Events
Events CalendarSpring Recital
April 20, 2013, at 2:00 pm!!!
Currently enrolling students for a busy, productive year in 2013. Please call or email for information and to schedule an appointment to meet and discuss a program for your child based on strong accomplished pedagogical practices and your child's individual learning style or orientation--visual, aural, or kinesthetic.
Studio Enrollment
Date: Now Enrolling
Time: Please call anytime
(816) 527-7415
Now offering lessons in Kansas City and Lee's Summit
Studio ScheduleLocations:
101 W. Minor Drive
Kansas City, MO 64114
Lee's Summit, MO - currently offering a limited number of schedule slots for traveling to the student's home - please call for further information about in-home lessons
Currently accepting students - beginners and transfer students.
An excellent choice for piano lessons in the Greater Kansas City area.
Aine Wendler Music Studio Policies
Philosophy:
A music education is an investment in the gift of music, opening up a lifetime of achievement through greater learning and a door to creative expression that only music can offer. The benefits and effects on academic achievement are tremendous and well-documented. A well-planned and well-taught course of music study is a training program in accepting responsibility, learning organizational and study skills, and developing poise and self-confidence. The following policies make it possible to provide the kind of educational program that will give parent and student these results.
Lessons:
For pre-school children, early elementary students, and beginners, I recommend a 30 – minute lesson. As the child progresses, it becomes increasingly more difficult to go through the prepared material, make corrections, introduce new material, and include Theory and workbook time. If possible, when the student is ready, I highly recommend a 45 – minute lesson time. A longer lesson offers tremendous opportunity for more rapid growth and advancement. Upper intermediate and advanced students will benefit most from a 1-hour lesson.
Tuition:
Tuition is not an hourly charge but also includes my planning time for each student, the preparation for lessons, choosing music for students, organizing and arranging programs, group activities and ensemble opportunities, recitals, enrollment in festivals, non-competitive evaluative auditions, and competitions, and other student-related tasks as needed. Tuition remains the same from month to month, regardless of the number of lessons and events.Annual Studio Fee: An annual studio fee, in the amount of $85.00, is due at, or by, the first lesson in September. This fee is designated, as follows:
- $50.00 is held as a deposit toward new music purchases throughout the school year.
- The remaining $35.00 is used toward recital expenses, instrument tuning and maintenance, and teaching materials.
Tuition is due on, or before, the first lesson of each month. The tuition fees are, as follows:
30 – minute lessons: $100.00 per month
45 – minute lessons: $150.00 per month
60 – minute lessons: $200.00 per month
An additional $5.00 fee per lesson will be added to each destination for in-home lessons in Lee’s Summit.
Note: The professional organizations with which the studio is affiliated offer many fine programs and activities for students. These festivals, non-competitive evaluative auditions, and competitions are incredible opportunities for growth and enrichment. The events present a platform for achieving goals and for building, not only skills, but self-confidence and accomplishment. Each of these activities will have a small fee attached—these fees will be clearly explained and, if the decision is made to pursue the project, the designated fee will be added to that month’s tuition installment.
Books/Sheet Music/Lesson Materials:
All books, sheet music, and lesson materials are to be paid for, as needed. The Annual Studio Fee includes a $50.00 deposit from which music will be deducted and a receipt will be issued reflecting the deposit balance. When the deposit is depleted, you will receive a notification to replenish the deposit or, if preferred, you may go to a music store and purchase the music yourself and the deposit will not be reinstated until the Annual Fee is again collected.
Make-Up Lessons:
There is a week at the end of each semester in which a student may make-up up to 2 missed lessons. Tuition reserves a space in my weekly schedule and does not simply “buy time”. I will not issue a credit or refund if a student misses a lesson due to illness or conflicting activities. The conditions under which a credit will be applied are if I (the teacher) am ill or if the student needs to cancel due to a catastrophic emergency.
Lesson Switching:
In September, at the start of the Fall Semester, I will create a list of contact information for any student family that is willing to be listed so that, if conflicts arise, you may work out a mutually agreeable switch of lesson time for that week. Please let me know if a switch is scheduled so that I will be expecting the correct student. If a conflict should arise that creates the need for a new weekly lesson time, please let me know and we will work that out together.
Weather:
If dangerous weather conditions create unsafe conditions to be on the road, we will work out an arrangement for an extra make-up lesson to compensate. I do not want any of my student families on the road in hazardous conditions.
Summer:
Summer is a wonderful time of year. It is important to realize that a student loses some momentum and some of the technique and knowledge they have learned during the school year when they take off for the summer. Many students excel during these months because they will take advantage of extra practice time. It is for these reasons that I encourage students to continue their music study through the summer months. For students interested in a special program during the shortened Summer Semester, I offer a program of helping them work out the music of their choice, creating their own lead sheet or arrangement, and then performing on a live “Picnic Gig” with a band to back them up. Another path for summer study is for students to prepare for the MAMA Festival. The Mid-America Music Association holds a summer festival for children in one of three cities each summer. It is an adjudicated festival that is also a fun weekend trip (unless it is the year to be held in Overland Park). The students play for trophies and ribbons and always have a great time. There will be a break of several weeks at the end of the summer before Fall Semester begins.A place in the Fall schedule is not guaranteed for students taking the summer off and first choice in scheduling always goes to students who have studied through the summer. In the Spring, I will send out an email listing options for summer.
Recitals:
There will be 2 recitals held each year. There will be one during the holiday season and one in the late Spring. Recitals are important and I expect all students to participate. It is an opportunity to hear other students, to share the music that has been learned throughout the school year, and to join together for some time to celebrate the students’ hard work.Recital guidelines are, as follows:
- This is a “dress up” occasion. While a recital is not formal, it is special. This is not the appropriate occasion for jeans, shorts, t-shirts, etc. Students are expected to present themselves in a manner that reflects respect for all they have accomplished, for each other, and for their audience. Appropriate dress guidelines will be given out before recital time.
- Please stay for the entire program. It is difficult for students to feel confident, to overcome their nerves, to feel encouraged if people are coming and going. I will ask of others to show your child the same respect and support that I ask you to show them.
- Students, and families, are expected to be attentive and polite throughout the entire program.
- Following each recital is a reception with refreshments. I always encourage the families to interact with all of the students—please tell them how great it is to hear them; how well they have done. Students put a lot of heart into their work – they deserve happy, appreciative feedback!!!
Studio Etiquette:
- Please do not ring the doorbell!!! Simply come in the front door and wait quietly in the living room. You are expected for your lesson, knocking and doorbells are not necessary.
- Please, no chewing gum, candy, or soda during lessons or for any performance.
- Nails should be trimmed to a length that allows and supports good hand position and technique.
- Bring music, lesson materials, and assignment notebook to EVERY LESSON.
- Parents, please make every effort to be on time when dropping off students for lessons or picking them up.
- Please do not drive away from dropping off your child until you see them actually enter the house.
- ***Lee’s Summit Lessons – lessons given in Lee’s Summit, MO are lessons given in the student’s home. Please be ready to begin promptly upon my arrival. For an effective lesson to be given, I must request a quiet atmosphere with a minimum of disruptions, please. Students must show the same levels and qualities of courtesy and attentiveness that they show at school or if they were attending lessons in my studio.
Special Note: Parents are always welcome to wait in the living room during their child’s lesson. If you are interested in sitting in the studio and observing, I will be very happy to set up a chair for you. Parental involvement is excellent. It is always welcome and always encouraged.
