Studio:
No food, snacks, or drinks in the studios or waiting room. Thank you for helping to keep the studios clean. No cell phone use during class/lesson times.Tuition Fees:
Tuition fees are due on the first of every month by post-dated cheques from September to May (and June for Private Students). Cheques are to be handed in at the first class, payable to Lynda Baechler. Lesson fees and payment options are located on the Schedule page. September and May/June cheques are non-refundable.Keyboard Rental/Purchase:
Because MYC® is a keyboard based program (except Music Pups® and Sunrise), you will need to rent, purchase, or have daily access to an appropriate instrument before beginning lessons. A piano is ideal, but many students begin with a keyboard and then are able to upgrade to an acoustic piano or full-sized digital keyboard.Committment:
Starting music lessons is a committment to your child's music education. It is not just music lesson time each week, but also consistent practice time at home. Short practices each day work best. There will be days when your child will not want to practice. This is normal and does not necessarily mean that music lessons should come to an end.Parent Participation:
MYC® parents have the special privilege of learning with their child in class and at home. You do not need any music education to begin class with your child. The parent with previous music knowledge is often excited to learn something new, and gain confidence through review of music theory, rhythm, and learning improvisation techniques. All children must come to class with a parent or guardian. Parents of beginning Private Students are encouraged to attend their child's lesson if possible. This is very helpful for younger beginners.The NEW program MY Choice (ages 9-12/school grades 4-6) joins Music Your Best Choice (older teens or adult/senior classes) in not requiring parent participation in the music lessons. MY Choice has been specially developed by Music for Young Children for experienced MYC teachers to offer in a studio setting to groups of four beginner students. This new program will open music lessons to children whose parents are working during the original MYC music class times.
Siblings:
Music class is an excellent time for your music-student child and you to bond in the music process. Other children tend to be a distraction to you, your music child, and the other children in the class. Therefore, please arrange to leave younger siblings with other care-givers during music class time. If there is an exception that happens rarely, please call ahead to discuss this with me. For example, if grandma comes to town, please feel free to invite her to class - but I would appreciate advance notice, if possible, so I can prepare a place for her, prepare the lesson plan and the class for her visit.Punctuality:
Please be prepared to be at your MYC class 10-15 minutes early each week, to copy down the week's home assignments. The students will participate in a pre-class activity. I do my very best to begin and end on time and expect everyone else to be considerate of the rest of the class by being prompt as well.Absences:
If you are unable to attend a class for any reason, please try to let me know by phone or e-mail. Missed classes will not be refunded, but homework will be posted on the web-page so that you can continue to practise at home. Please don't miss lessons because of a "bad practice week". We all have them. Often, missing classes for this reason will only put your child further behind, and therefore, more discouraged.Vaccinations:
In the event of a measles (or other disease) outbreak in our community, proof of vaccination will be needed to continue attending class during the outbreak.Communication:
Your input is very important to me. Please let me know what is working well for you, as well as with anything that you or your child are struggling. Often, a seemingly huge problem can get much smaller by working through it and coming up with creative alternatives. I may be reached by email or telephone.When It's Time for a New Teacher:
In the MYC® Program this occurs naturally at the end of the Royal Conservatory Grade One Piano and Preliminary Rudiments Year (MOONBEAMS III). All programs (Sunshine, Sunbeam, Moonbeam, MY Choice and Music Your Best Choice) lead to that Moonbeam III level. Other possible earlier times are if families are transferred to another community, or an unresolvable time conflict with another activity or family committment. I will assist families in finding another MYC® teacher in the new community to effect a smooth transition and to enable the student to continue the development of the muti-facited skills he/she has started to learn. I can also assist in finding a private teacher locally from among my colleagues.If you feel you need a new teacher then step one is to talk to your child's current teacher to explore the issues causing the need to transfer. It may be possible to resolve the problem without an early transfer. Good communication lines ensure an ethical, mutually agreeable solution in the best interests of the child, parent and teacher.
