Tag: piano lessons charlotte nc

Piano Lessons In My Home

Posted on by Heather Brunner

I’m a member of several different websites that advertise piano lessons.  Parents can send in requests and the teachers can choose to respond to requests in their area that fit their professional goals.  So many of the requests on these boards and inquires that I receive through my website are parents asking for lessons in their home.

I do not teach lessons anywhere other than my home studio.  There are several reasons for this.

1.  It costs me time and money.  Lessons at Brunner Studios are $26.25 for a 30 minute lesson.  If I have to drive to your house, teach a lesson, and drive home.  That is costing a lesson time on either side of the scheduled lesson.  Also, gas and wear and tear on my vehicle.  Gas is approximately 3.50 a gallon right now.  That can eat into my fees quickly.

2.  There are great resources that I’ve spent time building at my studio.  There are keyboards, computers, bookcases full of music that can be loaned, workbooks, reward charts.  These are all things that can’t travel for a weekly lesson.  If the student needs a new book or supplemental material, I am almost guaranteed to have it on my bookshelf.  You won’t find it dragging around in the trunk of my car.

3.  You forgot.  Way back when I first started teaching (in college) there was a family that I went to their house to give lessons.  It wasn’t close but there were multiple lessons and at the time gas was around $1 a gallon.  The family was always forgetting about lessons and leaving me hanging.  If you forget your lessons and are taking at my studio, I can still get work done if you forget or get sick at the last minute.  There is a lot of time involved in teaching lessons other than the 30 minutes you are here.

4.  Student don’t take the lessons as seriously as in a different environment.  My studio is a dedicated space for lessons.  It is a environment set aside for education.  Your living room with the siblings running through and the door slamming just doesn’t allow the same focus. 

So there are a few reasons that I don’t advocate lessons in the student’s home.  Now this isn’t to say that it would never work, but for me from a professional standpoint, I want a dedicated music space for educational purposes. 

Success with the Carnegie Hall Achievement Program

Posted on by Heather Brunner

Congratulations to Rohan who received a score of First Class with Honors on his Level 4 examination that he took in December.

Rohan looks forward to taking his Level 5 practical and theory examinations. 

 

Sign up begins tomorrow 1-24-12 for the spring examinations.  It isn’t too late to sign up for lessons and take your first examination this spring.

Starting Piano Lessons or Any Type of Lessons in January

Posted on by Heather Brunner

So you or your child or your spouse received a keyboard or piano during the holiday season.  Now what?  It’s time to find a piano teacher. 

Is it ok to start lessons in January?  The answer to that is yes.  New Year’s resolutions aside there is no reason not to start lessons now. 

Your schedule is established.  The kids have the hang of the school year and all of those sports schedules are pretty much known for the time being. 

Go ahead and call around.  Teachers should be willing to have a free trial lesson or meeting with a prospective student. 

Find the teacher that is right for you and get started.  There is no time like the present. 

 

Here at Brunner Studios in Charlotte, NC, I am looking for a few new piano, voice and oboe students.  Most teachers will have a few mid-year opening in there schedule.  There is still time to get started with lessons and participate in spring recitals and festivals. 

Student Performances

Posted on by Heather Brunner

I just added a new recording under the student performances heading.  Hopefully as we get ready for the recital on Nov. 12 there will be more great performances to share.  I will not be using student’s names to identify the performers, just the titles of the pieces.  So if you are looking for a specific recording, as the performer what their piece was.

The Gift of Music

Posted on by Heather Brunner

This fall and winter Brunner Studios will be offering gift certificates for piano, voice and oboe lessons.  The gift of music is a wonderful holiday gift for the aspiring musician of any age.  Availability for new and existing students.

Gift certificates will be available in monthly increments and must be presented at the first lesson. 

Contact Brunner Studios for more information and to purchase certificates for the holiday season. 

BOO to You

Posted on by Heather Brunner

Between the Gershwin and Schubert things have been hopping around here.  This week Max, my mom’s dog is visiting.  So I’ll just pop in for a minute. 

