A lot of parents start thinking about offering their children the chance to learn piano at a pretty young age. However, they are not always sure that their child is mature enough to sit through an entire lesson at the piano. Other kids could be old enough, but not knowing what they are getting into, they might feel a little overwhelmed or intimidated by a full one on one piano lesson with a teacher they don’t know.
The Deluxe Lesson is a great format for these reasons and so much more. It allows kids to ease into the world of music through a variety of learning experiences, takes into account the shorter attention span of the beginners and just makes it plain fun to come to the studio!
So How Does It Work Exactly?
During a typical Deluxe Lesson, 3 students will go around a carrousel of learning stations, each lasting 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, they rotate and start their second portion of the hour in a different station, and then finish the hour with the remaining station.
Each kid will start and finish with a different station, but they will all go through the three of them at some point in the hour.
Station 1 – Piano Lesson
One of these 20 minutes will be spent with one of our teacher in our practice room at the piano. This is where what we would typically call the “piano lesson” happens: scales, chording, reading music and learning to interpret it correctly on the piano. The teacher is there to accompany the student and work on every element of technique or theory needed to properly perform the pieces they are learning.
Station 2 – Floor Time (Music Theory Games)
A second teacher is at the station we commonly refer to as the “floor time”. There, the student will be presented with a bunch of little challenges and activities touching on various music theory elements, turning the learning process into a game. It’s an approach that demystifies music theory and helps students getting familiar and comfortable with all kinds of important musical terms and concepts.
Station 3 – Sight Reading On iPad
At the third station, the student is sitting at one of our electric keyboards with earphones plugged into an iPad. On the tablet are various applications that teach sight reading in video game form. While the student is at the station, they are working alone, but under the supervision of the second teacher who is nearby and can help if there is any need. But we know how kids are savvy at working with applications and video games; they get it faster than adults and they usually get the hang of this station pretty quickly… and they love it!
If these little descriptions failed to paint a clear picture for you, please click on the video at the top of this article, where you will see our kids in action in the context of a Deluxe Lesson.
Is My Child A Good Candidate For Deluxe Lessons?
Most children 6 years old and up can easily participate in a Deluxe Lesson and benefit from its variety of teaching styles. It is a great introduction for a complete beginner, but even a kid who already knows how to play could find this format a fun and dynamic way to learn more.
As for younger kids, the main point is the ability to be relatively independent at the iPad station. It’s always possible for you as a parent to stay and assist your child at this station if they need some help. If you don’t know if your child is ready for this type of class, you can always call us to chat about it or come at the studio and see how it works. In the event your child is not quite there yet, we have other great options for younger kids to learn music at their own level.
You can get some more important details and register for a Deluxe Piano Lesson by clicking HERE. We cannot encourage you enough to take advantage of this great formula! It’s fun and it works!