I congratulate you for supporting your children’s music education and look forward to sharing my passion and knowledge of music with them. Piano study can be a very enjoyable and satisfying experience for a student of any age or level. It is deeply life-enriching. It provides invaluable skills and a lifelong appreciation of music. There are countless other remarkable benefits of studying the piano that can be applied to various areas of one’s life including the development of problem-solving skills, spacial relationship, focus, self-discipline, self-determination, cognitive skills, memory development, the ability to set and strive for goals. All while enjoying the notion of process and progress, and celebrating the nature of accomplishment and achievement. Piano lessons will include theory, sight-reading, music forms, ear-training, technique and application of these in a repertoire. We will also cover musical expression, musical styles/periods, and effective practice techniques. It is my mission as a piano teacher to see that my students benefit from all these ways in which piano study can provide enrichment. I look forward to igniting the love for music in your children.
Each student will need the following supplies in addition to books/sheet music.
-- A well-maintained acoustic piano and metronome. An electric keyboard is adequate for the first year.
-- A folder to hold sheet music
-- An assignment book
-- A bag to carry books & supplies
Call Jacob’s Piano Store Tuning Service—(215) 659-5423.
Books and teaching aids can be recommended at any time. I will advise and make suggestions for each student individually, and will be happy to get all books and teaching aids, or the parent may elect to get them. Parents are responsible for payment of all books and teaching aids. I will ask the parent’s permission before I purchase anything.
Here are some places to purchase your own music.
--Amazon.com
-- Music & Arts (Plymouth Meeting or Horsham) - www.musicarts.com
-- Sheet Music Plus—www.sheetmusicplus.com
Lessons are either 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
FALL SEMESTER—15 lessons
-- 2nd week of September through the 3rd week of December
-- Make-ups: 4th week of December
-- Scheduling begins July 1
SPRING SEMESTER—24 lessons
-- January through the 2nd week of June – 24 lessons
-- Make-ups: 3rd & 4th weeks of June
-- Scheduling begins December
Lesson commitment is for one semester at a time. Length of the semester cannot be shortened. If a time slot becomes inconvenient, it may be changed if scheduling allows. Lessons are scheduled on a first-come first-served basis.
There are many musical concepts that are best reinforced and taught in group lessons. Group lesson topics will include: performing for their peers, critically listening to music, music history & literature, music theory, basic conducting, ear training and solfage.
There are five Saturday group lessons during the year in October, December, February, April, and June 2.
-- Group 1, ages 5-8, 1:30—3 pm, $15/lesson
-- Group 2, ages 9-13, 3-5 pm, $20/lesson
All students are recommended to attend the group lessons.
Halloween: “Play If You Dare”
Winter Holiday Recital
Year-End Recital
It is expected that students and their families attend the piano recitals on time and stay for the entire event. Your attendance builds a sense of camaraderie and offers great support for each student and their family. Recital attire is required.
This is a yearly event that piano students, with two or more years of experience, are invited to attend. Please note that it is not a competition - it is an evaluation. The evaluations for DSPF will take place at Jacobs Piano store in Willow Grove. Each student has to prepare two pieces which he/she will play from memory for the judge. A theory test will follow. If the evaluation is "excellent" or "superior" and the test results are 93% or higher, then he/she will perform in the Honors Concert at the Chestnut Hill College and receive a trophy.
Evaluations: Sunday, mid-October -- (all-day event, students come at their assigned evaluation time)
Honors Concert: Sunday, end of October -- (students come at their assigned concert time)
In order to retain what was learned during the year, I recommend that students take a few lessons over the summer. If a student is planning to participate in the Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival (in October), a minimum of 4-6 lessons should be taken over the summer in order to adequately prepare for that event.
Marzena Exner Gulesserian
140 Park Avenue
Ambler, PA 19002
215.542.9683
Grace Baptist Church
437 Skippack Pike & Lewis Lane
Blue Bell, PA 19002