I have gotten a lot of questions regarding summer private lessons- most especially why they look like they are so much more expensive. So, I figure that I can use some blog time to write down exactly why it looks like it is more expensive, but it's really not as much as you think. Stick with me. 

For the mere sake of time, I'm only going to compare 45-minute lessons for you. Of course, feel free to do the lesson package that applies to you and your family. 

During the school year, we include 32-lessons from September through May. We divide this number into 9 equal monthly payments, which means you are paying for about 3.5 lessons each month. We do this because some months have more weeks than others, students come on different days & there are not an equal number of days in each month...some months you get MORE lessons, some months you get LESS. Hopefully that makes sense. 

45 minute lessons each month is $205. That is a total of $1845 for the school year or almost $58 per lesson. 

For the summer session- 6 lessons of the same length are $375, which is $62.50. We have gone up $4.50 per lesson. Of course, we know everything goes up- this is to help provide you with the best teachers and keep our pay rate competitive to what other schools pay their own teachers.

This price will stay the same for the 2023-24 school year. We do a small increase each summer which is reflected in the following school year pricing. There are no discounts in the summer because everyone is traveling and we don't have the normal cash flow like the school year. 

I honestly do not like talking money or making pricing of lessons go up. I have a family of my own as well- and it's hard! However, I do know that the quality of what we provide is the best. Ask any of our teachers, and they love doing what they do- but they all love working at Music SO Simple.

In addition to our wonderful teachers, we are building our library of music- which directly affects what we give our students, teaching on the best instruments, keeping them in tune and maintained, and offering a wonderful staff and facility for all. These are just a few things that you do see every single week. I promise to keep that going for you all. 

That's all I have to say. I'm certainly not going to keep anyone from taking lessons because of money, so if you are in a real bind, please feel free to reach out to me. 

-Stathia Orwig

I have been working HARD on recitals since December 21st- a few days after our huge December Holiday Recital 2022. Along with the photos from the day's recitals, I had also sent out a survey getting some much needed feedback. Here's what I learned from our recitals as they are now:

• Parents felt that there was good communication from the studio and were well informed of registration and information about the recital.
• Our students were motivated to participate in the recital (maybe a couple of students were forced to participate, ha)
• An overwhelming response that the recitals that Music So Simple offers are well run, organized, and a great representation of its students.
• Most people felt that the recital fee was aligned with the uniqueness of a MSS recital.
• Another overwhelming response that our parents enjoy the photos taken (by Brian) at the recitals which are included in every recital. 
• For the first time ever, we tried a MSS merchandise table at the recital, and you all really enjoyed that! 

One thing not mentioned in the survey- but an incredibly important observation from the teachers- is that our students were super prepared and performed very well this December. We do think it's largely because of the recital prep classes we offer and mandate for new students. 

The most common mentioned feedback was about wanting a better venue where the student is elevated on a stage or the audience has more auditorium style seating. AND THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD ON!

To be honest, this is something I have been worrying about. Because the space has a stage, but not a heavy enough stage to support the piano, we have to have the piano in front of the stage, which limits our seating right in front of the piano.  The location of the church is ideal AND it's easy for our families to get in and out of. Parking is amazing, and being able to walk right in without taking elevators, or walking a far distance is key for us. The other wonderful thing about it is that there is ALWAYS someone to help us if we need something or if there is an emergency. This is not something we have had in the past at a different venue, even when our rental fees went up. 

Our plan for May is to offer TWO different recital dates since we will have many more participants. The first will be a recital in the parking lot: "Luau in the 'Lot" with 3 recitals. This will be more of a casual recital. Then later in May, we will offer another 5-6 recitals in the church hall moving the piano to one side (instead of in the middle of the hall) and place the seating with many rows back.

I am working on a new/different venue for our formal recitals in December. I willl keep you all posted on this as I make decisions.

This week, I came across a great article that explains some different ways our brains react to music. Almost every part of our brain reacts when we make or listen to music! If you've ever been curious about the benefits of music study, you can see some specifics here. The web page includes a diagram of the brain, showing how music affects each specific area. One interesting highlight: since music engages the part of our brain that regulates coordination and rhythm, Parkinson's patients who need help getting around can be prescribed music as a treatment! Explore more for yourself here. 
 - Emily McMullin

I've been hearing from parents lately about their child not really getting into practice and if I have suggestions. I do!!

