Perfect Practice makes perfect

I began playing violin in 4th grade. My school teacher was also a violinist and I remember her telling us one day "Practice doesn't make perfect. If you practice something incorrectly over and over again, you'll only be perfect at doing it wrong. PERFECT practice makes perfect." That may have been the beginning of my career as a perfectionist, but the lesson has always remained with me!

Regular practice was never a problem for me, as my main motivation for practicing was purely a love of music. However, I wish I knew then what I know now about practicing. There are so many ways to practice, and so many great helps for motivating kids to practice. When you have a younger student, there is going to be a lot more parental involvement in daily practice. Teaching young kids (and older ones) HOW to practice is almost as important as teaching them new concepts.

One thing I stress with my students is not to bumble through playing a song wrong. When I practice a new song and I play a measure incorrectly, I stop. I take a look at the trouble spot, make sure I am counting it correctly, and then slowly go over each note. I SLOW down, and try to play it perfectly 10 times before I speed up. Then I slowly speed up until I can play it perfectly up to tempo.

Each time kids practice, they should strive to get something performance ready. Even if it's just 2 measures of a song! During practice, students should pay attention to posture and positioning. They should have FUN! One way to make practicing more fun is to have a variety of things to practice. Finger exercises, old songs that are now easy, new songs that challenge, and a bit of theory are just some things I encourage my students to practice each day.

Here is a checklist I print into a booklet to keep track of practicing. (I give prizes to kids who practice 5 days or more each week.

Lesson Materials

Piano:

Piano students begin with the Piano Adventure Series. Students should come to lesson with the lesson and theory book, any other music they want to learn, and a notebook and pencil.
I strive to engage students through fun activities and I will gauge their interests and find music they are interested in learning to play.

Strings

Violin/viola will start on Strictly Strings. As the student learns and perfects technique, we will move on to different composers and learn to play many different songs. If we have enough students we can also form a group and perform together.

Lesson rates

Individual piano lessons: (primer to late intermediate)
$12.50/30 minute lesson paid monthly.

Individual violin/viola lessons: (beginner-early intermediate)
$15.00/30 minute lesson paid monthly.

Lesson fees are due at the beginning of each month.

Lessons are taught at my home in Fayetteville.

Please click the "contact me" link and I will get back to you quickly.

Lessons times begin August 1 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 3:00 PM- 7:00 PM and Saturdays from 8:00-noon.

Passion, discipline, and a life long love for music!

I have always LOVED music! As a little girl I was constantly singing. Unfortunately for my parents and siblings, I was not born with a true natural talent. My dad once said to my mom "it's going to break her heart when she finds out she can't sing!"

FORTUNATELY my passion more than made up for any lack of natural ability. I learned to sing, play the piano, organ, violin, viola, cello, and bass! I excelled in music throughout my youth and won many awards. My dear family encouraged me and my sweet Aunt Shari taught me technique.

Although I did not realize my dream of becoming a music major in college, I continued to play and practice and eventually obtained a bachelor degree in Elementary education. Music and children are my favorite combination! I love seeing the joy that music can bring into a child's life! I love seeing the hard work pay off as they realize they are capable of more than they ever dreamed possible!

I would love to bring this kind of joy into your life! Let me teach your child how a life long love of music and learning brings joy and fulfillment!

Call today to schedule a free initial lesson!