- I do not want to invest in an acoustic piano until my child shows interests in music. Can my child start learning music without the piano?
Yes. For younger students attending group lessons, the students are not required to have a piano at home. You may consider a portable keyboard for the students to have an instrument with keyboards to practice moving their fingers. In addition, the keyboard is a better choice than piano for very young studetns because repetitive finger exercises may be strenuous to your child's developing hands and fingers. It is proven to be much easier to keep a good finger posture with lighter keys than forcing children to press down heavy piano keys.
Our school also offer hourly practice room rental to students who need a piano or a keyboard to practice between classes. Please talk to our front desk for more details. Top>
- Why is group music lessons better for my young children? Doesn't the teacher give more attention to the student in a private music class?
The debate between whether group or private music lessons are better for students has been always a big concern amongst parents. From the point of view as music educators, group lessons indeed are more beneficial especially to younger students because a classroom environment encourages and motivates students to participate in group activities that most private students do not have a privelege to experience. Students also are able to learn from their fellow friends while attending to teacher's commands. As great as solo piano music sounds, one of the biggest disadvantages of piano players is that hardly do they "make" music with others, which is an imperative part of music learning.
As the students grow and they begin to pay more attention to the instrument they like, private piano or other instrumental lessons will be a perfect complement to the group lessons because, firstly, group lessons have already laid a solid foundation for students' continuing study on a solo instrument at a higher level. Secondly, since aural training has been such an important part in the group lesson training, the students' hearing is now so sensitive and finely tuned to discern their own performances; hence, the music they make is much more musical and beautiful. However, this is often neglected in most traditional training methods where drilling is the only method and technical perfection is the only goal. Thirdly, students at an older age are more patient to sit down and focus on accomplishing tasks in a private lesson setting when the teacher can give 100% attention to what individual students need. Top>
- I have a hard time making my child practice piano at home. Should I let them quit?
A large percentage of students quit before they realize their real potential in music. Nevertheless the truth is usually the parents giving up before their children do. Ask yourself: do you prefer practicing and drilling to shopping and playing? Parents must remember that practice is not an option to students who learn to play music. There should be at-home rules and schedules, like time to go to bed and time for meals, dedicated to just practicing the instrument students are learning. A child's success in music learning owes a big part to parents' participation and support. Prioritize their activities. If you do not want to put music study on top of your child's list, you had better rethink whether you want to take on this commitment to help your child maintain a healthy and productive learning habit so that the student can really enjoy the music and see the results. Top>
- My child always complain that he/she does not have enough time to practice piano. What should I do to help them manage their time?
Our experiences tell us that perhaps your child has too many activities. Most parents tend to overwhelm their children with extra-curriculum activities that fill up every minute in their schedules. Prioritize their activities and drop some of those that are merely killing time. Allocate regular practice time everyday as part of the daily routine and make practicing the instrument an obbligation but not an option. Once the habit is formed, your child will be able to follow their schedules just like bed times and meal times. More importantly, they will thank you in the future for helping them persevere when they are all grown up. Top>
- The progress of my child's group music class is too slow. Should I put him/her in private lessons?
Group lessons have to follow the age-appropriate curriculum established by the system. All students in the group should learn at the same pace. Although some students may progress faster than the fellow students in one area, like playing at the piano for example, they may still need time for the others, like group playing and rhythm training. When the teacher spots the special talent in individual students, they will be given special assignments in addition to the regular homework so that they can work more at home. Of course, the student can also take private lessons concurrently to further advance their instrumental skills. Top>
- Why is my child learning note-reading not by letter names like C-D-E but by solfege like Dol-Re-Mi?
Because of the emphasis in singing and hearing in group lessons, solfege (dol-re-mi) is easier to pronounce and more practical to sing in. Also, what the students learn is called "fixed-dol" method, i.e. dol=C, re=D, mi=E, etc, which is different from the "movable-dol" method that is prevalent among pop music and singers. The "fixed-dol" method communicates the same name-to-note orientation as letter names. Students are actually learning the same thing with different syllables. In fact, letter names will be introduced later in the course as one of the subjects, which students must study and familiarize themselves with. Top>
- Why do I pay a fix monthly amount for tuition when sometimes there are only 3 lessons in a month?
The amount of our monthly tuition is calculated based on 44 classes per calendat year divided by 12 months. Hence, each monthly amount is an installment of the total yearly tuition. On one hand this simplifies our accounting process, one the other this method allows us to bill a fix amount to accounts which choose to automatically pay their bills with credit cards. Moreover, parents must realize that music study is a long-term investment of time and efforts. The result is not immediate. One to two years' time is well worth spent to find out a student's real interest and potential. Top>
- My child cannot come to class because she is invited to her friend's birthday party. Can I reschedule a make-up lesson for another time?
For private students, we guarantee two make-up lessons per calendar year at no cost to you should you miss any classes due to ANY reasons contingent on the availability of the teacher's schedule. We also have "Absence Insurance Plan" to increase the allowance of make-up lessons per calendar year with a surcharge added to the regular monthly tuition. See our "Tuition Schedule" or talk our front desk assistant for more details. However if you miss more classes than the absence allowance and want to make-up these lessons, additional tuition will be incurred for the number and duration of extra lessons taken. Top>
For group students who miss classes, the teacher will mail you the homework assignments for the students to practice at home. If the students are taking long vacation exceeding a month, private lessons may be recommended at the discretion of the teacher. The private lesson rate will be charged according to the number and length of the class(es) taken. Top>
- My family needs to take a vacation for an entire month during summer? What are the procedures of requesting vacations?
Students who take leave for more than a month can request a "Student Vacation Request Form" from our front desk. Provide us with the information as instructed in the form and prepay the tuition of the month you will be returning. The deposit is for reserving the same lesson time as the student returns, for we cannot guarantee the availability of the class time if the reservation is not bounded by the deposit. Should you have paid in advance, a credit for the vacation month(s) will appear in the next month's statement Top>.