#1: Try and make practice part of the schedule. It could be the same time each day or just part of the daily flow. Do you usually eat dinner around the same time each night? When whoever is cooking, maybe that's the time to remind your student to go practice! Or, maybe it's in the middle of homework and your student needs a break. Physically get up from homework (at the proper stopping point) and switching that part of the brain off to work on practice helps tremendously. Not only will practice be a welcome thought, but also when practice is done, your student will be ready and fresh again for homework! If your evenings are crazy, how about practice first thing in the morning before jetting off to school?

#2: Remember WHY you are doing this! Why do you feel music is good for your student? If there's no practice (or very little) your student is going to get discouraged. Keep the momentum going at the beginning establishes that habit of practice. Even if it's only for 5 minutes. I often think getting TO the instrument is the hardest part. It's kind of like working out, once you get to your mat or to the gym, you feel better working out! Just get to your instrument- make the effort, and the rewards will show themselves. 

#3: Need a little incentive? This is part of the reason we begin Music Ball when we do!! (we are kinda smart sometimes). We like to wait a few weeks in and then throw in the super fun, competitive game of Music Ball. Students are put on teams according to their teacher and then we "play" against each other. Honestly, all you will have to say at home is "How's your team doing?", "Make sure you mark your practice so your teacher can see it!" , and I promise your student might go running to their instrument!! Then, check out the weekly newsletter each week- save the URL for Music Ball (only available to students) and check in on it at the beginning of each week. Viola! You're golden! Bonus point for not even saying "go practice!".

Many of my students this semester are brand new to piano. Several are the very first in their family to ever try playing an instrument! I love seeing the fresh waves of excitement that are always sparked at the beginning of a musical journey, and I’m not surprised that parents love seeing it too.

If you’re a parent with children in music lessons, you probably remember the nervous energy, beaming post-lesson faces, and growing self-assurance of the early days. You may be in that phase yourself! My goal today is to answer some questions I’ve heard recently from new-to-music parents.

How often should my child practice?
Throughout the journey of playing an instrument, consistency is vital to the learning process. At the very beginning, your child is learning a habit of daily practice that will be essential to their progress later. Practicing every day is a good goal – your teacher can give you a realistic expectation for daily practice session length.

Should I buy a real piano?
This is a tricky one, since every family’s situation is different. The best option for piano practice is an acoustic piano. If your family has access to one, your child should be practicing on it. If you don’t have one, consider making the investment. Pianos can be cheaper than you think, and there’s nothing wrong with purchasing a used piano! Talk with your teacher if you have questions about purchasing a piano that’s right for your budget.
If an acoustic piano is simply not an option, beginning students can still progress while practicing on an electric keyboard. The ideal keyboard will be as similar to an acoustic piano as possible – look for one with weighted keys. However, as your child progresses further, they will need to begin practicing on an acoustic piano.

My child doesn’t seem to be getting better lately. Should we keep taking lessons?
I’ve heard so many variations of this question, and it’s completely understandable. Playing an instrument requires a blend of so many different physical and mental skills. Every child acquires these skills at totally different rates! This means that progress happens slowly and then more quickly in cycles over time.
If your child is practicing consistently and still doesn’t seem to be making progress, don’t quit! They are probably in the process of incorporating a new mental or physical skill into their playing. Given time, those skills will “click” and a new era of progression will begin. It may also be that your child needs a new practice strategy. What works well in one season of growth may not always transfer perfectly to the next. Talk to your teacher about progression – no one knows more about your child’s musical growth than their teacher!

I’m not a musician. What’s the best way for me to support my child taking lessons?
I love hearing this question. It’s a sincere reminder of how deeply parents care about their children’s success. If you are asking this question, you’ve already got the right attitude!
One of the best ways parents can help their children is by giving gentle practice reminders. Young children can often forget to practice, and parents are in a great position to give reminders until the habit is established. Framing practice as an exciting after-school activity can keep children from dreading it as a chore.
Every child is different, and every parent can support their child in different ways. Specific encouragements or rewards could be great for one child and useless for another. Talk to your teacher about your child’s practice habits and overall attitude towards the instrument. You both can work out a strategy that’s right for your child’s temperament and experience level.

