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NEED TO UPDATE THE PAYMENT OPTIONS QUESTION TO THIS:
We accept all major credit cards as payment which must be submitted at time of registration, however, your card is not charged until one business day AFTER the trial lesson, to make sure the student is happy with the lesson. Our guarantee: if the lessons are canceled by the next business day after the trial lesson due to not being happy, it's FREE! If lessons continue, your credit card is charged on the 1st of each month starting the first full month. Lessons can be canceled anytime with a 30 DAY NOTICE.
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What is the cancellation policy?
MMS offers a trial lesson guarantee at sign up. If the student is not 100% satisfied, lessons can be canceled by one business day AFTER the trial lesson (with a valid reason), and another instructor can be assigned, or lessons canceled. If canceling for any other reason by one business day after the trial lesson, the responsible party is charged for the trial lesson, and further lessons canceled. If lessons continue past the trial lesson, future lessons can be canceled or postponed with a 30 day notice to the office of MMS by phone or e-mail.
What if I do not like my instructor?
At the time you sign up for lessons, we try to assign an instructor that will fit your needs and specific type of music you wish to learn, however, if for some reason you don't feel your instructor is right for you, we can assign another instructor. Since we have a full staff of instructors, we can easily assign another instructor in your area.
How long does it take to learn an instrument?
I am often asked how long it should take to learn an instrument for a beginner. This is a hard question, as there's a lot of variables, like the age of the student, his/her pace and the time he/she spends practicing. And even if the student practices constantly, the pace may be quicker at the beginning (or seem to be) than in the middle or later on in the learning process. Generally it takes from 3-6 months for a beginner to begin to feel comfortable with the instrument when it comes to technique and where the ability to play comes naturally. And there are different levels of learning; there's never a time when the student has learned everything, so in reality, it takes a lifetime!
Are some instruments or voice harder to learn than others?
Each instrument has its unique thing that makes it difficult, some take a lot of air support (like brass, woodwinds and voice) and others require finger dexterity (like strings, guitar and piano). Each instrument is difficult at the beginning stage, however the difficulty depends on the individual and their ability for that particular instrument. For some people the hand/eye motor skills may be more difficult than for others, and for some the physical air support and strength required for that instrument may be more difficult. Of course all instruments require years to master and fine tune the skill to be proficient, which is why only a small percentage of the population are able to play an instrument or sing. Studies have shown that children who take music lessons (of any instrument or voice) do much better in academics, physical ability, social skills and all round discipline, which are fundamental things that learning an instrument or voice teaches, for both children and adults.
Can the parent stay for the lessons?
I recommend that parents stay with the child for at least the first lesson, especially if the child is under the age of 10. This helps the child to feel more comfortable and gives the parent the chance to watch the teaching style and ability of the instructor and to see if the personality of the instructor meets the needs of their child. However, once the parent has observed and feels comfortable with the instructor, I do not recommend the parent stay for ongoing lessons because this can be a distraction to both the student and instructor. I also recommend asking the instructor questions that may concern the progress of the student at a time other than at the lesson time, so that the student (especially a young student) doesn't hear what is being said. Calling or emailing the instructor is usually the best way, and the instructor is happy to take time to consult and answer questions during non teaching times. This also helps the instructor's schedule, since he/she may have lessons booked back to back.
What lesson lengths should I sign up for?
I usually recommend that beginners from five (or younger) through about the age of nine start at 30 minutes per week. Older children and adults that are beginners I recommend 45 minute lessons per week, since they can absorb more information and a 30 minute lesson can often go too quickly. Another option for beginner adults that are busy and may not be able to commit to a weekly lesson (or because of the distance to the studio), I recommend doing an hour twice a month. The tuition rate is the same as a 30 minute weekly lesson. This allows the busy adult to have 2 weeks to prepare for the next lesson, and while at the lesson, will get a full hour to really absorb as much as possible. For students that are intermediate to advanced level, I recommend a full hour if possible. Of course these are only recommendations. The student can choose the lesson length of his/her choice, with 30 minutes (or an hour every other week) being the minimum amount.
What are the payment options?
The billing options are auto pay through your checking account or credit/debit card, and billing options are the 1st, 5th or 10th of each month. For the first month of lessons, the student is charged one week after the first lesson for a prorated tuition rate if the student begins after the beginning of the month. If the student chooses to cancel during the week grace period after the first lesson, that lesson is FREE!
At what age should I start my child?
We normally say five as a beginning age, however, if a parent thinks their child is ready to start earlier than that, we are happy to give a lesson to see if the child has the attention span for 30 minute lesson and the ability to follow directions. The instructor will give an honest evaluation to the parent after the first lesson. If the student is not ready to begin at that time, we are happy to contact the parent at a later date to schedule lessons when the student is older, and the parent will only be billed for the one lesson given.
What instrument should I start my child?
We suggest that you start your child on the instrument they are enthused about. However, if he/she doesn't have a particular instrument they want to learn, we recommend piano or keyboard, because it's a good instrument for learning all aspects of music and easy to transfer that information to all other instruments.
I have a keyboard, will that be OK?
Yes, a keyboard is fine instead of a piano because the keys are the same, as long as the individual key size is the same as a piano. Keyboards are a great way to start the beginner student (children and adults) without the expense of a piano. Other advantages to the keyboard for beginners are the size, they are portable and volume controlled. They also have an assortment of sounds and rhythms that keep the student interested.
Here are some important features when buying a keyboard:
1. You do not have to buy an expensive keyboard from a music store. You can go to any electronic store and find a keyboard for under $200 that is fine for a beginner student.
2. I recommend buying a 61 keys keyboard (which is what you will find for the price mentioned above). A piano has 88 keys, however keyboards with 88 keys are a lot more expensive and a beginner student will not need all those keys.
3. Keyboards now come with a feature called touch sensitive, which means the harder the key is hit, the louder the volume, much like on a piano. You can also buy a keyboard with weighted keys, which feels more like a real piano. This also raises the cost of the keyboard. This feature is more important for the older or intermediate and above student, however for a young beginner, to start with the non-weighted keys are fine.
4. Make sure the keyboard has a jack input for a damper or sustain pedal. You do not have to purchase the pedal when the beginner student first starts lessons, however it will be an important feature to add later as the student progresses. A pedal can be purchased for about $30.
How much time do you require to practice each day?
For a 30 minute lesson, we suggest 15 minutes a day, for an hour lesson we suggest 30 minutes a day. It is better to practice a short amount of time each day, then to practice longer times less frequently during the week, especially for beginners. This is a minimum time, of course, and the pace of learning will increase the more time is spent practicing.
Do I need to have the instrument?
Yes, you do, not only for the actual lessons, but for practicing during the week, unless you have access to the instrument from someone for both the lessons and for practicing.
Do you have recitals?
Yes, we offer annual recitals that are really fun for all who wants to participate. Of course, this is not mandatory, but all students are encouraged to participate, no matter what the level or age of the student. This a great time to share your musical journey with other students. Refreshments follow the recital.
Do the instructors take any holidays?
Since Melody Music Studios does not bill extra when there are five weeks in a month, any extra lessons will be applied toward holidays (New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, and one week for Christmas) as well as one week of vacation annually. Melody Music Studios is open year-round for teaching.
