HEAVENLY FATHER,
Welcome to The Anderson Music Studio!
This handbook is a resource guide for all things concerning any musical instruction I provide.
If you have any questions regarding the following information, please feel free to comment on this post, call (770.841.5547) or email (andersonmusicstudio@ymail.com) in order to contact me with your questions, requests or concerns. If you choose to comment, your personal information will be protected from public view.
Thank you for perusing.
Dear Parents and Students,
Music is defined as a pitch in time. But the whole of music cannot be confined to a simple mathematical equation.
Music is an expression of the soul. Through music one can engage in the highest of all exercises, the worship of the Holy Creator, Redeemer God. Music can proclaim critical truths from God's Word, it can make Scripture memory easier, it can comfort the hearts of hurting and doubtful people and it can communicate the entire gambit of human emotions across all languages, nationalities, ethnicities, cultures and ages. It is a gift from God by which the musician can glorify God in return or bless others in ministry.
Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
Psalm 33:3
Music is just as much a discipline as reading, writing and arithmetic. And just as other disciplines require skill, though there may be a measure of talent or gift involved, so does music require the learning of particular skills to execute proficiently. Talent allows the assimilation of such skills to come easily, but correct, regular practice is needed for adapting these new skills until they are effectively mastered. Not every student needs natural talent in order to become a fine musician. All that is required is patient, disciplined practice and a skillful, caring, thoughtful, attentive teacher. I look forward to providing you with such a teacher for as long as you would allow.
It is my desire
• to provide a comfortable and safe learning environment for each student,
• to teach and encourage each student to the best of my abilities,
• to be sensitive to the learning needs of each student,
• to help each student set realistic goals for achievement,
• to adjust the teaching to the goals of each student,
• to treat you with respect,
• to exercise justice,
• to be flexible to the needs and circumstances of each student in terms of scheduling and other emergencies, etc. that arise,
• to always remember that all things are done "to the glory of God" from whom and to whom are all things.
I consider it a privilege to work with you.
Sincerely,
Meggan Anderson
Private violin instruction begins at $20 for one half-hour lesson, $28 for a forty-five minute lesson or $35 for one hour lesson.
General music instruction in areas of literacy, theory, sight-singing & ear-training, composition & arranging are available for $10 for one half-hour and $20 for one hour. This instruction may be given to individuals or groups.
These rates are effective for lessons given in my home. If you are interested in brief, 2 to 6 week courses in general music instruction, other teaching locations will be strongly considered.
Payments for each month are made at the first lesson of every month. This method of payment allows for paper conservation, reduced confusion regarding payments and ease for lesson scheduling.
There is a First Month Trial Offer by which a new student pays for 3 lessons and receives the fourth free. This is to allow time for the student, parent and teacher to decide whether it is desirable to continue. There is no initial obligation, no commitments and no signed contracts. It is important to find a teacher with whom the student and parent are comfortable and that may take some time.
If a lesson needs to be cancelled or rescheduled, kindly give 24 hours advance notice to avoid financial responsibility. In the event that a student will be absent from a scheduled lesson, given prior knowledge, a credit will be made toward the next month for that missed lesson. If prior notice of 24 hours has not been given, payment for that lesson is forfeit.
Exceptions to avoid financial responsibility for missed lessons include: personal and family emergencies, contagious/serious illness which require medical attention, inclement weather and threats to national security.
In the event that a student discontinues lessons any payment credits will be promptly refunded. The parent and teacher are free to discontinue lessons for any reason at any time.
The Music Studio offers lessons Mondays through Saturdays. Specific day and time arrangements for each student can be made once contact is established. Lessons can begin at any time during the course of the month or year.
It is optimal to schedule lessons once weekly. In this way, the student is given sufficient practice time between lessons to establish a regular daily/weekly routine and schedule for each individual family and home. Other scheduling arrangements can be made for special auditions, performances, and vacations. I am also available to teach lessons twice weekly, if that is desirable.
Please remember to notify me at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson in order to avoid financial responsibility. For sudden illnesses and emergencies in less than 24 hours, a courtesy call would be greatly appreciated. If a lesson should be missed for an emergency, the student will not be financially responsible (see Services & Payments).
If a student is tardy for the lesson, please note that there may not be the opportunity to have a full lesson and it may have to end at the normal time. If I am able, I will do my best to accommodate the situation at hand. It is my goal to be respectful of your time and end each lesson as scheduled.
