School Philosophy (Not In Use)

School Philosophy

Private Lessons

Private lessons are offered on all popular instruments and voice. We have found that private one-on-one instruction allows students to progress at their own pace and gain the best understanding of musical techniques. Student can start private lessons as young as 5 years old. Students can start private lessons any time of the year or month, so there’s no need to wait to get started. A variety of styles are taught such as pop, jazz, rock and classical. Contact the school office in your location to see which times and days are available. Lessons and classes may be taken in our Ardmore or Springfield location, as well as in the convenience of your home.

Offering private lessons in:

Guitar
Piano
Violin
Saxophone
Flute
Bass
Keyboard
Viola
Trumpet
Tuba
Drums
Voice
Clarinet
Trombone
Oboe

Recitals and Concerts

Students are given an opportunity to perform in recitals and concerts that are held twice a year. These provide students with performance experience and build confidence.

Our Philosophy

The Teacher

Choosing the right teacher to pursue your musical education with is one of the keys to getting the most out of the experience of studying privately on an instrument. Many of us have experienced the teacher that doesn’t take our likes and dislikes into account when formulating a curriculum for our musical journey.

An effective teacher helps the student determine what their musical goals and aspirations are while helping to chart a course and a timeline to achieve them. Far too many teachers are only interested in showing the student how well they can play. Consequently, these teachers focus the lessons based on their own goals and expectations. A great teacher knows that they should not confuse their own musical goals with that of the student’s.

There is a major difference between a great player/singer and a great teacher. Great players or singers sound wonderful when they play or sing for an audience, but they may or may not be able to convey (in a user friendly format) what they are playing. A great teacher can play and or sing, but can also communicate all the concepts clearly and concisely. The ultimate person to study with is a great teacher who is also a great player.

We only hire teachers that share the same philosophy as our school. Our teachers always strive to keep the lessons informative and entertaining. All of our teachers are wonderful players, but also have an extremely high aptitude for communicating knowledge to their students.

Lesson Length

In our opinion, the perfect length for a lesson is one hour unless the child is under ten years of age. A half hour lesson goes by so quickly that by the time you say hello to the teacher and run through the material from the last lesson, it is time to say goodbye. A one hour lesson provides the time that is necessary for warming up, running through the assignments from the previous lesson while still leaving enough time for the new material and any questions the student may have. This is not to say that a half hour lesson would not be beneficial. Accomplishments may be made with half hour lessons, but not as expeditiously as with hour lessons.

To Read Or Not To Read

This is a very interesting topic to discuss. There are several different approaches to the study of music. Some involve pure reading of notes and rhythms while others utilize the ability of the ear. The bottom line is how well the student plays his/her instrument or utilizes their voice to sing. This may be achieved by reading, using the ear, or a mix of the two. If the teacher determines that the student is a visual learner, an approach based heavily on note and rhythm reading with some ear training mixed in would work well. If the teacher determines that the student is an aural (ear) learner, a program based heavily on ear playing tempered with some note and rhythm reading would be appropriate. The right frame of mind is crucial for optimal learning. Therefore, catering to the student’s learning strengths will ensure that he/she will get the most out of their music lessons.
All of our teachers are capable of using the visual and the aural (ear) approach. Our teachers monitor the student’s progress and make the appropriate recommendations in order for you to progress as rapidly as possible and still have fun.