Weekend Events for Kids
One of the best ways to keep your children engaged in music is to take them to live performances. In this day of on demand music, live performances offer your children the opportunity to see that there really are real people behind all those voices and instruments. Many places offer music for children free of charge (Yes I’m serious!) and they are often very entertaining. Here’s what happening around Norman this weekend:
Friday 10/30
The Pride of Oklahoma has their last full rehearsal for the game on Friday afternoon at 4pm. Did you know you can go watch? For free! It’s a great opportunity to show your kids how the band puts it all together and that no one just puts on a show without a little effort. Fair warning – it can be rather loud, so the little ones may appreciate a hat to cover their little ears. Bring a blanket or folding chair (and maybe even some snacks) to the practice field behind the OU softball complex.
Norman High School’s production of Hello, Dolly! happens this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday @7pm at Norman North High School). Tickets for this are $10-$12, and all money goes to help fund choir needs for the school. So you get a good show, and you’re helping them raise money to continue to keep the arts active in our schools. It’s a win-win!
Saturday 10/31
Ok, this one isn’t music related, but it’s free! Sonic is sponsoring free admission to the Sam Noble Museum (http://www.snomnh.ou.edu/) on Saturday. With coupons, and toys for the kids, it’s a great chance to visit one of our local museums free of charge. 10am-5pm
Monday 11/2
The Norman Children’s Chorus and University Chamber Singers are doing a concert Monday at 7pm in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at the Catlett Music Center on the University of Oklahoma campus. Come see our local students from all over Norman perform some international folk songs and classical children’s music. Again, free, and open to the public.
If you know of another event that should be added to this post, or if you would like your event included on a future posting, please contact me!
Getting Started: 10 Questions For Your Prospective Piano Teacher
Finding a private piano teacher (or any instrumental teacher for that matter) can be a daunting task. You ask friends and neighbors, you scour the phone books and online listings, but information overload sets in, and they all look the same. Once you have managed to narrow your list to 3 or 4, how can you tell which one is right for your child, and your family? Ask to set up an in-person interview. Most teachers will be glad to meet you one on one (many for free) so that both sides can see if it’s a good match. Here are 10 questions you should ask every prospective teacher.
1) What is your educational background? Don’t assume because they took out a full page ad in the yellow pages that they have a degree in music. Many piano teachers (probably a lot more than you think) have no formal music education training. That in itself isn’t a deal breaker but if you are looking for a well structured curriculum of music instruction, the degree holding or MTNA certified teacher is the one you want to find.
2) Do you do any performing? Most piano teachers continue some sort of performing (accompanying vocalists or other instrumentalists, in their churches, at community groups, etc) but when the performing list is longer than the teaching credentials, it can be a sign that your teacher is only teaching for the income. Look for a teacher who is a teacher FIRST. Their interest lies with making sure your kids have the best possible musical education and they will work hard to make sure that happens.
3) How long have you been teaching? Not an indicator of quality, but a useful piece of information for you. I would never eliminate a piano teacher from your list because of length of experience – everyone starts somewhere. You just may need to be a little more vocal about what is, and is not, working for your child. If you do find you have a newer teacher, you can also ask if they have a mentor they are working with, or if they belong to any professional organizations. This gives you an idea of whether or not they have help outside their studio walls.
4) What are your expectations of the students? These need to be reasonable for your family. If piano is one of 10 activities your child is involved in, a teacher requiring huge amounts of time outside the lesson may not be a good fit for you. Decide what your family can handle, and then don’t try to take on any more. You may really want to say that your child studies with so-and-so, but if everyone is miserable and running ragged, what’s the point?
5) What are your expectations of the parents? Listen carefully, and decide if you can meet those expectations. You will need to make sure practice happens, goals are met, lessons and recitals are attended and maybe even act as a partner in music writing work and games. If you can’t meet these expectations, then you either need to make sure someone else can, or wait until the whole family is ready.
6) What is your teaching philosophy? Every piano teacher should be able to give you a short, clear vision of their philosophy. These teachers have a plan in place for every student, and will work diligently to be sure that each child that passes through their doors is provided with the best possible experience, guided by that philosophy.
7) What teaching method do you use? There are many, many methods available to piano students. You don’t need to know about them all, but this question lets you know if your prospective piano teacher is flexible with their students or just pushes everyone through the same materials. You can also ask about supplemental materials and if your child has any say in what is studied. A course of study that is tailored to your student’s interests and abilities will allow for the greatest success.
8) What performance opportunities does my child have? Think about your job – you probably “perform” every day in meetings, on phone calls, and even just at your desk. Music performances teach kids how to deal with pressure, and how to handle very public mistakes gracefully. One recital a year is plenty, or if your child is really craving it, seek out the teacher who has many performances throughout the year. You can also ask how they help prepare students for these performances.
9) What is your practice philosophy? Is it a set time? Is it goal setting? This is a philosophy that varies greatly with every teacher, and many are very passionate about their position. Think about what you want your child to be getting from music lessons, and then find the philosophy that will help fulfill your wishes.
10) Does your studio have a website? Email? How can I best contact you? You may know these answers already, but you may not know that the teacher uses an online billing system or that all practice records and lesson notes are maintained online for you to view at any time. And what if you have questions during the week? You can’t expect them to be at your beck and call 24/7, but you can expect that any contact between lessons should be welcomed, they have a preferred method of contact, and probably have “office hours”.
Welcome!
Welcome to The Taylor Studio blog! My name is Kristen Taylor and I am a piano teacher & accompanist in Norman, OK.
I have created this blog as a resource for parents of current and future music students. You don’t need to be one of MY students to benefit from the information contained in this blog (though sometimes there will be posts just for my current students). Whether you are looking for a new instrument for your child, some helpful tips for practice time or are just beginning to enter the world of music study with your kids and are trying to decide when the right time to begin piano lessons is or how to find a piano teacher, there will be something here for everyone.
Be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed and if you live in the Norman area, be sure to sign up for our email newsletter to keep up with all of the new and exciting things happening in the studio. You can join the newsletter by entering your email address here:
If you have any specific questions you don’t see answered here on the blog, please feel free to contact me and let me know how I can help you.
Thanks for stopping by!
