Saturday, November 16, 2024 by Beth Massey | Uncategorized

November/December News

End-of-Year Invoices:

Since we have just three scheduled  classes in November and two in December, I’m combining these into one invoice. Expect it to arrive in your email soon. We will resume lessons the week of January 6th.

Thanksgiving Week:

There will be no regular classes the  week of Thanksgiving.

I will be providing a couple of classes on Monday ~November 25th for the older students participating in the Christmas Showcase at 10:00 & 11:00 am 

If I get more interest I can schedule more classes that day. These classes are to make sure students are ready to perform .  You can sign up for these classes on the Student Portal.

Please encourage your Piano Express student to practice their Christmas Showcase songs over the holiday. With only two classes left before the showcase, every practice session will help them feel confident and prepared.

Christmas Showcase 

(for Piano Express Classes—Ms. Sarah’s students will have regular classes on these days):

Our  Annual Christmas Open House Showcase will take place on December 9, 10, and 11.

• Students will perform at my home during their regular lesson time. Family and Friends are welcome!  (more details to come) 

• If a later time works better for you, let me know, and I’ll move your student to another time slot.

• Additional slots are open on Monday, December 9, at  4:30 & 5:30  pm. We may combine some smaller classes. 

• That will be the last lesson of 2024.  I have tech week for White Christmas the following week! 

White Christmas Musical:

I’m thrilled to be on the directing team for the musical White Christmas on December 19-21 at the VC Middle School Auditorium.
Students who attend the show will receive a $5 tuition discount for January!

Showtimes:

• Thursday, December 19 – 7:00 pm

• Friday, December 20 – 7:00 pm

• Saturday, December 21 – 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm

Tickets are only $10 each. Bring the whole family for an evening of holiday magic, music, and fun!

  Monday, September 2, 2024 by Beth Massey | Uncategorized

We’re so excited about this fall session of classes! Here are some fun updates and reminders for the upcoming season.

 Showcase Events: Time to shine! We’ve got two showcases coming up: 

The Main Street Farmer’s Market on September 5th -5:30-7:00 pm.  This is for the Piano Express/ Zenith Classes. We encourage our entire music studio community  to come out and support our students.  It’s a great chance for all our families to hear some of the music our students have been working on this summer. And as a bonus there are lots of booths and foods available.  Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the evening here in Valley Center. Invite friends and extended relatives too! 

Christmas: This will be in early December at your Students regular lesson time. Our students will be performing Christmas music here at my home like we did last year.  Details will come when we are closer to the event.

These are for our Piano Express students. Ms. Sarah is planning a special showcase for our younger Little Key-notes/Storytellers classes in the future—stay tuned!

 Tuition & Fees: Good news—tuition is staying the same! I haven’t raised it since 2019. However, this fall we’re introducing a one-time $50 supplies & licensing fee for the  school year. I’ve been covering these costs for the past year. This fee will help offset the expenses for digital books and music purchases, printing, and licensing fees for Piano Express and Key-notes classes. If I purchase additional hardcopy books or specific music  for your child I will pass that cost along to you. This supplies fee will be included in your September invoice.

 Flexible Scheduling: We know life happens! If your child can’t make their regular lesson time, we’ll do our best to fit them into another class—but it’s not always possible. This flexibility mainly applies to Piano Express. Little Keynotes and Storytellers have less wiggle room since these classes are only on Tuesday and nearly full. Remember, you’re paying for monthly tuition, and while we can’t guarantee makeups, we’ll try to accommodate them when we can. As PX classes fill there will be less room for make-up flexibility.   

 Practice Makes Progress: While we don’t have mandatory practice times, the more your student practices, the better they’ll get. Regular practice helps them make steady progress and keeps frustration at bay. So, a little practice between classes goes a long way! 

If you are a Piano Express student I highly recommend connecting a device to your keyboard so your student can use the app at home. We can help you get this set up.  Also, Mr. Greg just introduced some new incentives to play each song more times.  We will be showing the PX students this feature at lessons this week. 

Our Little Key-notes and Storytellers would also benefit from playing through their music at home.  There are also videos and practice guides provided by the method’s creator to help at home.  If you are interested in this Ms Sarah can send you that info. 

We’re looking forward to a fantastic fall of music-making! 

  Monday, April 29, 2024 by Beth Massey | Showcase

Our Spring Showcase is fast approaching on May 20-22, coinciding with the final lesson of the spring semester. ( We will start the summer session the following week.)

Most students will perform during their regular lesson time, and I may combine small classes.

Students should arrive for their lessons as usual. We'll begin by warming up in the studio and then move to the backyard halfway through the lesson to perform our songs, weather permitting. Families and friends are invited to gather in the backyard and enjoy the performances. I'll provide some chairs, but feel free to bring your own lawn chairs for added comfort.

If you need to switch to a different time, please let me know as soon as possible. Some classes may combine due to smaller numbers, but generally we'll try to stick to the regular piano lesson schedule.

After the performances, we'll celebrate with ice cream treats!