Group vs Private Instruction
Small group piano classes are more affordable, more fun, and more educational than traditional private lessons. I provide students with a classical piano education in a fun-filled class with friends. Written by a piano instructor with over 40 years experience, our curriculum, The Mayron Cole Piano Method, emphasizes staff-note reading, rhythm counting, and sight reading. With no gimmicks or shortcuts, our Piano method teaches beginners through advanced pianists to read music and accompany other musicians which leads to a lifetime of enjoying playing the piano.
Location & Teacher
Hamilton Area Home studio - 3 blocks from Hamilton Elementary School
My name is Melissa Ayotte and I am from Mill Valley where I studied piano 15 years beginning at age 3. Now I live in Novato with my husband and our two children: Charlie, 12 and Isabella, 9. I have been a popular piano and Kindermusik teacher in Marin for over 14 years, and I taught Kindergarten Music at Hamilton Elementary School in Novato. I have worked many years as a professional piano accompanist and I’ve been a competitive Irish Dancer almost my entire life. I am patient and fun and I truly enjoy working with very young children.
The Curriculum
The MAYRON COLE PIANO METHOD has been lovingly developed at the Mayron Cole Houston Conservatory of Music over the past 20 years. It is the Nation’s #1 group method for children.
In order to be successful at playing piano and reading music, your child needs to enjoy the learning process, but not use “shortcuts”, like playing by finger number.
The Mayron Cole Method is a traditional music reading method, so you can be assured that the skills your child learns can be used later on to learn an orchestra or band instrument, or to advance his piano study. In our small-group classes, each child will sit at his/her own full sized digital grand piano and be accompanied by live piano playing.
School Year Program
For Beginners ages 5 & 6 “Menehune Music”
“Menehune” means “little elf” in Hawaiian, and this is the perfect course for Kindergarten students who are beginning to read. MENEHUNE MUSIC easily takes students through the first two steps of piano playing readiness: mastery of rhythm counting and keyboard geography. Your child will learn to play and count correctly two-eighths, quarter, half, dotted-half, and whole notes as they sing along with original compositions. All of the white keyboard keys are used, plus several sharps and flats! Dynamics and legato playing are introduced. Beautifully illustrated theory FUN SHEETS compliment each lesson.
For Beginners ages 6 to 10 “Level 1A”
Level 1A is one of our most popular programs! The practice pieces, recital/performance pieces, and analyzing theory fun sheets combined so that the theory taught in each lesson is the theory that is relevant to the lesson’s songs. Beginner students love the big notes because they are much easier to read! Compositions include staff notes from Middle C up to G and Middle C down to A as well as harmonic seconds, thirds, and fourths. Eighth note rhythms are introduced in the first lesson! Fingering numbers not introduced until about week 12 to ensure that these beginner students are really reading notes and not reading fingering numbers! The original compositions ensure that children will read their music instead of playing by ear.
For Transfer Students
I have continuing classes from Level 1A to Level 5B, from first graders to seventh graders. If you have an experienced or advanced student, please inquire about joining one of these classes.
Calendar 2010/2011
The School-Year Session runs September 13, 2010 to May 24, 2011 (minus holidays) 31 Regular Class meetings
There will be 2 weeks of FREE make ups offered - June 1 to June 14, 2011
There are no piano classes during the following holiday weeks:
November 22 to 26, 2010
December 20, 2010 to January 4, 2011
February 21 to 25, 2011
April 12 to 15, 2011
There will be regular piano on Wed Nov 11 and Mon Jan 17
Tuition and Materials Fees
Tuition: Weekly 30 min Small Group Piano Class, 31 weeks $675 …. (paid $75 monthly)
Materials Fee: $50 added to first month’s payment
Class Availability 2010/2011
New families can contact me on AUGUST 16th to find out about class availability for the next school year. Check this website or phone me (415) 721-1929
Mark your Calendar!
Requirements
· Enrollment for the school year (31 week session)
· A Piano or Keyboard with full size keys at home for daily practice.
· A CD player set up next to the practice instrument for daily CD practice.
· Practicing is required 5 days per week by all students. Parent must be available to help with practices. (5 to 10 minutes per day at first, building to 15 to 20 minutes.)
Recitals
Fun recitals are presented twice each school year (Fall and Spring). Recitals are held at the Hamilton Elementary School’s Multi Purpose room on the “big stage” and they are FREE for friends and family to attend.
Make Ups
Students may attend 1 or 2 free make up lessons/classes after the session has ended. Make ups are held at the student’s regular scheduled lesson time. There are no make ups or schedule changes during the session.
Registration
Contact me to request registration materials via mail/email
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