Studio Membership & Attendance information
July 25, 2023
Dear Studio Families,
Please read the updated studio information. Thank you for your commitment!
Love, Ms. Amy
Effective August 27, 2023,
The Studio Membership Fee is due on the 1st of each month, September through August, with a grace period until the 5th. Please pay on time. Venmo is the preferred method of payment (amynorton3). Membership is divided into monthly payments.
Fall 2023 & Spring 2024 Semester Fee
- Beginner Level/Pre-Twinkle & Suzuki Book 1 = $120
- Intermediate Level/Suzuki Book 2-4 = $175
- Advanced Level/Suzuki Book 5+ = $220
Summer 2024 Semester Fee
- TBD Reduced membership fee based on Studio availability
Please note Studio Membership will increase every ‘odd’ year.
The next increase will be Fall Semester, 2025
Membership includes
- 30 Private Lessons divided into 2 semesters;
- Fall Semester: September-December: 14 lessons
- Spring Semester: January-April: 16 lessons
- Summer Semester: May-August TBD
- 8 Group Lessons; Some of our group lessons are also rehearsals
- Fall Semester: 4 Group lessons
- Spring Semester: 4 Group lessons
- 1 Annual Studio Party
- Rehearsals with Ms. Amy for individual student Book Recitals as needed. Please note that studio families are expected to provide their own venue and accompanist for each Book Recital.
- 3 Studio Recitals-Fall, Holiday and Sunset Recital
- Extra rehearsals for studio recitals as needed
- 1 Annual Parent-Teacher phone conference (Spring)
- Student Awards
STUDIO THIS-N-THAT
Studio Attendance
- Please be respectful of my personal time and/or other students’ time before & after your lessons.
- Group lesson attendance is expected & necessary as part of the Suzuki curriculum. Group lessons are scheduled once a month during the Fall and Spring semesters on Saturday mornings. Schedule is TBD. Group Lessons are held in the lower-level of Ms. Amy’s home. Please enter & exit using the backyard entrance.
- With a Studio membership, punctual attendance to all scheduled lessons & rehearsals is expected & appreciated.
- When you or I have unforeseen circumstances that require canceling lessons, I will do my best to provide a makeup lesson opportunity.
- If you cannot fulfill your membership during the full year of lessons, your membership will be forfeited.
Studio Communication
- Parents will need to download the free app, WhatsApp, to receive weekly studio communication.
- Please schedule a phone call with me for any unexpected changes to your studio enrollment.
- The studio website, www.nortonviolinstudio.com, has this information to reference, the studio calendar & resources I recommend during lessons.
Student Expectations
- Weekly practice at home is essential for steady progress. Only enroll your child if there can be practice time set aside most days of the week. The less your child can practice, the more lessons will be required to progress. Students will feel prepared with 5-6 of practice, and daily practice will yield the best preparation.
- In addition to weekly practicing, students are expected to spend time listening to the Suzuki repertoire to supplement the instructions given during lessons. This is a vital part of the Suzuki curriculum and encourages ear-training.
2023-2024 Calendar
Studio-Weekly Schedule *Begins August 6
| TUESDAY 7:00 Olivia 12:15 Lucy 1:00 Penny 2:00 Nora 4:00 Brynn 4:45 Boden (Begins Fall semester) 5:15 Paisley | WEDNESDAY 7:15 Gabe 7:45 Max 8:25 Grace 9:00 Annie 2:15 Wendy 2:45 Laynie 4:00 Ayla 4:30 Hugo 5:15 Mylie | THURSDAY 7:00 Chandler |
Fall Semester
| Wk 1: 8/27-9/2 | Wk 2: 9/3-9/9 | Wk 3: 9/10-9/16 | Wk 4: 9/17-9/23 | Wk 5: 9/24-9/30 | *Wk 6: 10/1-10/7 |
| Wk 7: 10/8-10/14 | 10/15-10/21 No Lessons | Wk 8: 10/22-10/28 | Wk 9: 10/29-11/4 | Wk 10: 11/5-11/11 | Wk 11: 11/12-11/18 |
| 11/19-11/25: No Lessons | Wk 12: 11/26-12/2 | Wk 13: 12/3-12/9 | Wk 14: 12/10-12/16 | *12/17-12/23 No Lessons | 12/24-12/30No Lessons |
Group Lesson Dates:
Saturday, September 23rd – Solo Recital “sneak-peaks”
Saturday, October 28th – Theory & Review
Saturday, November 18th – Holiday Recital Music
TBA December Group Lesson – Holiday Recital Rehearsal
Studio Recital Info
*Saturday, October 7th-Fall Studio Recital, 4:30pm, Downtown Library Theater
*Monday, December 18th, Holiday Studio Recital, 7:00pm Downtown Library Theater
Spring Semester
| Wk 1: 12/31-1/6 | Wk 2: 1/7-1/13 | Wk 3: 1/14-1/20 | Wk 4: 1/21-1/27 | Wk 5: 1/28-2/3 | Wk 6: 2/4-2/10 |
| Wk 7: 2/11-2/17 | Wk 8: 2/18-2/24 | Wk 9: 2/25-3/2 | Wk 10: 3/3-3/9 | Wk 11: 3/10-3/16 | Wk 12: 3/17-3/23 |
| Wk 13: 3/24-3/30 | 3/31-4/6 No Lessons | Wk 14: 4/7-4/13 | Wk 15: 4/14-4/20 | *Wk 16: 4/21-4/27 | 4/28-5/4 Summer Semester Begins |
Group Lesson Dates:
TBA January-April Group Lessons
Studio Recital Info
*TBD Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27-Sunset Studio Recital, 6:30pm, Clarewood Court Backyard. Best weather day will determine final date
Expectations
- Aligning with the Suzuki teacher-student-parent triangle, I value and appreciate parents attending weekly private lessons with their child! Please be prepared to pay attention and understand the techniques being introduced. Lessons flow better if the practicing parent is able to scribe or video assignments during each lesson.
