TakeLessons Discover Your Music. TakeLessons™ lorem ipsum dolor sit amet  Music Lesson Guide                                                           TakeLessons they learn much more than just how to perform! Benefits of Music & Voice Lessons Older adults find that music lessons are a great way to stay mentally active. Many will resume lessons for an instrument they played in the past to polish up their skills while others are interested in learning something brand new and acquiring a special talent. Music is known to be therapeutic and a great way to keep one's mind young! Did you know that music… When people of all ages take music and voice lessons, Parents find that music and voice lessons for kids not only improve their children's memorization and small motor skills, but strongly contribute to the building of their child's self-confidence. This in turn helps children succeed not only in music, but in school and other outside activities. Both children and their parents find it truly rewarding when a child reaches a pre-set goal or milestone; whether that is learning a new song, performing in front of others or just finding enjoyment in music. Adults in their 20's and 30's see lessons as a creative outlet and something to help them de-stress after a long day. For many, music and voice lessons are the beginning steps of a career in live performance or recorded music. For others, music lessons are a way to express emotion or impress others with their new-found talents through a birthday, wedding, or special event performance. • Helps develop skills needed in today's workforce: critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, teamwork, and confidence • Keeps kids engaged in school and less likely to drop out while helping them achieve in other academic subjects like math, science, and reading • Helps communities share ideas and values among cultures and generations   Finding the right instructor The Instructor It's About Chemistry     For most students, music is about having fun, living your dream, and discovering your music. You'll want to be paired with an instructor that understands where you currently are and can relate to where you want to go. When you begin, you may not even know where you want to go – and that's ok. Your instructor should be able to help you take small steps that help guide you and help you see the picture of what you want to accomplish. The chemistry between the student and the instructor is really important. There should be a natural respect and friendliness between the two. There are many styles of instruction, so find someone that fits your personal style. Some people learn better with a more disciplined instructor that pushes them. Others learn better with a more laid-back, assertive style. Be honest with what works for you. When speaking to your lessons company, express the style of instructor that you think will work better for you. Chris Waldron, Director of Recruiting for TakeLessons Learning Centers, has hired thousands of instructors and says a key to good instructors is not only their musical aptitude, but their attitude as well. "A good instructor will share in your success and help you through the rough patches. He or she will challenge you to get better while giving you insight, tools, and training on the best way to improve. They are there to help you achieve higher skill levels and maximize your potential while providing constructive feedback that leads to continuous improvement.", Waldron says. Remember, however, that private lessons are a two-way street and the relationship should be mutually beneficial. Instructors are not baby-sitters or therapists and they will expect you to uphold your end of the bargain by practicing, trying hard, coming to the lessons prepared. They cannot make you great. YOU make yourself great. They are there to encourage and challenge you, but ultimately, your success is going to depend on your own motivation levels and how much you decide to apply yourself. Here's a checklist of what to look for in an instructor. Your instructor should: • Have passed a criminal background check • Have positive feedback from other students • Have a degree in music, working on a degree, or several years of experience • Enjoy the style and genre of music you wish to learn • Be a good listener • Focus more on you, and less about themselves • Helps you discover your strengths • Help you set high, yet attainable milestones • Be clear on what is expected of you each week • Hold you accountable for practicing and continued growth • Provide you with timely and specific feedback • Use technology to help keep track of lessons and monitor your growth • Offer the option for you to perform at a local concert or recital • Help you get excited about learning and staying involved with lessons • Be constantly growing themselves—musically and as a teacher                                                           Picking the Right Program & Instructor     When moving forward with lessons, it's best to work with an established music learning company. When you call and speak with them, they should be friendly, excited to help you, and focused on what YOU want to learn instead of what they want to teach. Beware of instructors or programs that have an air of arrogance about them. Normally, these
instructors are focused more on what you can do for them instead of what they can do for you. Also, beware of programs that are so strict that the lessons no longer are fun. Your lessons company should also have a documented, thorough application procedure for their instructors. This includes interviews, reference checks, background checks and ongoing quality certifications. They should also require liability insurance for their instructors. Feel free to ask them to see their liability insurance paperwork. If they cannot provide documentation, you are risking a higher liability with the instructor. Finally, working with a lessons company helps ensure your money is safe. There have been many stories from unsuspecting students who write a check or pay cash to an instructor they found online or in a classifieds ad, and that instructor never showing up after the first lesson. Others have paid for a semester or year's worth of lessons, only to find their instructor has left town or shut down their studio.     