-Stathia Orwig

We love celebrating the things we do right, but sometimes you need to hear about what people think! Starting this past February through March, we did our first-ever parent survey! The results were great! I think we got some REALLY good and honest feedback from our parents at Music SO Simple and we would love to share our results with you. 

THE TEACHERS
Here are the averages on our teachers (scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest)

• I think my teacher has a high level of professionalism 4.9
• My child and teacher have a good relationship= 4.86
• My child’s teacher is able to meet the particular learning needs of my child=4.82
• My child feels comfortable talking to his/her teacher=4.76
• My child’s teacher regularly gives feedback/has good communication with me=4.76
• My child's teacher runs on time=4.74
• My child's teacher motivates my child=4.68
• I am happy with the expectation level of our teacher=4.68
• I feel like my child is learning and progressing well=4.62

THE STUDIO
Here are the averages on the studio as a whole (scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest)

• I feel like the lesson environment is inviting and conductive to learning=4.84 wohooo!
  
• I feel like Music So Simple has a good reputation=4.76
  
• How would you evaluate the payment and billing process?=4.76
• I am happy with the recitals that Music So Simple provides=4.6
• How would you evaluate your child's lesson assignments?=4.6
  
• My child understands how to practice=4.46 I think this is definitely something we need to work on as teachers!
• I am happy with the Dallas Music Teachers Association opportunities that Music SO Simple provides=4.4 From some of the comments, a lot of our parents did not know what DMTA was.
• I feel that I get enough communication from the studio and am well informed of registration, payments, billing, scheduling, recitals, etc. =3.78 This is a question that 3 was not too much and not too little. Some families think we send out too much, and others are still confused. Definitely a tricky one for sure!

Comments that really stood out are:

• Mr. Large is very patient. The violin can be ear piercing in the early learning stages and he is careful to use positive encouragement in those moments (much better than I am able to do thus far).
• Mr. James has a good temperament for my son.
• Ms. Chiara's passion for music is contagious!
• Mrs. Coolidge is so caring and will do anything to help her students 
• Ms. Ellie really understands how to connect with each of my kids in very different ways, she learned what motivated them and how they learned, and adapted her teaching style to bring out the best in each of them.
• Ms. Logan is very patient and kind, always has a positive attitude, communicates well, sets appropriate expectations
• Ms. Lynne is obviously driven to pass along all her knowledge/love of music and piano to children. She is a great communicator, juggler of all things music/theory/reward/scheduling/planning she has to check off each lesson. I have observed her be firm, yet gentle with my boys (which they need-the firm). She is encouraging with also being real with them about the need for practice, etc.
• Ms. Meredith is kind and wonderful and all the great things- too many to name on this evaluation. We love her! 
• Ms. Stathia is very professional. She is always on time and explains thing well to my daughter. And, she always communicates her expectation after each session. 
• I love all the teachers that I have had the opportunity to meet. I would recommend this studio to many people.
• The studio is beautiful and very inviting. The energy in the studio is electrifying. The pianos are wonderful quality. The binders are very helpful. 

And, to address the concerns:

• I will like to have a more detailed invoice email/would appreciate knowing if I am paying for a service or item that is not under my usual tuition fee (i.e. books, recital fees, etc). 

When you open the PDF that is in the invoice email sent on the first of each month, there is a detailed description for books, recitals, festivals, etc. It is on the left of the item. But, you have to open the PDF to get this!

• Soundproofing the practice rooms would be awesome!

We have thought about soundproofing the rooms more than they already are, however, we love hearing each other and what's going on in each studio. From the waiting area, it "feels" like a music school! So, for now, we are going to enjoy all of the different music and learn that we don't always need quiet to make progress!


And to end with a few random comments: We definitely have some cheerleaders out there!!

• Love being able to refer y’all to my friends - you’re the best!
• Love it! Grateful!
• Special kudos to Stathia Orwig, being professional and organized school.
• We are so proud of the progress of Music So Simple!! 

-Meredith Manley

Our May Awards Recital is always something we all look forward to at the end of each school year! Due to the circumstances, our May recital this year looks a little different: instead of performing for a live audience, our students are submitting a recorded video of themselves performing at home. They have been working so hard on their recital pieces, and we wanted to give them a chance to still perform in the safest way we could. We will be putting together the videos to make virtual recitals and sending them out to all of our families!

At the end of the May recital, we call up students one by one and present them their bag of yearly awards. Most families head home with their awards, but don’t always understand what they are for or how their child earned them. So I thought this blog would be a great way to explain all the different types of awards students can earn!