Welcome Back

Our first day back to lessons will be Saturday January 6.  Please contact me if you need to confirm your child's lesson day and time.  The attached calendar is a comprehensive listing of important dates for this semester including Music Olympics set for February 15 and our recitals will be held at Dow Rummel May 12 and 13.  I currently have openings for students Wednesdays after 7:30, Thursday at 5pm, and Saturday afternoons.

All Boy Recital: The Sioux Falls Area Music Teachers Association will be holding their annual All Boy Recital Sunday February 25 at St. Therese Catholic Church.  This would be a great opportunity for boys to perform their festival pieces for an audience and showcase their musicality.  The cost is $5, please let me know by January 26 if you would like your son to participate.

Piano Festival:  As a member of the Sioux Falls Area Music Teachers Association, my students have the opportunity to participate in the annual piano festival.  Students perform 2 pieces from memory and receive a certificate and comment sheet.  Students receive trophies for 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10 years of participation in the piano festival.  This year's piano festival will be held at Augustana University March 17, 2018.  Please reply to this email and let me know if you would like for your child to participate in piano festival and I will have some repertoire choices ready the first week.  Also remember to include the $15 registration fee (non-refundable) along with the first tuition payment.

Spring Recitals and Summer Lessons

Our Spring Recital will be held at Dow Rummel Village in the chapel at 3:30pm on Saturday May 13 and Sunday May 14  The chapel at Dow Rummel has a beautiful, well maintained, Steinway grand piano.  I feel that this is one of the best pianos in Sioux Falls!   Dow Rummel is located in the northern part of Sioux Falls near Russell and West.  

If you would like to bring recital treats to share, please drop me an email and let me know how many (dozen) you plan to bring.

Whether your child has played in several piano recitals or if this will be their first piano recital please take a moment to review the following:

1.  Please arrive 15-20 minutes early.  If you are not sure where Dow Rummel is located please ask, and also leave early so that you will not be rushed.

2.  Please bring your music!  While many students will have their music memorized, some students may feel more comfortable with the music on the stand.  I ask that everyone bring their music to the recital.

3.  As a matter of respect, please plan on attending the entire recital.  The recital should last about 30 to 45 minutes.  All students have worked diligently this semester and this is their time to shine. Students may sit with their families during the recital.  If you have a younger child who starts crying or likes to run around please take them to the hallway outside of the chapel.  Also, remember to silence your cell phones and other electronic devices.

4.  When it is your child's turn to play at the recital they will make their way towards the piano as the previous student has taken a bow and is leaving the piano.  Each student should adjust the piano bench so that they are not too close or too far away from the piano.  After they sit down they should take a moment to think about tempo and dynamics and the first few measures of their piece.  After their performance they will take a bow and return to their seat.  We will go through this sequence and bowing at an upcoming piano lesson.

5.  After the recital there will be an opportunity to take pictures by the piano and we will have cookies and punch in the foyer.

6.  Along with the families and friends of my piano students, the residents of Dow Rummel are also invited to attend our recital.

The last day of our Spring Semester is Saturday May 13. If your child’s lesson is normally after 2pm on Saturday afternoon please contact me for a make-up lesson time.  Due to my full schedule, we may need to meet the week following the recital.  The week following the recital is also reserved for make up lessons from the week when I was sick.  This would include Monday students whose lesson was after 7pm, Tuesday and Wednesday students, as well as Thursday students whose lesson was after 7pm.  

The Summer semester will begin Monday May 22 and go through August 12 . Please contact me to set up a summer lesson schedule. It is helpful to know if you would prefer weekly lessons or lessons every other week and what days/times work best.  I will begin the process of finalizing summer schedules this week.  Please understand that if your child does not participate in summer lessons they will not be guaranteed a time slot when the Fall Semester resumes in November.