TakeLessons Blog

Archives

Posts Tagged ‘Piano’

Top 10 Reasons TakeLessons Gift Certificates Make An Awesome Holiday Gift

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Holiday adThe holiday season is in full swing, and if you’re looking for the perfect gift for that hard to please musician or music lover in your life, look no further.

Presenting….the Top 10 Reasons Why TakeLessons Gift Certificates Make an AWESOME Holiday Gift!

10.  Our gift certificates NEVER expire!

Whether the recipient wants to start lessons right away or a few months down the road, a TakeLessons gift certificate provides a flexible option that lets them start lessons when they’re ready.

9.  Gift certificates are good for any type of lesson we offer.

With more than 30 types of lessons to choose from, there’s something for everyone!  If you know what instrument the recipient is interested in learning, simply give us a call and one of our student counselors can check our database of teachers to confirm availability at the time of purchase, or you can do a search on our site and find a teacher yourself!

8.  Location, location, location!

TakeLessons gift certificates can be used toward lessons at any of our 3,000 locations across the country – including our Best Buy and Learning Care Group (Childtime, Children’s Courtyard, La Petite and Tutor Time) lesson centers.

7.  More convenient than fighting the crowds at the mall…

Gift certificates can be printed and mailed to the recipient – or, if you’re a last minute shopper, email delivery is also an option.

6.  Lessons for any age or stage in life.

Old or young, beginner or advanced – everyone can benefit from music lessons.  Our instructors help their students set goals and create a customized curriculum to help them achieve those goals!

5.  A first class experience from start to finish.

Nothing is more important to us than keeping our customers happy.  When you purchase a TakeLessons gift certificate, you can be sure that you are making a risk-free investment.  Should the recipient not be satisfied with their lessons for any reason, we will gladly set them up with a new instructor to ensure that they have a wonderful lesson experience.

4.  A great addition to music instrument gifts.

Planning to buy Junior that guitar or drum set he’s been begging for?  A gift certificate for lessons with one of our TakeLessons Certified™ Music Teachers will make sure he starts his music career off on the right foot.

3.  A fun and unique gift option that will be remembered.

Chances are the recipients on your gift-giving list have all the neckties and kitchen appliances they need.  This year, why not give a gift that will make an impact and potentially change a life?  Which brings us to our next point…

2.  Forget Rockband and learn to play for real!

Sure, video games are fun – but learning to play an instrument provides many more physical and mental benefits, including improved memorization skills, increased self-confidence, and enhanced creativity.

And the number one reason to purchase a TakeLessons gift certificate this holiday season?

1.  It’s better than fruitcake.

Enough said.

Call us at 877-231-8505 or click here to purchase your TakeLessons gift certificate today!  Happy Holidays!

Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Share/Bookmark

TakeLessons and Learning Care Group Announce Plans to Open 75 Lesson Centers This Fall

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

TakeLessons Learning Care GroupExciting things have been happening at TakeLessons for several months now, and yesterday we finally revealed some big news that marks the beginning of a brand new venture for us – the expansion of our music lesson programs to designated Lesson Centers!

We are pleased to announce that beginning this fall, TakeLessons and Learning Care Group, Inc., the second largest for-profit early education and child care provider in North America, will be partnering together to offer music lessons to children ages 5-12 at select schools within the Learning Care Group umbrella of brands, including The Children’s Courtyard, Childtime Learning Centers, La Petite Academy and Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers.

With this partnership, TakeLessons will offer private, one-on-one lessons on site at over 75 Learning Care Group schools in major cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The program launches on September 1, 2010, with plans to expand to additional markets in the near future.

Students will have the option to choose from guitar, piano or voice lessons, which will be conducted in a designated area within each participating Lesson Center location. As an added benefit, students and other family members age 5 – adult have the opportunity to take in-home lessons through the program as well.

Each lesson is 30 minutes in length and provides the student with one-on-one personalized instruction at a pace that complements their overall learning ability.  All of our Lesson Center teachers are TakeLessons Certified™, and must meet our rigorous hiring standards and pass a background check before they are accepted into the program.

Numerous studies have shown the direct correlation between playing music and increased brain development and academic achievement.  Many children experience additional benefits from taking music lessons, such as improved memorization skills, enhanced motor skills, and increased self confidence.  This program will provide Learning Care Group students with the opportunity to start building these valuable skills at a young age, which will continue to impact them throughout their lives.

