Summer Lessons, the Best Time to Start or Keep On

          

        Summer is here and many of us are going on vacation or are right now on vacation!  This does not mean that you have to go without lessons for the entire summer. I know that some of you are thinking whether or not to do them. Short answer: Do It!

If you are looking for a teacher or just want to try something out, take 2 free online lessons with me! And for those of you in the Louisville area, I teach at the Oldham County Arts Center and the University of Louisville Community Music Program. I teach the violin, viola, cello and piano. We can do Suzuki, fiddle, bluegrass, classical and/or church music. Send me an email at: privatelessonmatters@gmail.com for more info.

For those of you who have a teacher, here is what I recommend you keep in mind as you think it over:

1. Some teachers will be able to have lessons earlier in the day since there is no school, so just ask.

2. A few lessons will help keep students going so that they don't fall behind.  Students that do not take any summer lessons forget some of what they have learned. So guess what happens when Fall rolls around? The parents and student get frustrated when things have to be relearned.

3. Some children think they are done with music lessons, so by taking just a few lessons you can avoid misunderstandings.
4. If you take lessons in the summer you will have a spot for sure in the Fall with your teacher. 

5. Summer lessons are a great way to keep your child sharp and moving forward. What I have noticed, is that students have a harder time staying motivated to practice without the weekly lessons

6. Good opportunity to prepare for orchestra auditions.

7. Most importantly, quality time with your favorite teacher.

Don't Got Money For Lessons

       With the economic problems in the last few years many of us have had to give up some things, cut back on luxuries and prioritize our spending.  Now you have heard about private lessons – tutoring, but you are not sure you can afford it.  You probably can.

Prioritzing.  Many of us are not very disciplined about our finances, we live to spend.  So we need to take time to prioritize things in your life. After necessities are settled (food, shelter, transportation), we need to consider: Where do private lessons fall?  Are they crucial to you or your child’s overall education? Are music lessons another hobby, like soccer? 

The cost for lessons can run from $15-30 per thirty-minute lesson every week. For some people this is the cost of eating out one night a week. So you can think of it as giving up one trip to the restaurant per week.

However you think about it, husbands and wives need to talk through these important issues so that they can discern whether or not to proceed with private lessons.  It is a team effort planning out education.
 
Are the benefits of private lessons-tutoring worth the cost that you will incur? Yes! Whether they are cello lessons, ACT and SAT prep, helping yourself become more well-rounded, or helping your child bolster their math skills, it is worth it. Private lessons always affect other areas of life, like concentration, self-discipline, confidence, comprehension and verbal skills.

The going rate is about these days is about $20-25 for 30 minutes a week, which means that if you cut out one trip per week to a restaurant, the movie theaters, or other forms of entertainment, you can take private lessons! Try them out for a year and you will see that it's worth the investment.

How have you dealt with the financial part of private lessons?

Copyright © 2013 Mircea & Daniyela Ionescu. All rights reserved.

Free Trial Lesson

     So you have contacted some universities and tutoring places, now what? Some teachers-tutors offer to meet so that they can explain to you what they have to offer, you can ask questions and see if you connect well. Also, if your child is taking the lesson you will get a chance to see how they get along as well. 

Take advantage of it!

Here's what I typically do in a free trial lesson:

1. Introductions. I tell a little bit about my background, why I teach lessons and then I ask the parent about his or her background, and how they became interested in lessons. Then, I ask the student about their experience with the subject or instrument. 

2. Go over my teaching approach and policies with the parent and student.  It is important to talk through all of this, so that there is no misunderstanding.  That sounds good to you, but maybe you are wondering why have the student there for this part?  The student needs to hear about my expectations and it gives us the opportunity to interact.

3. I work with the student.  Now it's time for some action, we work on something together.  If they have never played, let's say the violin, then I will teach the student the parts of the violin and bow, how to care for the instrument, playing and rest position, how to hold the bow, play some rhythms on the open strings, and some educational games to put in practice what has been learned.

4. Demonstration. I usually finish demonstrating a piece of music that the student will learn in the course of their study with me.

It does not have to be very complicated and the free lesson only gives you a glimpse, so there's no need to have high expectations. Everyone tries to make good first impressions, we all have good days and bad days, it's part of life.  Take your time and visit a few teachers, so that you can compare and contrast.

Now it's your turn, what have you done in free trial lessons or meet-and-greets? 

Copyright © 2013 Mircea & Daniyela Ionescu. All rights reserved.