A Reputable Learning Company   A Reputable Learning Company  • The company should offer several instructors in your area. This way, if the first one doesn't fit your style, you can switch to another at no cost to you. pellentesque:  Checklist • The lessons programs should be focused and tailored around what you want to learn, and the company should provide an instructor that is suited for your style of music and your skill level. Nam vestibulum dolor quis libero.  • The company should always protect your money. If their instructor does not show up, their policy should be to issue you a quick and full refund. • The company should allow you to obtain a refund if, after your first lesson, you do not wish to continue. • Never pay for more than a quarter's worth of lessons upfront (three months). • Always pay by credit card or debit card. This way, if there are billing issues, you have recourse through your bank or card company. • Check the Better Business Bureau to ensure the company treats its customers well. • Check the company's web site for the owners and employees. They should be transparent about who runs the company. Also check for press releases, financial backing, advisory boards, and partners. All of these items help you see if they are an established, reputable company. • Look to see if they have partnered with community organizations such as the YMCA or PTA and if they run programs for private schools after-school programs, or corporate wellness. If they have proven themselves by working with these partners, there is a good probability they are reputable. • Look for a company that has instructor certification processes which includes criminal background checks and ongoing quality ratings. Ask the percentage of instructor applicants that get hired. If it's more than 40%, the company may be accepting anyone who applies and may have a quality problem. • The pricing should reflect your skill level. If you are a beginner, chances are you don't need the instructor with a PhD and 30 years of experience. You'll overpay. Find a company that has a selection of instructors with differing levels of experience and reasonable rates. • Make sure the company has an established online lessons tracking system. This allows you to access your lesson notes from anywhere on the web and creates accountability between you and the instructor. If you are a parent, this allows you to see what your children are working on during the lessons, thus ensuring you are getting your money's worth.     Why Take Lessons? Tak eL essons Discover Your Music. Why Not Learn on your Own? There are a myriad of music self-study courses, books, CD's, and DVD's. Add in the hours of video on YouTube and across the Internet, and you've got an endless supply of information. But information alone isn't the key to having fun and learning. It's the application of the information that makes the difference. When you take lessons with a live instructor, you get added benefits that simply cannot be attained through all the do-it-yourself media. Speed Up Your Learning Curve, Slow Down Your Frustration When you first start with music, it will most likely be a bit odd to you. That's ok. Its normal. It takes some time to understand the fundamentals and mentally digest why notes, chords, and songs sound good together. Working with a private instructor helps you quickly understand the fundamentals while making learning fun. You will learn faster, which helps build your confidence and increases the likelihood of you continuing with your lessons. The First Step is the Hardest With music, there's a phenomenon called the "First Month Hump". During the first month, you're at an important stage that determines whether you keep going or whether you call it quits. Everything is new. Some things make sense—other things do not. And inside, you're trying to decide whether the dream of making music is worth the fear of failing at it. It's at this stage where private instruction really starts to make a difference. With the help of a good program and instruction, you see more improvement, which helps build your confidence and increases the likelihood of continuing. Your lessons are customized around you, so you get to learn the things you're most interested in. This naturally speeds up your learning curve as well. You also have personalized attention that helps you fast-track through the First Month Hump and into the next phase of learning. Staying Motivated Without a doubt, there will be times during the first few months when you feel disappointed with your playing. Perhaps you didn't find time to practice, or you can't quite figure out how to work your left and right hand with the proper timing. Again, that's ok! It's normal. The benefit of working with a private lessons company is that you have the support of your music counselor, your instructor, and a community of other people learning at your level. A good lessons program will help you A.I.M. High! A — Accountability I — Inspiration M — Milestones Accountability Private or group lessons help you become accountable to yourself, to your instructor, and others. As a general rule, we always work harder when we know someone else is counting on us. By telling others what our goals are, we trigger something inside the mind that helps us give a little extra effort. A good program will help you set your first goal and then help you share that goal with others. Inspiration A good lessons program helps inspire you by having people that believe in you. You get to hear stories of how other people are living their dream and can then apply their learning to your own situation. By taking lessons, you'll tap into the wisdom of instructors that have been through your situation before, and are willing to help you get to where you want to be. Milestones Part of the job of private instruction is to help you see yourself living your dream and discovering the music inside you. A good lessons company will understand your current skill level and help you set reasonable milestones for your growth. Using online tools, your music program should be able to help you keep track of your progress with lesson notes and practice pages that can be accessed via the web. They should provide you with candid feedback after each lesson to help you see where you're doing great, and where you need help. “Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work hard to get better. “ -Paul Coffey With music, you'll never hit your target if you don't know what you're shooting for. With a solid lessons program, you'll always know where you're heading. TakeLessons Discover Your Music.   For questions or to find a certified instructor in your area, please contact TakeLessons 1-877-231-8505 TakeLessons 624 Broadway Suite 504 San Diego, CA 92101