- Please understand that the violin studio is intended to create an optimal learning environment. Please avoid bringing any noisy distractions to lessons that could directly affect the student’s ability to stay focused on their lesson. This includes; food, cell phones, siblings and toys. If siblings must come, invite them to bring a book or coloring pages. If any of these distractions prevent a positive learning atmosphere, please be sensitive to this.
- I expect students to practice 5-7 days/week. Home practice should be done with student & parent working together to create a positive environment where the beauty of music and mastery of skills can flourish! Remember, practice makes it easy! Please scroll down for information on how to practice at home.
How To Prepare For Private Lessons
- Please use a blank “WHAT/HOW” practice chart each lesson to write down practice expectations.
- Remember to gather your supplies at home prior to your lesson! Bring your Suzuki Method Books, Lesson Binder, Technique Books (i.e. scales) & other assigned music and/or foot chart.
- Please arrive BEFORE your lessons time begins to unpack your instrument & music.
- Students should always carry their own instrument & book bag, not the parent, please.
- Parents & students, be prepared to verbally communicate with me as well as through your music! Questions you have (parent & teacher) are always welcome! Parents, if you need to address sensitive concerns, please do so in an email.
- Parents, please have a 3-ring binder for weekly practice charts from our lesson, hand-outs and to keep the paper trail under control! You can toss practice charts after a month, or so.
Please click HERE to download & print your own weekly practice chart. There are also copies available in the studio each week.
How To Prepare For Group Lessons
- Group Lessons are part of the Suzuki Curriculum. If you are not able to attend group lessons, please communicate this with me. Come prepared to enjoy playing and working together with what you’re learning at home! Parents are not required to attend group lessons.
Group Lessons are 45 minutes and are held once/month.
How To Practice At Home
Book 1 Students=15-30 Minutes per day of practice
Book 2 Students=30-40 Minutes per day of practice
Book 3 Students=30-40 Minutes per day of practice
Book 4 Students=45-60 Minutes per day of practice
Book 5 Students=45-60 Minutes per day of practice
Book 6-10: Students=60+ Minutes per day of practice
“Knowledge + 10,000 = Skill!” -Dr. Suzuki
“Practice makes it EASY!” -Ms. Amy
Knowledge is gained during our lessons together. Skill is developed by repeating that knowledge carefully at home, improving with each repetition, until it becomes easy!
- When will you practice? If you make time for practice every day, it will make it much easier! Set aside practice time as you would for a doctor’s appointment to avoid conflicts!
- Find a good “practice zone” in your home. Somewhere where good tone can be developed, you have adequate lighting to read music, distractions are minimal, and the instrument is safe. Decide with your family whether or not keeping the instrument packed away or readily available is the best setup between practice sessions. Wall-mounted hooks are available for violins.
- Purchase a music stand when you begin Suzuki Book 2, or otherwise suggested. Ask me for recommendations.
- Purchase a Metronome/Tuner Combination. Phone apps are good, but the “real thing” is better!
- Establish how you will listen to SUZUKI MUSIC at home. MP3 player with headphones? CD player? Using car audio?
- Purchase a spare set of 4 strings for your sized instrument. Ask me for details.
- Always begin practicing with a scale played slowly, paying attention to beautiful tone, intonation, and smooth note changes.
- Spend time reviewing, learning, polishing or previewing parts of your pieces, or memorizing sections of assigned pieces. Never play something only once (unless you are on the stage performing it!). Always learn from your sound and play again, with a better purpose!
- Reviewing prior polished pieces and listening to the Suzuki repertoire is essential for proper technique and ear training. Remember, this is the “mother-tongue” method patterned how infants learn their native languages by listening!
- Ideas for what to think about & improve while you are practicing:
- Posture points: Nose-Scroll-Elbow-Toe-Slippery Slide-Bow Hold
- Soft monkey knees, tall back, and firm feet
- Names of the notes, especially during scales and arpeggios
- Subdivide the rhythm
- Breathing to enhance your sound
- Beautiful tone, especially paying attention to “peaks & valleys” in the melody
- Continuously curved Left-hand fingers
- Continuous Right-arm weight applied to the horsehair against the string
- Practice slowly to improve intonation and hear your violin ring as you play
- Learn using pizzicato-style to focus on Left-hand when needed
- Always repeat and reverse shifts, ensuring accuracy and proper motion
- Use a metronome at moderate speeds when assignments begin to feel easy
- Use practice rhythms & reverse scale passages: ribets and gallops, groups of 3, 5, 9, 13, going forward and reverse.
House Rules
Please use common courtesy & good manners while in my home and property. A bathroom is available for emergencies. Please do not make it a common habit to take lesson time for restroom visits.