What questions did you have when your child first started lessons? Let us know in the comments!

-Stathia Orwig

In the spring of 2022, we threw out a huge campaign to get feedback on teachers and how parents/students were doing at Music SO Simple. I will say that most of the answers were right on point and I expected our feedback. For the most part, all of it was amazing!! I won't lie (and you know me better than that anyways), there were some things we needed to improve on. But, isn't that normal? We had about half of the families answer the survey. Below are the results.

When asked these questions, here is the percentage of the highest answer:

My child's teacher begins & ends on time for his/her lessons. 85.2% said yes

My child and teacher have a good relationship and work well together. 93.4% said yes

My child’s teacher is able to meet the particular learning needs of my child. 80.3% said yes

I believe my teacher has a high level of professionalism. 88.5% said yes

I feel like Music So Simple has a good reputation. 89.1% said yes

Here are some areas we want to improve on according to the survey:

• student assignments & knowing what to work on when at home
• having clear expectations from the teacher
• my teacher does a good job of making my child aware of Student of the Week, Music Ball, Honor Roll, music bucks & prize weeks. (I honestly believe this has a lot to do with the teacher, and I have made some changes to this over the summer. A few of our teachers were not doing these activities and are no longer with us now. This is a very important area for us and is what unites all of our students.)

What do you feel are your teacher’s strengths? Here are some awesome responses:

• He makes it easy/fun for the girls to learn
• Teaches to the level of each student. Changes with each student's strengths and what they need to work on. This is tough to do and Ms. Stathia does it amazingly well.
• Very friendly and approachable
• Ms. Logan is patient and kind and she listens to what my child has to say.
• Organization, motivation, varying lessons
• Rapport with students, technique, motivation
• Enthusiastic teacher. Always in a good mood and ready to teach
• Logan is fun, positive, motivating and encouraging!
• Knowledge of music
• She creates a great environment for my chid that makes it comfortable for him to learn.
• She encourages their love of music
• Logan’s positivity is contagious and she really knows how to connect with her students.
• Patience and great teaching techniques
• Everything - Miss Meredith is perfection.
• Very personable, happy
• Cares about my child as a person
• Passionate, encouraging, attentive.
• Logan is patient and knows how to redirect his attention back to the lesson well. She is also great at correcting in a very positive and encouraging way.
• Mrs. Lynne works really well with the girls and keeps them motivated and wanting to play piano.
• Mrs Meredith is kind and does a great job engaging our preschooler in this introduction to music. We love her!
• Ms. Logan has an extremely positive attitude with her students. She is very creative in her lessons and motivates her students to learn music while having lots of fun! Ms. Logan works alongside her students so it appears to be a collaboration between teacher and student which is encouraging for the shy students.
• Chiara has such passion for piano and makes the lessons fun. He especially enjoys the ear training and learning new composers and songs. She focuses on the dynamics and other details that make his pieces the best the can be. She has her set repertoire for him but also lets him suggest pieces he would like to learn in the summer and when time allows which is very nice and makes him happier practicing :)
• I am constantly amazed at her ability to relate, teach, motivate, and accommodate all ages of students!​​

Lastly, on the survey were 5 important questions. I have copied and pasted them here!!

We LOVE that everyone refers friends!! That's honestly where we want new students to come from!!

One of my summer projects was to update our Music SO Simple School Policies. We had created our policies when we had 40 students 7 years ago. Needless to say, we are at a little over 200 students currently and they needed a freshening up!

I have attached a link to our new policy below, but I'm going to bullet point some of the main things to remember and let you know what has changed.

