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February Newsletter

3/11/2014

In this month’s issue:

· Top Ten reasons why you should learn to play a
musical instrument: PART TWO

· Student of the Month: Piano student Isaiah

· Teacher Performance spotlight: PSoM’s Piano teacher Sarah Hamilton’s Graduate Recital

· Makeup Lesson Policy Updates!

IMPORTANT STUDIO DATES:

Makeup Lesson Times:
Go to PSoM’s homepage and click “absences” to fill out the form and view availability

Spring Break:
April 18th-25th
NO LESSONS

Spring Recital:
Saturday May 17th
11-2

Memorial Day Weekend:
May 24th-26th
(No Lessons)

TOP 10 Reasons why everyone should learn to play a Musical Instrument!
PART TWO...

Can you imagine living your life without music? It would be very hard to do so. While everyone enjoys listening to music, not many of us bother to learn to play! This could be for a few reasons. First, some people may lack the incentive to learn or second, they may feel that they are simply “not talented enough” to give it a try. In my 26 years of teaching I can tell you first hand that anyone can learn to play a musical instrument! Too often many of us suffer from self doubt and self defeating thoughts that keep us from even trying it out. Even as a full time teacher and director at the studio, I still spend time to keep up with my learning on the guitar. I feel that everyone can benefit from learning to play and that everyone should take the time out to learn to play at some time in their lives..Listed below are the top ten reasons why I feel learning to play an instrument is important.

3. Playing a musical instrument makes you smarter:
People who have received a music education are generally smarter than their non-musical counterparts are. Extensive research done in this area has proved that children who learn to play a musical
a musical instrument do better in academics. Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb, in their research paper titled Music Training Causes Long-Term Enhancement Of Preschool Children's Spatial-Temporal Reasoning, speak about, “a research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reported that music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills, the skills necessary for learning math and science."
4. Playing a musical instrument helps build confidence:
Choosing to take music lessons can help build confidence. Once you are aware that you are able to do something well, like play the flute for instance, you naturally become more confident of your skills. Learning to play an instrument can help both children and adults who face confidence issues. Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen, a music teacher and performer, has found that music has helped many of students develop confidence. "They find that once they can develop a skill by themselves that they can get better and better."
6. Playing a musical instrument fosters creativity:
Stuck in everyday routine lives, many of us lose touch with our creative side. Learning to play a musical instrument, especially when you reach advanced levels, can foster that lost creativity. Since music education plays on your mental, emotional and cognitive abilities, the brain is stimulated to think out of the ordinary, which results in improved creativity. ~ Stay tuned!

Piano Student:
Isaiah Park

Why did decide to learn to play the Piano?
I am inspired by the music that I hear on the radio. I would really enjoy learning to play some of the popular music that I hear.

What have you been learning in your lessons?
I have been learning how to read music and have been enjoying learning to play “jingle Bells”.

Do you have any hobbies?
Besides the Piano, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and
playing Football.

______________________
Isaiah has been studying Piano with Sarah Hamilton here at
Plymouth School of Music for a few months and has been making great progress! We look forward to hearing Isaiah Perform at the next studio recital on May 17th, 2014.

Teacher Spotlight Performance Announcement:

Plymouth School of Music Piano teacher Sarah Hamilton is finishing up her Masters Degree in Piano at Eastern Michigan University. As part of her degree requirements Sarah will be playing a solo recital on March 14th, 2014.

The recital is free and open to the public and will be followed by a short reception.

The program will be as follows:

Italian Concerto by J.S.Bach, Piano Sonata Op 13 by Beethoven, Preludes by Chopin, and Waltz by Shostakovich.

WHERE: Pease Auditorium on the campus of EMU.

494College Place, Ypsilanti Mi.

WHEN: March 14th, 2014 at 8 PM

IMPORTANT: Makeup lesson Policy Updates

We have been working hard to perfect the makeup system here at Plymouth School of Music. On occasion you may need to cancel and reschedule a lesson and We are working to help you with this as much as possible! Thank you for taking the time for reading over these changes To get your makeup you must follow these directions:
1. The online form is the ONLY method of cancelling and scheduling a makeup. Incorrectly filled out forms may void your makeup lesson.
2. You must cancel (fill out the absence online absence form) 24 hours in advance to receive a makeup lesson.
3. There are No makeup’s for missed makeup lessons.

The makeup lesson system is NOT to be used as a weekly lesson reschedule.

It’s important that you keep your normal weekly scheduled lesson time and ONLY use the makeup system for in-advanced upcoming absences that are unavoidable; vacations, sports conflicts etc. If we see that see that students are using this system in a way to continually reschedule their lesson from week to week; you will be asked to permanently switch your lesson time.

We are doing our best to get you a makeup lesson, but
can’t always promise you a makeup.

The makeup calendar is based on teacher availability. Our teachers are very busy professional musicians. They’ve made it a part of their schedule to meet with you once a week at your originally agreed on time. From time to time they do however have spaces in their schedule that allows for a makeup lesson; this is what you are seeing when you view the makeup calendar. There will be weeks where you will see N/A on their schedule. This is because they are completely booked up. You may have to wait it out until you see something come available. The makeup lessons availability is “first come first serve” know that other students are viewing this continually to check the availability for their makeup lesson as well.

Please note: If or any reason the teacher cancels your normally weekly scheduled lesson a substitute teacher will be provided for you. Please know that we work hard to find quality substitute teachers for these absences. Please do not cancel your lesson when you know that a substitute teacher is coming in. They are qualified to teach and are just as capable of teaching as your regular teacher. In the case of school closings (snow days, power outages etc) you will be given a makeup lesson. In these rare cases your teacher will open up other lesson times for a makeup lesson for you making things easier for your schedule.

Thank You for reading...
see ya next month!!

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