(disclaimer: this is shamelessly borrowed from other articles etc that I already wrote, but here it is all in one spot for you!)
Our Guitar program is tailored to each student. The teacher will assist them learn how to play music as well as the theory behind why music goes together the way it does. If the student likes the Beatles but hates Country they will learn using the Beatles and never have to play a country lick. We keep music as fun as possible because we all learn better when we are having fun.
Our Violin program, while still fun, is a bit more structured as the violin is a more technically demanding instrument (when starting out) than the Guitar or Piano. The students are put in a method book (depending on the end goal, we use a few different ones, one for fiddle style, one for classical and one for general ability) and they follow that and we supplement it with popular pieces they want to learn as their skill grows.
Our keyboard program varies according to the age of the student but the end goal is the same, we set out to create well rounded musicians who can not only play the piano but understand why music is written the way it is and have the ability to create their own music as well. Theory is well ingrained in the program we use in the academy here and we use it to create a foundation on which technical skill is built. I, having done classical conservatory training myself, like to say that here we teach you HOW to play music, rather than just TO play music. That is to say when I have a piece of music in front of me I can play it but I cannot create my own. I am technically skilled, but am missing the “soul” that comes with being a musician. This can be likened to being able to read but not able to write, the communication is rather one way and doesn’t have the same depth that well rounded musicians have.
We create well rounded musicians on every instrument we teach.
We do two performances a year, because we know that performance is a critical part of becoming a well-rounded musician and we encourage our students to play together in groups whenever we have the opportunity (skill level, musical taste etc being similar in a group).
One other unique thing we do in the academy is we have our students “level up” (similar to in a video game) and when they reach a mile stone level they get awarded for their accomplishment in a variety of ways. We have found this to work very well in creating a competitive environment that motivates everyone in their own way (and is not intimidating for anyone), from the most to the least competitive student.
We discovered that by breaking the lessons down into achievable increments that can be easily recorded and acknowledged the students not only practice more, but they also are genuinely excited to come to their lessons every week! We started using this method two years ago with one teacher, last year we adopted it across the board and this year we have gotten more high-tech. We have created a website that allows us to track this online (it isn’t pretty yet but it is there).
XP (possibly) Awarded per lesson
0 to 10 XP being ready for the class to start – Guitar tuned, homework done, etc
0 to 10 XP The 3 A’s (Attempting, Attentiveness, Attitude)
0 to 20 XP Finishing Song, Understanding Concepts, MAIN OBJECTIVE (no side missions here)
0 to 10 XP The 3 I’s (Initiative, Imagination, Independence) ie Creativity
XP needed to level
Levels 1 -10 = 10 XP per Level
Levels 11-20 = 20 XP per Level
Levels 21-30 = 30 XP per Level
Levels 31-40 = 40 XP per Level (1000xp will put you at level 40)
Levels 41-50 = 50 XP per Level
Levels 51-55 = 60 XP per Level
Rewards for reaching milestone levels * ring a bell *
Level 10 – avatar specialization
Level 20 – -$5- Sound of Music Bucks!
Level 30 – spot in hall of fame YouTube star
Level 40 – staff pricing on any one item
Level 50 – secret elite surprise
If you have any further questions please be in touch.