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EB Studio at Schmitt Music in Edina

STUDIO POLICIES

Attendance

 

Regular attendance at lessons is an essential aspect of learning to play the violin or viola.  For this reason, I ask you to be aware of my attendance policy.

 

Lessons are held weekly, other than for holidays or other breaks according to the calendar.  With a studio running at full capacity, make-up lessons are not possible, so please make every effort to attend your regularly scheduled lesson time.  If you must miss a lesson for any reason, advanced notice is appreciated.  If you have chosen to participate in the lesson swap list, you may also arrange a swap for the lesson you will miss.  Please follow the lesson swap protocol below.

 

If you will be late for a lesson, please call or text my cell phone, not Schmitt Music, and I will wait for you.  If no cell phone call/text is received, I will wait for 1/3 of the lesson time.  After 1/3 of the lesson time has passed, the lesson is forfeited.

 

Should I need to cancel a scheduled lesson, I will provide as much notice as possible, and the student may request a make-up lesson.

              

Lesson Swap Protocol

  • Only students whose parents have agreed to share a current email and phone number with the studio may participate in a lesson swap.

  • The parent who arranges the swap must email me with the details of the swap and cc the parent with whom they are making the swap.

  • No make-up lessons will be given if any confusion from a swap arises.  Should two students arrive at once, I will teach the one whose lesson is normally at that time.

LOCATION

2906 W 66th St.

Edina, MN 55423

  • Exchanges are not obligatory, they are reciprocal. If someone says no to a swap request, please respect that.  If someone exchanges with you, however, please be kind and return the favor when possible.

  • The swap list is NEVER to be shared or used for any purpose other than to arrange lesson swaps.  Those who do so will be removed from the list. Please respect each other’s privacy.

  • Any changes to the swap list will be emailed.  Please be sure to always use the most current version of the list when arranging lesson swaps.

Lessons

 

For students younger than 10 or 11, I strongly recommend that a parent stay during the lesson to observe and take notes.  In the end, this will save you a lot of time and frustration.  As a parent, you are the at-home teacher for your young child.  If you have carefully observed and taken notes at each lesson, practicing at home will be more effective and go much more smoothly.  Of course, parents of older students are more than welcome to stay during the lesson as well!

 

To further help your child, I find it extremely beneficial for parents of young beginning Suzuki students to actually learn to play the instrument.  During the first few months of lessons, your child will come mainly to observe (and gain excitement for playing!) while one or both parents learn to play.  If your child is very young or might have trouble occupying him/herself while a parent is learning, it may be best for the parent to come to the lessons alone at first.  Typically after this amount of time, an adult will be able to play through the Twinkle Theme and Variations in Suzuki Book 1.  Having these skills is immeasurable in helping your child to succeed.

Practice

 

The single most important thing that affects a student’s progress is the consistency and quality of practice.  Younger students will need much more parent involvement in practice sessions than older students.  Regardless of age, consistency is extremely important – it is far more beneficial to practice for 20 minutes every day than to have one marathon practice session.  It is quite helpful to set up a practice schedule or routine to help students keep their practicing consistent.  Quality of practice is also extremely important.  Just playing through an exercise or piece of music several times is not practicing.  Practicing involves stopping to work on difficult spots and constantly working to play your music to the best of your ability.

Materials

  • Violin or Viola (may be rented or purchased, but please consult with me before choosing your instrument)

  • Full size instrument (4/4 size violin or approximately 15 ½ inch viola) for the parent(s) of young beginning students (may be rented or purchased)

  • Box violin (for young beginning students – I will explain how to make this or where to purchase at your first lesson.)

  • Accessories to be kept in instrument case:

    • Shoulder rest (sponge for beginners)

    • Extra rubber bands (if you have a sponge shoulder rest)

    • Soft cloth (to wipe off instrument)

    • Rosin

    • Dampit

    • Extra set of strings

    • Pencils

  • Bag for lesson materials containing:

    • Spiral notebook for writing assignments and taking notes to aid with at-home practice

    • Folder for handouts

    • Music books and CDs (I will make a list of items to purchase at the first lesson.  Please purchase these as soon as possible and bring them to each lesson.)

  • Metronome (will not be needed right away for beginners)

  • Music stand for at home practice

  • Short fingernails!  To develop proper technique, fingernails should be kept short enough that fingers can easily be placed on the fingertips without any hindrance from the nail.

