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**These are the most updated policies and may differ slightly from your older paper copies. Anything new is in Red. (last updated 8/20/2010)
Dear Student and Parents,
Taking private music lessons is a fabulous opportunity! My goal is that you progress as a musician and a person. We will develop skills you can take with you, wherever you go in life. I want you to be an accomplished flute player with strong musicianship and your own musical personality.
Music helps you develop yourself and express yourself. It requires many more skills than simply playing the right notes to be a great musician. Therefore, please keep me informed as things in your life change and as your musical goals progress or change. I look at each person as an individual. Some want to play for fun, others want to be a professional flutist, and some may not be sure. Everyone has unlimited potential. By developing your musical skills, you are developing life skills as well. Therefore it is always important to do your very best, because it is not just about playing a song perfectly, It is about challenging yourself to be the best you can be and having the courage to meet your goals.
Sincerely,
Shanna Gutierrez
Fun!—So the point of music is to have fun! I am seriously committed to my students and I expect lessons to be taken seriously. But we will have fun making music and learning.
All students should have:
· a working flute
· a music stand for practicing
· a quiet, area to practice, free from distractions
· a metronome, a tuner is also recommended
· somewhere to store music (a special bag or filing crate work well)
· A folder to keep issues of The Piper and any extra materials
· a desire to do their best
Commitment and Preparation
At the beginning of the year, we choose a mutually convenient weekly lesson time. We are both making a commitment to keep that time free from other appointments or activities. Students also make a commitment to be prepared for their lesson each week. Some weeks this will be more difficult than others. Private lessons offer the opportunity to learn to set goals and meet them, even when the school year gets busy. As any adult will tell you, life is always busy! It doesn’t get easier.
I will always write out your practicing assignment for the following week. By the next lesson, I expect to hear progress on those songs and exercises. I tailor lessons to each individual student and their needs. I am here to guide you and provide the tools you need, but it is up to you to roll up your sleeves and go for it. Like anything in life, you will get out of your lessons what you put into them. It is ok to have questions, or to ask for help. It is also ok to choose to perfect only a portion of the assignment if you had a large school project or were out of town. But, there is always time to improve in some area, and that is what I will be looking for.
Scheduling
I consider it a privilege to work together each week. Your development is extremely important to me. Therefore, I will not accept other jobs, or schedule other appointments during your lesson time. If I do have to miss a lesson, I will provide as much notice as possible, and several options for a make-up time.
I expect the same courtesy in return. Please do not schedule other appointments or activities during you lesson time.
· Lessons are scheduled 1 month in advance. Please note, there will be no credits given for missed lessons that I am not notified about at the beginning of the month. If you will miss the first or second lesson during a month, I still need advance notice of that absence.
· Minimum notice to receive a make-up lesson is a full 48 hours before your lesson time. After that, make-up lessons are at my discretion & availability during that month. Students are always welcome to come to Evanston for make-ups.
· In addition, there will be one extra day per semester provided for 1 make-up lesson per student. I will announce this day at the beginning of the semester.
· In case of an emergency, or illness, please call me as soon as possible and we will arrange for a make-up (or credit in the event of a serious emergency). My cell phone number is 847-903-4086.
I appreciate your understanding of this policy. I realize that all of my students are very active, and I really support and encourage that. I am happy to work together to make scheduling work.
Termination
Eventually everything comes to an end. If a student chooses to end lessons, I need as much notice as possible with a minimum of 2 weeks notice, so that I may re-organize my schedule, and most importantly, so that we may terminate lessons on some good notes.
Please note: a student who misses 3 or more lessons (during their tenure with me) without properly informing me in advance (except in cases of emergency) can be dropped from my studio without any notice forfeiting any remaining tuition. Just as I respect your time by not canceling lessons unless absolutely necessary, I expect my time to be respected as well. Proper notification consists of calling me, NOT email for same day cancellations.
Payment
Lesson fees are always due at the beginning of the month for the entire month’s lessons. At this time, I must be alerted to any lessons that will be missed. If the student will be absent for 2 or more weeks in a row, I need to know at least 1 month in advance. If you are on scholarship, please click here.