• A one time registration fee of $50 is charged for all new private lesson students. This includes a new student binder,  bag, and first set of method books. (we started this a while back, but it's official now)

 

• We have a no make-up lesson policy for parent/student initiated cancellations. Please make sure that the day and time you are setting for lessons at the beginning of the school year is set in your calendar. If a lesson is missed, you always have the option of sending your teacher a video for feedback. Please talk with your teacher about this. (this is new. we need lessons to be a priority and you are paying for a spot in the teacher's schedule. we will also be offering monthly group classes to help get in extra practice)

 

• Regular attendance is expected and necessary for progress. Teachers reserve the right to withhold students from special events who have missed too many lessons or are not adequately prepared. Additionally, the teacher has a right to drop a student for too many missed lessons. (we started this a while back, but it's official now)

 

• Commitment to lessons should be very important to parents, students, and teacher. If for any reason you can not fulfill your commitment, you will be financially responsible for the remainder of the semester. (we have no more drop policy because of our mission of commitment to lessons and we have bi-yearly recitals)

 

• Current students: In order to save your spot for summer lessons, a $50 non-refundable deposit is required by April 1.  The remaining balance will be billed June 1. (we are encouraging more commitment when signing up for summer lessons)

 

• New students: will be accepted for summer lessons beginning April 15 based on availability. A registration fee of  $50 is charged at time of registration. Summer lesson fees will be billed June 1.

 

• Current students: In order to reserve your spot for the fall, returning students must pay a $250 fee.  If the student takes at least 6 summer lessons, this fee is waived. (we are bringing back to reserve your spot fee for those who cannot take summer lessons!)

Our policies will need to be signed along with our photo release by August 31. This form will need to be filled out for all students before they can attend their first lesson of the school year! Access it below:

Borrowed from an online group- these are absolutely the best things about teaching music to our children!

"One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to play the piano”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to play the piano. Personally, I couldn't care less about what instrument they play.

So, what am I paying for?

• I pay for those moments when my kid becomes so tired they want to quit but don't.
• I pay for those days when my kid comes home from school and is "too tired" to do to their lesson but they go anyway.
• I pay for my kid to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated.
• I pay for my kid to learn to take care of her body and instrument.
• I pay for my kid to learn to work with others and to be a good teammate, gracious in failure, and humble in success.
• I pay for my kid to learn to deal with disappointment when she doesn’t get that recognition she’d hoped for, but still she goes back week after week giving it her best shot.
• I pay for my kid to learn to make and accomplish goals.
• I pay for my kid to respect, not only themselves, but their teachers and fellow young musicians.
• I pay for my kid to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to play beautifully and that success does not happen overnight.
• I pay for my kid to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.
• I pay for the opportunity my kid has and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of her achievements as I am.
• I pay so that my kid can be creating something beautiful instead of sitting in front of a screen.

I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for piano playing; I pay for the opportunities that learning to play provides my kid with to develop attributes that will serve her well throughout her life and give her the opportunity to bless the lives of others.

From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!"

We always begin each new year with new goals or resolutions. The past couple of years, we really have just been trying to survive and "keep normal" as much as possible. And, have you counted how many times you  have said, "I'm over it!" in a week? We all are. This pandemic just keeps throwing us curve balls- once we feel like we are reaching some sort of "normal", another wave comes through.  It's nice to be making history, but I think I've had enough. So,  I'm going to make some goals that force me to think further than just a few weeks out. Are you ready? Ha, me too.

• Get back to blogging. I started blogging (with Meredith) 6 years ago. I've taken a little bit of a break in the last 6 months. I'd like to get back on track to 2 blogs a month. 

• Get our name out there & build up community relationships. More and more families are beginning to know the "Music SO Simple" name and we couldn't be more excited about this. How about getting into newspapers or d magazine?

• Keep our two LIVE recitals on schedule. God-willing, we will be able to hold normal, in-person recitals because I think it is so important for our students. 

• Grow our baby and preschool classes to reach more kiddos with music.

• Grow our studio space with a couple more music studios and small recital space for monthly performance classes. (Maybe even add in some more colorful pianos? Ha!)

• This one is a more personal one, but maybe it's on a lot of peoples minds? I need to keep my family a priority and want to work towards a better work/home balance. I've been called a workaholic before, and I truly love what I do, but the past 2 years have thrown me into overdrive. However, as my kids get older, I need to make sure they know they are a priority. 

• Keep volunteering and helping the music community. I've been DallasMTA president for the past 3 1/2 years. In June, that will come to an end. I'm also chairing my daughter's school auction, which will be done by the end of February. Volunteering gives me a way of giving back and a way of connecting with others.