Lessons Overview
Lessons For All Ages!
Lessons are offered virtual, you can learn anytime from anywhere, even the comfort of your own home! We also offer lessons Outdoors on our covered patio for clients who wish to have an in-person lesson while maintaining social distancing requirements. Many have decided to do a combination of both virtual and Outdoor lessons. We love it!
Lessons for Beginning Students (Young and Adult)
Music lessons are designed to motivate and inspire students of all ages with one-on-one instruction. Lessons provide students with proper performance techniques, literacy (note reading) and writing music (music theory). Music can also teach self- confidence, discipline, setting realistic goals, persistence, determination, team work, leadership skills, and focusing the mind with the body’s physical movements.
Lessons For Intermediate Students
Intermediate students will be more challenged on posture, different hand positions, key signatures, music theory, left hand and bow technique, cultivating vibrato and musicality such as bow speed, weight, direction, pressure, distribution, and dynamics. Students will learn how to master detache with a clean tone, learn points of resonance, legato, slurs, hooked bows, time signatures, complex rhythms (i.e. dotted rhythms), counting and maintaining a steady tempo independently, singing and ear training (aural and oral skills), playing in tune, stage presence, sight reading, audition techniques to master any chair placement or competition such as solo/ensemble (through the student’s music program or through Infinity Music Studio), Georgia All-State, and/or an out of school program such as Infinity Youth Orchestra, Fulton County Youth Orchestra, Dekalb Youth Orchestra, Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, etc.
Certain method books (i.e. Suzuki Violin Series) are required to be purchased (through Infinity Music Studio or Amazon) to continue mastery on the student’s instrument(s). (Yes, students frequently study multiple instruments.) Other sheet music examples may include but are not limited to selections from Soon Hee Newbold, Mark Williams, Richard Meyer, Doug Spata, Bob Phillips, Chris Bernotas, Dorothy Straub, and Elliot Del Borgo.
Lessons for Advanced Students (Including Collegiate Level)
Advanced students and collegiate musicians will be expected to maintain a steady practice schedule, consistent routine for lessons (unless a concerto competition or performance tour conflicts with lessons). Students will master more advanced left hand techniques with all major and minor scales, arpeggios, octave scales, 10th scales; right hand double stops, triple stops, and quadruple stops, off the string bowings (spiccato, ricochet), more complex rhythms and bow combinations. Some examples listed are not limited to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Shostakovich, Sarasate, Lalo, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, and more modern composers such as Beatles, Luis Fonsi, Lin- Manuel Miranda, John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Age Readiness
Music lessons are for everyone at any age. The earliest I recommend is when the toddler is potty-trained. If you are an interested parent that has an infant, there are general music techniques I can show you to musically connect and bond with your baby as s/he develops.
Duration
Beginner to intermediate students have single 30 minute sessions while advanced students have 60 minutes once a week or two 30 minute sessions twice a week (example: Tuesday’s and Saturday’s at 4:00pm-4:30pm). Many students take multiple instruments and will schedule an hour, even 90 minutes to cover 3 instruments in one session. Please mention this to your teacher and/or contact form.
Requirements
Students must have a working string instrument (violin, viola, cello, string bass), woodwind, brass instrument or piano/keyboard) at home to practice. It is the client’s responsibility to upkeep his/her own instrument, replace parts such as bow rehair, reeds, drumsticks, etc. Sheet music and method books may be recommended to learn note-reading, theory, and mastering techniques, preparing solos and recital performances.
For parents with infants and toddlers interested in general music, you will need a large open space with a CD player and children’s music CD’s, large letters of the alphabet, shapes, colors, and his/her favorite toy or stuffed animal.
Teacher Expectations
Students must be able to listen, follow directions, be respectful. More experienced students must be also open to constructive criticism, so he/she may refine their skills of creation and performance.
Daily Practice
Students must practice at home everyday to master their age appropriate skills, musical and performance techniques. The teacher cannot “do it” for the student; students must learn for themselves. The teacher cannot teach any new information if the student is not ready for new or more advanced techniques. Remember: the most useful object is an empty cup; a full cup cannot hold anything more, let alone hold anything new.
Tuition Policies
Flat rate Monthly tuition is $180.00/30 minutes and $360.00/60 minutes, $540/90 minutes, $720.00/2 hours. Monthly tuition averages 4 weeks and is accepted in monthly installments only (no partial payments) by cash, check, ATM/debit card, or credit card and must be paid in full by the first scheduled lesson of each month. Partial payments will not be accepted. A $25 late fee will be assessed four tuition received after the 8th of the current month. Personal checks are not preferred due to insufficient funds and a $35.00 bank fee, which in turn will be added to the client’s account. Lesson tuition is non-refundable and non-transferable. No partial payments will be accepted, nor lesson credits will be carried over to the next month. A 24 hour advance notice with a valid reason such as illness, family emergency, religious/national holiday, etc must be communicated directly to your teacher in order to receive a make-up lesson. One per month excused absence must be made up within 2 (two) weeks of the cancelled lesson. Lessons cancelled the day of the lesson (within 24 hours prior) will be forfeited. No refunds will be issued for absences; however a credit will be issued a teacher absence. Teachers reserve the right to refuse make-up lessons for students with excessive absences (i.e. 3 lessons are cancelled in a month). A one (1) month written notice is required to discontinue lessons (i.e. text message) and tuition must be paid through that 30 period. In accordance to Georgia law regarding verbal agreements (which require no client signature), clients who refuse to pay tuition on time and/or refuse to pay the disconnection fee may be subject to a collections agency. (This policy is the standard for all music and non-music businesses in Alpharetta and Fulton County.) Please print and keep for your records!
First Time Students
Please click the link below to download the private lessons contract and we can sign it in person before the lessons start.