other recording device to their lessons in order to record
them and make better use of at-home practice time.
Pianists
and flautists will need to have a quality musical instrument available to
practice on at home. I will be happy to provide the assistance I can to
help you find a suitable instrument, but it will be your responsibilty
to provide the instrument. You will also need to bring your instrument
to lessons (except, of course, pianos). If you don't bring your
instrument to a lesson, it will be treated as if you did not show up.
For local and online instrument rental and purchase resources, please
see my Music Links page under "Instrument and Sheet Music Sales."
You
will need to provide and pay for your music and other books related to
your lessons. They will be yours to keep. I will tell you what to buy
and will help you find them, but you will have to pucrhase them and
bring them to your lessons. Again, if you do not bring your music to a
lesson, it will be treated as if you didn't show up. For local and
online sheet music purchase resources, please see my Music Links page under "Instrument and Sheet Music Sales."
Practice and Parental InvolvementIf
you are going to get the maximum enjoyment, benefit, and value out of
your lessons, it is critical that you practice regularly at home. I
have found that the best way for me to accomplish this is to set aside
a regular time each day for my practice; however everyone's situation
is different. If you don't maintain a regular time, there is a real
danger that you just "won't get to it" and then both our time and your
money will be wasted. I strongly recommend that you practice at least
1/2 hour per day (more can be better). Remember that you are learning
new things (the music) and acquiring new physical skills (playing an
instrument or using the vocal mechanism correctly). Both require
your most accurate practice to make progress. Click here to see a good article about practicing and click here for a sample practice chart.
If
the student is a child and has not yet had the chance to develop adult
levels of responsibility and self-motivation, it is highly probable
that your student will at times need assistance to get their practicing
and written assignments done. At the least you will have to monitor them
to make sure that they are getting something done so that their lesson
time and your money is not wasted. Please monitor their practice times
and read and check over their notes and work. It would also be helpful
to both of us if you could occasionally contact me to discuss their
progress and any problems they might be having. I would also encourage
you to occasionally observe their lessons.
Termination of Music Instruction (back to top)At
some point in time you may decide that it is time to terminate your
lessons. Hopefully this will occur when you or your child get so good
that you are simply ready to move on. In any event, if and when you
decide to terminate your lessons, you will need to give me written
notice signed by you (or the parent/guardian) with your last month's
tuition by the first lesson day of the last month of lessons.
I hope this information has been helpful. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions!I look forward to a long and musical relationship with you!
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