 

Students with any previous playing experience should come with some sort of music (solo piece, excerpt from school music, etc.) to play for me at the first lesson.

Instrument Maintenance

A well cared for instrument will sound and perform better, leading to more motivation to practice!  It can be quite frustrating to practice when your instrument isn’t responding as it should, so please keep these maintenance tips in mind.

 

  • Never leave your instrument in the car!  In Minnesota, the weather is nearly always either too hot or too cold.  Extreme changes in temperature and humidity can cause cracks and open seams leading to costly repairs.

  • Use a soft cloth to wipe off the strings and body of the instrument after EVERY TIME you play.  Build up of rosin deteriorates the varnish and strings.

  • In the cooler fall and winter months (or even in the summer if you frequently have your air conditioning on), use a Dampit to keep your instrument appropriately humidified.

  • Change your strings (or have me help!) at least once a year.  Strings go “false” (lose their ability to keep a constant pitch) when they get old even if they don’t break.

  • Have your bow re-haired by a professional about once a year.  Bow hair wears out with use and needs to be replaced on a regular basis.

Recitals

There are two formal studio recitals each year, typically in December and May/June.  The exact dates can be found on the calendar for the year.  Participation is not required, but strongly encouraged for students of all ages.  Detailed information specific to each recital will be emailed to parents a few weeks prior to the recital date.  For all recitals:

  • Students perform their recital piece with piano accompaniment.  I arrange for a professional pianist to accompany the students for each recital.  Each pianist sets their own fees, but the cost is typically between $10 and $20 for each student, which includes a short rehearsal and the recital performance.

  • Parents should inform me as soon as possible if their student will not be participating in a recital.  Participation is assumed unless I receive notification from a parent.  If notification is given less than two weeks before the recital date, the piano accompanist fees will still need to be paid.

 

Studio Policies

2017-2018

Calendar

 

Rates*:

  • 30-minute Lesson - $460/quarter

  • 45-minute Lesson - $690/quarter

  • 60-minute Lesson - $920/quarter

 

*Tuition rates are subject to change at the start of the next quarter.

’17-’18 Tuition Due Dates:

  • Fall Quarter (September, October, November) – August 14-18, 2017 (at your lesson)

  • Winter Quarter (December, January, February) – November 6-10, 2017 (at your lesson)

  • Spring Quarter (March, April, May) – February 12-16, 2018 (at your lesson)

  • Summer Quarter (June, July, August) – May 14-18, 2018 (at your lesson)

  • Fall Quarter (September, October, November) – August 13-17, 2018 (at your lesson)

 

All payments should be made directly to Schmitt Music.  Please bring a copy of your receipt to your lesson on the day payment is due for my records.  If you will be absent the day tuition is due, please make your payment the previous week or over the phone (612-238-9930) by credit card.

 

Students are always welcome to begin lessons at any time of the year.  If lessons are started in the middle of a quarter, your tuition will be prorated.

 

Summer Quarter Lessons

To accommodate busy vacation, camp, sports, etc. schedules during the summer months, students enrolling in lessons during the Summer Quarter may request a prorated quarterly tuition for June, July, and August prior to the tuition due date.  A minimum of $420 (for 30-minute lessons) is required to keep a lesson time reserved.  Alternatively, by appointment lessons are also available.

 

EB Studio Publicity

Photos and/or video featuring students may be used on the EB Studio website and for other types of studio publicity.  If you prefer to have your student excluded, please submit a written request to erinbrenna.ebstudio@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuition

Lessons are billed at a quarterly rate.  Please keep in mind that the quarterly tuition reserves your exclusive lesson time for the duration of the quarter, not a specific number of lessons.  The number of lessons per quarter is typically between 11 and 13, but will vary depending on holidays, breaks, etc. as specified on the calendar for the year.  Lesson times are not reserved until your payment has been received.  Late payments may result in the loss of your scheduled/requested lesson time.

 

By registering for lessons, you are making a commitment to continue lessons for the entirety of each quarter in which you enroll.  No refunds will be given past one week prior to the start of each quarter.  If you plan to discontinue lessons at the end of a quarter, a courtesy of at least 30 days notice is requested.  New students will have two consecutive weekly lessons to decide if we are a good student/teacher match.  If after two lessons you would like to discontinue, your quarterly payment minus the cost of two lessons will be refunded.

*Enrollment in lessons constitutes agreement to these studio policies.*

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