 

This is the last full week of October.  In the studio this month we have been having a practice contest.  I made up some goodie bags that look like this:

 

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Well, the other 2 are a ghost and a pumpkin.  So the 3 students with the best practice records for the month of October will receive a prize.  Currently 2 students have perfect practice with 4 students tied for 3rd place based on the sticker chart.  If there is a tie on the chart, I will add of the actual minutes the students practiced so that the prize is fairly rewarded. 

Why Christmas Is Later This Year

Posted on by Heather Brunner

Well, that probably got your attention.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Christmas is still on December 25.  However, there is good news as well.  This year Brunner Studios will not be having the traditional December recital.  This means we don’t have to start practicing Christmas music in September and October.  Should I back this plan up and explain a little?

The past few years the winter recitals have taken place in December.  That means that high school students were starting Christmas arrangements in September and October.  Why so early?  No one wants to play music significantly easier than their standard repertoire at a big recital.  Also, you have to account for fall break, Columbus Day, Halloween,  Thanksgiving and any other number of random breaks and holidays that the school system might decide to throw your way. 

Then after all that hard work,  you start getting the emails and phone calls.  You know the ones I’m talking about.  Susie won’t be able to play at the recital.  That day is Great-Aunt Gertrude’s annual cookie swap.  Now, no offense to anyone’s Great-Aunt Gertrude, but these students work hard and I hate to have them miss a big recital. 

So to save myself a spike in blood pressure, and the kids a lot of what they will see as wasted effort, we are having the recital on Nov. 12.  Standard piano repertoire with a few fall pieces and *poof* one fall recital. 

The students will get their Christmas books at their next lesson and begin playing season appropriate music.  We might try to go and play at a local nursing home or arrange for a carol sing at a church, but those are come and go events. 

So see Christmas is arriving later this year.  Well, the music is anyway.

Pre or Post Thanksgiving Recital Date?

Posted on by Heather Brunner

First, I would like to thank Lib Hughston for recommending Piedmont Music Center for a possible recital location. 

 

As I was scouting location for a winter recital location, I had to decide what was the best time for the event.  Do I go pre-Thanksgiving or post-Thanksgiving?  Almost everyone has winter/Christmas recitals.  Usually these recitals are jammed into the first or second weekend of December.  Now let’s hear the collective groan from the parents.  Another event in December?  Can we cry now?  So rather an causing collective hyperventilation, I decided to go with an early November date. 

 

I’ll admit that I will miss the Christmas carols at the recital.  What I won’t miss are the half a dozen students who can’t attend because of other events.  Teachers, I encourage you to schedule those big annual recitals at non-traditional times.  Your students will thank you.  2 months is plenty of time for even beginners to learn a piece for a recital.  New student participation is important.  Older students can either present a new piece or pull one out of the rotation of performance ready pieces in their repertoire list. 

 

Good luck to everyone with the recital preparation!

Should Teachers Use Books Assigned By Other Teachers?

Posted on by Heather Brunner

It’s the time of year where students are transferring between teachers or resuming lessons after moving.  Students usually bring half finished books with them.  What’s a teacher to do?

 

One of the things that I pride myself on is that I work with the best method for the individual student.  There is no one size fits all method books series.  Many of my students use the Alfred Premier series.  Others use the Faber older beginner books.  Occasionally, I’ll go old school and pull out the trusty Bastien books.  So as long as the student is successful in their current series, I see no need for parents to go spend money on new books because I might prefer another series.  If the student is not successful in their current books, then I might loan a few books to the student to find out what a better fit might be.  The only series that I won’t use is the Suzuki series.  It isn’t a curriculum problem but more of a methodology issue. 

 

Parents, if you are talking to a potential teacher, be sure to ask what the teacher’s policy is about books.  It can tell you a good bit about what kind of teacher they are.  Be open to suggestions from the teacher but also be willing to say what works for you child.