Should the road conditions become severe, all lessons for that day would be cancelled or postponed at no charge.
Each individual student will progress at his or her own rate. Consistent, disciplined practice is necessary for laying a solid foundation for assimilating music skills. It is very important to practice in an environment absent of all possible distractions such as television, radio and other music/noise-making devices. Some individuals can concentrate only in silence, while others can focus better with a little background noise -- whatever works best.
The student should practice in such a manner that he or she should be thoroughly prepared for the next lesson. Perfection is not expected or demanded, but preparation is essential. An excellent summation is, "Quality not quantity." It is better to be confident with one or two measures or lines than to have an entire page or song played with many mistakes. In this way, though progress may be slow, both teacher and student may be encouraged that the diligence will pay off in the end.
The amount of practice time will vary greatly on the skill level, concentration, desire, and free time of each student. For beginning students, 20 to 30 minutes a day for 5 or 6 days is adequate. For those students at a higher skill level, one hour a day may be the minimum.
The student is responsible for diligence in his or her practice habits. While the teacher is present to give instruction and aid in providing help, the responsibility is upon the individual efforts of each student for his or her success. In other words, it is almost impossible for the teacher, meeting once a week, to cause the musical success of a student who does not practice in his or her own time. The teacher is provided to help guide the student in his or her endeavors, much like the headlights on a vehicle. The student is the whole remaining parts of the car -- the engine, gas, etc. -- the teacher provides instruction and guidance for what the student already possesses, the ability to become a fine musician.
The required literature will depend on the specific goals of each individual student. General required materials will include, but may not be limited to the following:
• Individual instrument in working order with all accompanying components,
• Instrumental maintenance materials,
• Notebook,
• Pencil,
• Metronome,
• Scale exercises,
• Instructional method book, and
• Level-appropriate repertoire.
The following are the responsibilities I expect each student to assume.
The student will:
• Arrive at each scheduled lesson on time with all of the required materials;
• Arrive at each lesson well prepared, having practiced the previously assigned passages;
• Arrive at each lesson ready to learn and ask questions with a positive attitude; and
• Perform in a public or semi-public venue at least once annually to celebrate his or her achievement;
• Notify Mrs. Anderson in the event that he or she will be absent for a scheduled lesson.
Not all students will have an accompanying parent. However, in those cases, these are the obligations I assume each parent will willingly undertake.
The parent(s) will:
• Provide contact information;
• Provide any necessary timely transportation;
• Provide any necessary instrument and materials in a prompt fashion within reason;
• Provide a conducive home environment for individual practice, i.e. remove as many distractions as possible;
• Provide positive, encouraging support;
• Freely address any concerns or questions to me for immediate resolution.
Having been born into a musical family, the presence of music always filled our house with my Dad playing guitar and Mom singing. As much as I heard them daily and my Grandfather, John Jackson, regularly perform in many public and private venues, I wasn't interested in playing anything until I saw my neighbor playing viola in the school assembly. I haven't parted from the violin since.
I was ten years old and began to learn through the public school strings program in the fifth grade. I enjoyed it and began to take regular private lessons in seventh grade. At that point I began to compete for positions in audition-based orchestras: All-County, Regional and State Orchestras. In high school I had opportunities to play solos before my peers and in church worship services.
My skills continued to improve and I auditioned for college scholarships, one of which I was awarded at George Mason University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. I loved to play with the orchestras there and in the Woodbridge community, namely, The Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra.
During my time there, I felt an increasing desire and pressure to perform in a career setting, but strongly felt the need to continue my training and education. Having been brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ at 18, I followed, what I know now, to have been the Lord's will and pursued a Master's of Music degree in Solo Performance in the Church, at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
There I continued to focus on developing a professional quality of violin performance while minoring in piano and becoming vocally proficient as required. When I concluded my studies at SBTS in 2006, I knew that I could not perform for a professional symphony orchestra as a career because of certain physical constraints, among other reasons, and I became content with that.
I have been teaching violin since 2000 to the present. What I have enjoyed most about teaching is the ability to watch and encourage my students of all ages, from 6 even to 60, to grow in their skills. I prefer to teach privately because my teaching methods can be focused on the needs of each individual student. In this way, the student is able to better excel at his or her pace.
