march/april notes

Welcome! 
Welcome to those who joined the Accent Studio Family in January or February! Welcome to: Luke B., Elaine D., Eliana D.,  Henry T, & Lane W. We are happy to have you as a part of our studio!

New Preschool ProgramFor the past 20 years, I have started piano students as early as four years old (with special testing), but my average start age has always been seven years or older. Last year I received calls each month asking for piano lessons for students as young as two. I have finally found a program that is piano focused for as young as three! I have tested it out with five students and they all love it! While it is different from traditional piano lessons, it is a great start for individual lessons. They get a special book that gives fun names to each of the fingers and adds in a math element to each lesson. This is great for everyone. Why? Because now you can get referral bonuses even easier! 

Changes to the Recital:I have spoken with may of you about this already but want to make sure everyone knows about the next recital. Our next recital is not until Sunday, August 26th, but I am making changes to it now! Starting this next recital students (except those in the WunderKeys Preschool Program) will only be required to play one memorized piece (they will pick 2 options to work on and I will make the final decision). The first part of the recital will be the memorized performance pieces, but the second half will be a little more fun. Students will be able to play a duet, an original composition, an arrangement they created of an existing song, or share a piece from another instrument they play. This will help make the experience more personal, and more entertaining. 

We will keep the awards as they are currently. All students who participate will receive a participation certificate, and students will receive completion certificates for each book they complete. They will receive a metal after their first full year of piano lessons with the studio and every odd year of lessons (3 years, 5 years, 7 years, etc.) they will receive a trophy that increases in size each incremental change.

Piano Explorer:As talked about in our last issue, each student (eight years old and older) will receive a subscription to the Piano Explorer magazine.  Remember: if your child finds an article interesting, they can go to pianoexplorer.net and click on “Student Page” for videos and more information about the features of the issue. The online resource is really great! There is also a quiz at the end of each issue.
Currently several students are working on the 100-day challenge. The 100 Day Practice Challenge gives your child the opportunity to get their name in the Piano Explorer. The idea is that the more students are at the piano, the better they will become. While I do have specific requirements to count daily practice towards prize incentives, the 100 Day Practice Challenge is a little different. As long as your child plays a song on the piano, it counts toward the 100-day challenge. They should not play the same song every day and it should be something that they haven’t been playing for more than 6 months. Scales can be included, but again, they need to vary. They need to keep track of this. If they have the old-style assignment book (with the 7 boxes at the bottom) they can write the day number in those boxes to keep track. If they have the new assignment book, the final page has a place to keep track of the challenge. Please let me know if they are working on this. I would love to see some kids from Kansas in Piano Explorer!
I even have two students entering in the composition contest!

Important Upcoming Dates:Our next scheduled break is for Spring Break March 19-23. Thursday and Friday lessons will still have 4 lessons in March. Monday lessons will have 3 lessons in March and 5 lessons in April. Tuesday and Wednesday lessons will have 3 lessons in March and 5 in May. Just a reminder that your rate will not change for either of the months.

Did You Know???
I am turning 40! My birthday is March 17th (yes that is Saint Patrick's Day!) and I am very excited. I don't have any plans yet (hoping for maybe a spa day...0 but I am loving this season in my life. My big business goal being 40 is to reach 40 students - I am currently at 33. Just 7 to go! My big life goal is to get into our new home in Benton this year. I believe my 40's are going to be incredible! If you have any advice on being 40 please share.  😊
ReferralsPlease remember that I offer GREAT referral bonuses. When you refer a family and they start their first full month of lessons, YOU get rewarded. Refer an afterschool family, you will receive a $100 credit. Refer a day family and you will receive a $125 credit.

A Couple Reminders
If your child is sick, please cancel lessons! We do not want to spread it!
Thank you.
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Please try to keep your sidewalks/stairs/drives salted during the icy season. Thank you.
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If you ever have questions over an invoice, you can message me directly from the invoice or text me. I am always happy to answer any questions you have and want you to be happy. Thank you.
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Please encourage practice daily. Playing just one piece a day can make a big difference in a student’s long-term success. Thank you.