More information about the each school’s music program can be found on the following sites:

TakeLessons at Children’s Courtyard
TakeLessons at Childtime
TakeLessons at La Petite Academy
TakeLessons at Tutor Time

  • Share/Bookmark

TakeLessons Student Success – Why We Do What We Do

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Brian SHere at TakeLessons, we have the privilege of working with students of all ages and backgrounds every day.  Whether they are just beginning their musical journey or are picking up an instrument for the first time in many years, our students all have one common goal – the dream to play music.

Recently, we held a contest on our Facebook page to celebrate reaching 2,200+ fans (a huge accomplishment!).  Fans were asked to submit their feedback on ways to improve our page and were then entered into a drawing to win a TakeLessons t-shirt.  We received some great ideas – everything from lesson plan suggestions to practice tips to more stories featuring TakeLessons students.  And it just so happens that one of our contest winners, Brian S. (pictured here in his TakeLessons t-shirt) has a pretty inspiring story himself!  He explains below:

“I live with a severe form of juvenile arthritis that has fused my neck and spine and subsequently limited my range of motion permanently.  Regardless, learning to play the piano has done wonders for me.  It has raised my spirit more than you know and proven to me that “Disability doesn’t mean Inability.”  I am very fortunate to have a “Rock Star” Piano Instructor, Laura D. (from TakeLessons in San Antonio), who gives me the knowledge and confidence I need to keep moving forward from week to week with my lessons.  I owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude for her patience with me, as well as your company for putting me in touch with her.”

In addition to the proven physical and mental benefits of music lessons, Brian is a perfect example of why we do what we do – to help make a difference in the lives of our students!  Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Brian!

_________________________________________

If you are a TakeLessons teacher or student, we invite you to share your story and tell us what being a part of TakeLessons means to you! Click here to send us your story (you can include pictures or videos as well); if we feature your story on our blog or Facebook page, we’ll send you a TakeLessons t-shirt!

  • Share/Bookmark

TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Javier A.

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Javier ACongratulations to Javier A., one of our talented piano teachers in Sacramento, CA, who is this week’s Rock Star Teacher of the Week!  Javier has been with TakeLessons since February 2009, and is popular with his students due to his versatile teaching style; they describe him as patient, supportive, and praise his ability to make learning the piano fun!

Javier’s musical journey began when he decided to take private piano lessons during his years as a high school student in Mexico.  He later studied music notation and tried his hand at composing, eventually releasing two CDs of his own compositions.  Javier’s musical education continues to this day, as he is currently enrolled in a program focusing on technique, performing, and music ensembles at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Javier believes music makes an individual happier and assists in intellectual growth.  His approach to teaching is to let students discover music by showing them how to relate to the piano first, then gradually introducing music notation, scales, chords, and other exercises after they become familiar with the instrument.  He teaches in both classical and contemporary styles, altering his method to fit each student’s needs.  Wonderful job, Javier – keep up the great work!

  • Share/Bookmark

TakeLessons Rock Star Teacher of the Week: Samantha D.

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Samantha DOur latest Rock Star Teacher of the Week has been a musician since the age of three when she started taking piano lessons from her mother, and now plays nearly a dozen instruments ranging from the violin to the tuba!  Meet Samantha D. from Macungie, Pennsylvania, who has been an instructor with TakeLessons since April 2009 and has seven continuing students.  In addition to studying piano, Samantha learned to play clarinet, flute, trumpet and saxophone, often playing different instruments in her school’s band. She also learned the violin and cello, all before graduating high school; she now teaches in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area, and is even planning to hold several half-day music camps for her students this summer.  Her students absolutely love working with her, praising her creativity and patience and saying they would “recommend her in a heartbeat” to anyone looking to take music lessons!

Samantha believes in teaching the fundamentals of music first, which makes the following lessons easy and fun for her students. She sets short and long term goals with each of her students, and works toward helping them achieve these goals with every lesson.  When not teaching music, Samantha is also passionate about horses; she is a certified riding instructor, and trains and shows Hunter/Jumper horses.  Outstanding work, Samantha – we are so happy to count you as one of our many talented TakeLessons teachers!

Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Share/Bookmark