Policy

Tuition and Payment

The level of the student determines the lesson length. The length of the lessons may increase as the student progresses.

The tuition includes the time dedicated to giving private lessons. It also includes time spent in daily preparation for lessons.

Tuition payments are expected in advance, on the first lesson day of each month. If the first lesson is missed for any reason, payment for that month should be mailed to the studio.

Tuition payment received after the 10th day of the month is subject to a $15 late payment fee. The returned check fee is $25.

The tuition is not refunded. Payments may be made in cash or by check. Your canceled checks are your receipts.

Attendance

Please make sure that your student arrives punctually with music, assignment book, and any other relevant materials. I am often unable to extend the lesson times of students who arrive late, but do so when possible.

1. Missed Lessons. Your lesson time is reserved exclusively for your student. Missed lessons are not made up, nor are fees adjusted. The private lesson time is only a portion of what is covered by the tuition fee.

2. Make-Up Lessons. Please give me at least 24 hours' notice of a lesson cancellation if you wish a make-up lesson. If I was not able to answer your call please leave me a voicemail message. Otherwise, you must pay for the lesson without taking it because your time is reserved specifically for you. Make-ups are not available for last minute changes (less than 24 hours' notice) such as car trouble, heavy homework, orthodontic appointments, rescheduled sport games, other illness in the family, etc.  For obvious reasons I have to observe this policy strictly.

If it is necessary to cancel a lesson without making it up (per the guidelines above) please call no later than noon of the lesson day. There will be no refund for missed or forgotten lessons. Again, for obvious reasons, there are no exceptions to this policy.

Lessons cancelled for teacher illness, emergencies, or vacations will be made up or the tuition fee will be credited to your account.

In the case of severe weather conditions, when it is too dangerous to drive, we will try to arrange another time.

Summer Study

I offer summer study because I feel that continuous study offers the most benefit to your child. The summer months offer more time for practice without the worry of homework and other school activities. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to continue lessons during the summer

Dismissals

Regrettably, I will have to dismiss a student if any of these circumstances occur:

1. 1.Failure to pay tuition on time.
   

2. 2.Persistent absences.
   

3. 3.Uncooperative attitude.
   

4. 4.Lack of progress due to insufficient practice or unfulfilled requirements.
   

**ABSENCES cannot be rescheduled or refunded. However, in cases of illness or emergency, and with at least 24 hours notice, a swap of lesson times with another student can generally be arranged.

Please call me 801-850-6654 or contact me at utahcellolessons@gmail.com to schedule a FREE consultation or to learn more about anything you find here.

Cello Syllabus

Note: Please do not buy any of the materials on the list below until after the first lesson. 

Getting started:

For the first lesson just bring your cello and all the books and materials you've been working on.  During the first couple of lessons I will evaluate what level you're on and recommend books and materials accordingly.  I encourage parents to sit in on lessons from time to time, especially the first lesson.  I try to make lessons and the whole learning process as fun as possible and customize lessons to each student's needs. 

To do this I recommend a balance of classical music and popular music with emphasis on the style the student enjoys most.  The key is balance, however the more fun it is the more students practice.  The goal is for students to be well-rounded, progress as quickly as possible and have fun. 

I encourage students to identify songs they would like to learn apart from the material I assign.  This includes pop/rock music as well as classical or traditional music.

Beginning materials needed: Beginning cello packet from Best in Music Education Center, which includes:

• Loose-leaf lined notebook paper

• 5 to 10 sheets of staff paper

• 3 ring binder to keep notebook paper, staff paper, music, etc.

• Pencil

• Cello rosin

• Artistry in Strings Book 1 for cello

• Suzuki Book 1 for cello

Other books and materials will be assigned as student progresses.

Practice Time:

The key to learning any instrument is practice.  I expect students to practice as much as their attention span and schedules permit.  Half an hour per day, 5 days per week is a good goal for younger students, but I understand some very young children may only be able to go for 10 minutes or so at a time.  For older students an hour per day is a good goal as schedules permit. 

The over-all goal is to see good progress over time.  I recommend you schedule the same time every day for practicing and just make it part of your routine.  Just for reference, it's not uncommon for very serious music students to practice 4 hours per day and more, especially when preparing for a performance.

Beginning Objectives

• Learn to read music.  I structure the whole lesson experience to help with this.

• Learn to tune your own instrument.  This can take time but almost everyone can learn this valuable skill.  We practice this at the beginning of most lessons.

• Develop your "ear" for music.  I help you learn to recognize when you're playing in tune and when you're not.  This is a skill that is sometimes acquired over a long time, even though some people pick it up very quickly.

• Learn how to correctly hold the cello and bow

• Learn to bow correctly and use correct finger positions

• Begin basic music theory and ear training

Intermediate Objectives

• Continue advancing with all the above objectives

• Begin to learn shifting

• Focus more on becoming a performer.  This includes seeking out opportunities to perform as students feel comfortable.  Some options are recitals, joining an orchestra, performing for family and friends, etc.

Advanced objectives are available on request.  Every student is different.  Accordingly I do not set time frames for how fast I expect students to progress unless you have specific performance goals.  Of course I expect every student to give me their best effort and to practice.