At the request of a french horn teacher, I am tossing around some ideas for beginning piano workshops for high schoolers, and I would like feedback from high schoolers and/or parents of high schoolers (or anyone else who would like to share their thoughts).
I regularly hear from high schoolers, "I would love to learn to play piano." I also regularly hear from instrumental teachers that they have many talented students who really need at least some basic piano lessons before college. What gets in the way of these students is usually one of three things: 1) Their schedule is too busy to commit to weekly piano lessons and daily practice time; 2) They can't afford to pay for month after month of piano lessons; or 3) They don't have a piano to practice on. These workshops should minimize, if not completely eliminate, each of these challenges. So, here's what I'm thinking so far:
1) A series of 4 beginning piano workshops, each building on the other.
2) It would not be mandatory to sign up for all four workshops, but each is a prerequisite to the next. (You can't just do session one and four.... you have to progress through 2 and 3 to get to 4.)
3) The charge would be "per session", but there would be a discount if a student signs up for all four.
4) There would be a $10 book fee, but the book would last through all four sessions.
5) Workshops would be held on Saturdays (I'm thinking one each month in January, February, March, & April....but am open to input on this)
6) Each workshop would be 6 hours (9am-3pm/ 10am-4pm??)
7) We would start from the VERY beginning and progress through basic rhythm concepts, reading from the grand staff, basic theory concepts like intervals and primary chords, etc.
8) Due to the size of my current studio, each workshop would never have more than 10 students.
9) Students would not need to have a piano at home at all, as all work will be done in the workshop. (However.... They just might beg their parents for one once they start to learn to play).
Please feel free to share your thoughts, in general, as well as specifically about any of the numbered items above. Also, please respond to the following questions, if you have any thoughts:
A) Would you/your child/your friends be interested in a workshop like this?
B) What would you be willing to pay for each workshop? ( I charge $80/month for private lessons @ 45 minutes/week -- total of 3 hrs. instruction each month..... and that's really on the low end in our area for a teacher with a piano degree.)
C) Does the 6-hr workshop length sound reasonable? If not, how long do you think each one should be?
D) Assuming you would sign up for a workshop at all, what would be the likelihood of signing up for all four sessions?
E) Do you think the once-a-month schedule will work? Or would it be better to do four weekends in a row.... or four days in a row during Christmas break, spring break, or August?
F) How much progress would you expect a student to make if they participated in the entire series of four sessions? Or..... what all concepts would you expect them to learn?
Thank you for taking time to provide this feedback. I will help me to better plan a class that will meet the needs & expectations of the students in our area.
I regularly hear from high schoolers, "I would love to learn to play piano." I also regularly hear from instrumental teachers that they have many talented students who really need at least some basic piano lessons before college. What gets in the way of these students is usually one of three things: 1) Their schedule is too busy to commit to weekly piano lessons and daily practice time; 2) They can't afford to pay for month after month of piano lessons; or 3) They don't have a piano to practice on. These workshops should minimize, if not completely eliminate, each of these challenges. So, here's what I'm thinking so far:
1) A series of 4 beginning piano workshops, each building on the other.
2) It would not be mandatory to sign up for all four workshops, but each is a prerequisite to the next. (You can't just do session one and four.... you have to progress through 2 and 3 to get to 4.)
3) The charge would be "per session", but there would be a discount if a student signs up for all four.
4) There would be a $10 book fee, but the book would last through all four sessions.
5) Workshops would be held on Saturdays (I'm thinking one each month in January, February, March, & April....but am open to input on this)
6) Each workshop would be 6 hours (9am-3pm/ 10am-4pm??)
7) We would start from the VERY beginning and progress through basic rhythm concepts, reading from the grand staff, basic theory concepts like intervals and primary chords, etc.
8) Due to the size of my current studio, each workshop would never have more than 10 students.
9) Students would not need to have a piano at home at all, as all work will be done in the workshop. (However.... They just might beg their parents for one once they start to learn to play).
Please feel free to share your thoughts, in general, as well as specifically about any of the numbered items above. Also, please respond to the following questions, if you have any thoughts:
A) Would you/your child/your friends be interested in a workshop like this?
B) What would you be willing to pay for each workshop? ( I charge $80/month for private lessons @ 45 minutes/week -- total of 3 hrs. instruction each month..... and that's really on the low end in our area for a teacher with a piano degree.)
C) Does the 6-hr workshop length sound reasonable? If not, how long do you think each one should be?
D) Assuming you would sign up for a workshop at all, what would be the likelihood of signing up for all four sessions?
E) Do you think the once-a-month schedule will work? Or would it be better to do four weekends in a row.... or four days in a row during Christmas break, spring break, or August?
F) How much progress would you expect a student to make if they participated in the entire series of four sessions? Or..... what all concepts would you expect them to learn?
Thank you for taking time to provide this feedback. I will help me to better plan a class that will meet the needs & expectations of the students in our area.
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