Performances
Every year there are 2 recitals with full student participation. These are mandatory. The solo recital is in January, when students perform a solo piece with piano accompaniment, and the ensemble recital is in April, when students perform in a variety of small groups of other students and a couple full flute choir pieces. There will be additional rehearsals for that recital (at no additional charges). Dates and official info will be given out separately when the time comes.
The Piper
I really believe that a student’s education should go beyond just playing the flute, but also understanding something about the bigger picture of music, music history, and other odds and ends. I also believe students should ponder and speculate about the topics; this is the purpose of the quiz. Besides it helps me understand the students better when they tell me what they think about something.
Because of this, students should have a folder or binder to keep the Pipers and any extra material I give them. This way they can refer back to them if they need to. I will be giving a CD with recordings of the biography composers at the beginning of the year. Students will receive only one copy and I expect them to listen to it as the months go by (quizzes will refer to these pieces). If these CDs are not returned at the end of the year or if they are lost, there will be a $10 fee.
Practice Contest
Students will given the opportunity to participate in the practice contest. I will give out a sheet for practice records at the beginning of the school year. The students with the most amount of practice hours total and highest average of # of hours per day will be given medals at the Winter Solo recital. The awards will be determined by age and experience levels, so everyone has a chance. (The obvious purpose of this contest is to make sure everyone is really prepared for the solo piece)
Repairs:
Please consult me for advice based on your location
Website:
The website is meant as a reference for students and parents. The current master schedule of lessons is always posted on the site. Students are expected to occasionally check out the site to be up-to-date with happenings in the studio. It also contains lots of valuable info!
Please feel free to contact me anytime about any concerns you may have. Also, I am understanding of the economic situation right now, so if there is ever a concern, please contact me—I would rather work something out than see a student miss out on lessons. I love teaching and feel very passionately that all my students are bright stars.
Scholarship Students:
Congratulations on receiving a scholarship for lessons; it is an honor to receive such an award! Due to the nature of scholarships, different policies apply to your tenure with me as a student. These guidelines must be followed to the full extent, and any failure to follow them will result in a termination of your instruction and possible loss of your scholarship. Please read carefully.
We will determine the number of lessons you would like to have and the length of those lessons based on the amount of your scholarship. Once this is decided and agreed upon, we will fill out the contract indicating this information and it will serve as official registration in a Flute Course with a beginning and ending date. You will be expected to fulfill the requirements of this course during your tenure. These requirements include: 1) full preparation of your lesson materials, 2) proper notification of an unexpected absence (a make-up will be granted according to policy guidelines), 3) participation in any and all recital related activities that occur during your tenure, 4) punctual attendance of all lessons. Failure to meet these requirements will constitute a failing grade in the course resulting in possible expulsion (with loss of remaining scholarship) and notification of the scholarship committee. Winning an award like this is a big responsibility to yourself, the scholarship committee, and me.
I have found in the past that students who have not had private lessons before are often surprised at the amount of work involved in them; therefore, you should be prepared to practice at least 30-60 minutes a day (or whatever is necessary to accomplish the work). You should understand that the lesson materials assigned to you are considered homework that must be finished; it is not optional. The purpose of lessons is to help students develop their skills, but the students must do the work themselves. If I feel the work is less than satisfactory, I will inform you and expect to see improvements in the following weeks.
I require the scholarship money to be paid up front for the full tuition of the lessons you are going to receive. I will provide a receipt of enrollment in the Flute Course with a letter to the committee explaining the policy and indicating that you have signed up for the agreed number of lessons in a Flute Course with the dates of the course and a copy of my policies for scholarship students.
I must have the name and address of the scholarship committee on record before we begin lessons.
If during the first month of the course, you choose to leave the course for any reason, the remainder of your scholarship will be sent back to the scholarship committee for you to use towards something else. AFTER the first month of the course, there are absolutely no refunds (unless in the case of a serious emergency requiring relocation). Any failure to comply with the general studio policies and/or the scholarship policies of my studio, which results in either a voluntary or involuntary expulsion from the course, means that you will lose the remainder of your scholarship. Additionally, I will inform the scholarship committee of your failure to complete the course and on what grounds you left the course.
After the completion of your Flute Course should you wish to continue your lessons, we will discuss options if you are a student in good standing.
I look forward to working with you and helping you grow!