Private Lessons - Studio Policies
Welcome to the flute studio!
1. Required Materials
2. Your Lesson Notebook
Please create the following divider tabs: Lesson notes, fingering charts, listening/repertoire, handouts, practice
3. Tuition
Tuition is due at the first lesson of each month and may be made via Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, or cash (no checks). In addition to instruction time, tuition includes:
4. Lesson Content
5. Practice
Lessons are an exercise in teamwork, including the student, teacher, and parent(s). Parents are expected to encourage students, to remind them to practice, and to help them obtain needed materials in a timely manner. When parents take an active role in encouraging children to practice, students experience more success.
6. Attendance FAQs:
Need to miss a lesson?
7. Open Studio Policy
8. Safety
Each child is required to be accompanied by his/her parent or guardian to and from his/her scheduled studio or practice room for all lessons and rehearsals. However, if a parent/guardian decides to allow his/her child to walk to/from a studio/practice room without an adult, the parent/guardian waives the recommendations of the Flute Preparatory Program for the safety of his/her child. In case of emergency, the teacher will first attempt to contact child’s parent/guardian, then the DSU Police Department. If parents are late picking up a child after a lesson, an additional fee may be charged.
9. Recitals
10. Resources
Avoid back-ordering music whenever possible.
11. Getting a step-up flute/piccolo
Please get my approval before purchasing or renting new instruments. I may be able to help you find a better price or a higher quality instrument. Being your "personal shopper" is a service included in the price of tuition.
12. Ensembles
Private lessons are in no way intended to be a replacement for a school musical ensemble. Because I feel strongly that school bands, orchestras, and choirs play an invaluable role in developing musicianship, I am reluctant to teach students (high school and younger) who are not involved in ensembles at school, if such ensembles are available.
I hope that flute lessons will be a very positive experience for you. If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to call me (after 7:00 am and before 9:00 pm).
© Shelley Collins
1. Required Materials
- Flute in good working condition
- Sturdy 3-ring binder with 5+ divider tabs
- Music stand at home
- Cleaning cloth and rod (preferably wood)
- Metronome and tuner apps
- Sheet music and other texts as assigned
- Students are responsible for providing their own music. Photocopied materials are not permitted in lessons as a permanent substitute for purchasing printed works.
2. Your Lesson Notebook
Please create the following divider tabs: Lesson notes, fingering charts, listening/repertoire, handouts, practice
3. Tuition
Tuition is due at the first lesson of each month and may be made via Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, or cash (no checks). In addition to instruction time, tuition includes:
- your lesson time (reserved for you, even if you're absent!)
- handouts
- exercises by Dr. C
- studio recitals (which replace one lesson)
- assistance in purchasing new instruments
4. Lesson Content
- We will work on tone production, technical studies, and flute repertoire (a solo and/or duet).
- We may also work on school band music as needed, and any solos you wish to play for contests or asked to perform for school, church, etc., but lesson content comes first. If you are prepared for your lesson, we can then work on band music. In the long run, preparing your lesson assignments will give you the skills you need to prepare other materials.
5. Practice
Lessons are an exercise in teamwork, including the student, teacher, and parent(s). Parents are expected to encourage students, to remind them to practice, and to help them obtain needed materials in a timely manner. When parents take an active role in encouraging children to practice, students experience more success.
- As a general rule of thumb, students should practice 5 minutes daily per grade in school, with a minimum of 20 minutes daily for the very young. (For example, a 5th grader would practice 25 minutes daily.)
- After 6th grade, students are expected to practice between 30-60 minutes daily for their lessons. Junior high and high school students who want to major in music in college are expected to increase these times significantly.
- Practice happens at home, not in lessons. I'll teach you techniques to make your practice more fun.
- Listen to at least 30 minutes of flute music each week, and keep a list in your notebook of your favorites. This counts as up to 30 minutes of practice time!
6. Attendance FAQs:
Need to miss a lesson?
- Please give me advance notice (48 hours minimum) so that we can reschedule. Call or text, please.
- Please reschedule! Regular flute lessons are important in encouraging regular practice routines and musical development.
- Your time is reserved for you each week. Additionally, the price of tuition includes more than just your weekly lesson.
- No! Please stay home. I won't teach you if you're sick, but I will try to make up lessons if I have some notice.
- Also, I will do my best to arrangement for makeups due to family emergencies and severe weather conditions.
- Not all schools follow the same calendars, so please let me know if you will need to reschedule for a specific reason.
- Please don't cancel your lesson--we can still make some musical progress! I usually have a backup flute for students to borrow.
- If you need to reschedule your lesson, please try to swap lessons with another student first, and notify me of the change.
7. Open Studio Policy
- Parents are welcome to observe lessons at any time and should feel free to come and go.
- The term "private lessons" is a bit of a misnomer. In my studio, students are welcome and encouraged to come early to observe other students' lessons, or to linger a few minutes to listen to other students play. This gives students a feeling of camaraderie and helps them to become more comfortable playing for others. Additionally, college students will occasionally sit in on pre-college students' lessons to observe my teaching.
- When should parents be present at lessons? Generally, parents and students make this decision together. It’s very important that students feel comfortable in their lessons; some students want a parent in the room, while others prefer more privacy. I do ask parents to be present for a part of students’ lessons up through grade 6 so that they can be aware of practice requirements, behavior, and progress. After students begin middle school, I find that some become more comfortable without the added stress of “performing” for their parents, and they see “private” lessons as a step towards maturity. (However, this timing is up to the individual student/parents to decide so that children always feel comfortable in their lessons.)
- It is very important that students do not feel that the parents and teacher are ganging up on them when they make mistakes during their lessons, as mistakes are a normal part of learning. Therefore, I ask parents to keep comments to a minimum.
8. Safety
Each child is required to be accompanied by his/her parent or guardian to and from his/her scheduled studio or practice room for all lessons and rehearsals. However, if a parent/guardian decides to allow his/her child to walk to/from a studio/practice room without an adult, the parent/guardian waives the recommendations of the Flute Preparatory Program for the safety of his/her child. In case of emergency, the teacher will first attempt to contact child’s parent/guardian, then the DSU Police Department. If parents are late picking up a child after a lesson, an additional fee may be charged.
9. Recitals
- Students (college age and younger) are expected to play in our studio recitals and at any music festivals/competitions/honor bands offered through the local school systems.
- As both a courtesy and a learning experience, students are expected to attend the instructor's recitals.
- You are responsible for paying your own collaborative pianist (accompanist) for recitals and competitions. I will provide you with a list of approved pianists and will assist you in coordinating with other students to share accompanist fees. Working with a pianist is an important part of learning to be a musician. To ensure that you will have a positive experience in performance, please ASK ME FIRST before contacting an accompanist who is not on my list.
10. Resources
Avoid back-ordering music whenever possible.
- Flute World (248) 855-0410 (Discount for National Flute Association members)
- Carol Nussbaum Music Company (877) FLUTE4U
11. Getting a step-up flute/piccolo
Please get my approval before purchasing or renting new instruments. I may be able to help you find a better price or a higher quality instrument. Being your "personal shopper" is a service included in the price of tuition.
12. Ensembles
Private lessons are in no way intended to be a replacement for a school musical ensemble. Because I feel strongly that school bands, orchestras, and choirs play an invaluable role in developing musicianship, I am reluctant to teach students (high school and younger) who are not involved in ensembles at school, if such ensembles are available.
I hope that flute lessons will be a very positive experience for you. If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to call me (after 7:00 am and before 9:00 pm).
© Shelley Collins