Rock Lake Piano Studio - Music Instruction & Goals

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Music Instruction & Goals

	Students may sign up for group lessons, private lessons, or both. Our three Piano Plans allow each family to choose the comprehensiveness of instruction desired. Both group and private instruction offer their own advantages and can be evaluated below.
	Performance opportunities are offered throughout the year, including Christmas performances at a café and a nursing home, a spring recital/ice cream social, a district- and state-wide competition giving students the opportunity to perform in an individually judged setting, a summer piano Olympics, and a composition competition and recital.
	Music instruction follows a sequential approach to presenting and reinforcing new concepts and skills. Long-term goals for each student are established at the beginning of the year and are accomplished by giving students short-term, manageable goals to accomplish during each week.
	Lessons are taught based on the belief that the nervous system coordinates a student’s ability to think, feel, and hear all of music’s components, allowing them to learn faster and more securely. Lessons focus on learning music by analyzing it, feeling its rhythm and its dynamics internally, and listening to the overall sound that is created to assess whether the music has created emotion and high-quality sound images.
	Education at Rock Lake Piano Studio keeps up with what works best for individual students. From understanding learning styles and personalities, to the use of technology in the studio, to teaching students how to practice independently in an age when most activities center around interacting with others - our studio takes on these challenges by reviewing new research, resources, and products made available to music educators.
	Lessons are fun and full of laughter and teaching is patient and based on the individual student’s learning pace. There is never a need to rush a student’s progress when there is a whole lifetime to learn about music – an unending journey for everyone!

Group Piano Lessons

Students who participate in group piano lessons learn or increase skills in almost every area of music. The following advantages are available over private lessons:

	ENSEMBLE PLAYING: In playing with their peers, children will experience “friendly” competition” as they strive to keep up with one another rather than concern themselves about pleasing their teacher each week! They will be motivated to keep up with the other students, and they will acquire ensemble and communication skills as they work in a group. This contributes to a student’s general musicianship and functional skills as a musician. As a result of these things, students will experience increased motivation and enthusiasm.
	AURAL/LISTENING SKILLS are sharpened as students critically listen to one another and to themselves as they play and offer critique of each other’s performances.
	RHYTHM SKILLS become solid as students must learn to maintain the same steady beat and count the same rhythm with other performers. Learning to go on after mistakes will also become an inevitable part of group lesson performances.
	ENHANCED HARMONY AND REPERTOIRE APPRECIATION: Elementary students enjoy music-playing more when they hear a fuller sound by playing with others. Students will also experience a greater variety of music, as students are assigned different compositions by the same composer or a composer of the same style.
	POISE/PERFORMANCE SKILLS: Playing for others increases the ability to develop these skills – not possible in private lessons until recital night!
	SOCIAL INTERACTION: Playing in ensembles is much more fun compared to playing solo week after week, and it provides fantastic social interaction between students sharing a common interest in music. Sharing in ensemble work and music drills/games promotes student interest as well.

Private Piano Lessons

	Students may progress at their individual pace. More or less time can be allowed for learning new concepts or skills.
	Each student receives the undivided attention of the teacher, allowing teacher and student to develop a close relationship.
	Refined technical and musical development is possible.
	Instruction, preparation of pieces, and assignments are detailed and individualized.

Rock Lake Piano Studio believes group lessons provide an overall more comprehensive learning experience, especially for beginning- and intermediate-level students. As students mature, they are switched to private lessons to focus on polishing their individual style. While group lessons are encouraged, private lessons are available to students of all ages at any time.