COVID-19 Update:
Dear Students & Parents:
At Mountain Valley Studios, our students are very important to us. This includes their health and safety. I would like to take a moment to address how the threat of COVID-19 is currently affecting operations at our studio.
*Updated July 8, 2020*
PRIVATE LESSONS
Private lessons are being held in person at the studio.
It is very easy for us to control traffic in and out of the studio, as we operate on a "by appointment only" basis. There is rarely more than two people in the studio at a time...one teacher and one student.
The studio is being kept very clean. Everything the student or teacher contacts during a lesson is being sanitized before the next student enters. This includes piano keyboards, piano surfaces, tables, benches, pencils, erasers, metronomes, markers, doors, door handles, etc. Diffusers are being run in each room, using oils that are known to kill airborne pathogens. The waiting room is not being used. Parents and siblings must wait outside the building during lessons. Hand sanitizer is being used before and after each lesson, and more often as needed.
Upon entering the building, all students, parents and siblings over age 10 MUST wear a mask. However, once the student is seated at their lesson, inside the lesson room, they may remove their mask if they so choose...provided that their parents approve of them doing so. The mask must be replaced when leaving the room for any reason. Your private instructor will wear a mask, unless a parent has notified us that it is ok to remove it during their child's lesson.
GROUP LESSONS AND WORKSHOPS
Group piano lessons will be limited to just four students. Each student will be assigned their own piano and table to work on. There will be no shared surfaces. Plastic dividers hang between each student to create a protective barrier. As in private lessons, all surfaces and supplies are disinfected after each class.
NURSING HOME VISITS
We usually try to schedule a nursing home visit, periodically. The residents enjoy hearing the students play. We will not attempt to do this until I know that we can do so safely. I want to do my part to protect those sweet residents from any possible exposure.
SUMMER PROGRAMS/MUSIC CAMP
We do continue with private lessons through the summer. We are also holding a small piano workshop for our existing students. Our camps, however, have been cancelled due to the difficulty of social distancing at this type of event.
PRESCHOOL MUSIC CLASSES
Preschool music classes are cancelled for the Fall 2020 semester due to the difficulty of maintaining social distancing and eliminating shared surfaces and supplies in a class of this nature.
RECITAL
We will follow the COVID situation closely throughout the year. If we decide it is unwise to hold a recital in person in April, we will again explore options for various types of virtual recital setups.
Informational Files for Students
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What to do if a student gets sick during Coronavirus?
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Importance of technique exercises
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Quote To Remember:
Don't just practice until you get it right.
Practice until you never get it wrong.
Music Lessons: Guide Your Child to Play a Musical Instrument (And Enjoy It!) by Stephanie Stein Crease
I highly recommend this book to any parent who either currently has a student in music lessons, or has any thought that their child might someday take music lessons. Read it before your child is even born, if you can. If not, read it as soon as possible. It address encouraging awareness of music in toddlers and preschoolers, how to choose the right beginner instrument, how to deal with practice battles and "I want to quit!" proclamations, etc. The Burleson Library has a copy.
A great website to visit to learn about composers, etc. is www.classicsforkids.com
You can listen to recorded radio broadcasts about each composer by clicking "on the radio" in the menu bar, then click "past shows" in the drop-down menu. There are usually four broadcasts for each composer/era. Then, there is an activity sheet that goes with that composer. If a student prints this activity sheet out and completes it, they will receive 2 music points.
Concerts/Piano Recitals in our area
Here are some upcoming concerts/piano recitals students might be interested in attending. If you attend, bring a program to your next lesson to receive 2 music points. Attending performances by advanced and/or professional pianists can be very inspiring/motivating to young students. It also opens their mind to various different styles of music.
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Interesting links, websites, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC24Z2kshrU&feature=related (Video of Emily Bear, an amazing 6-yr-old pianist)
www.musicmotion.com (Website of music products, games, videos, books, etc.)