Remember Dr. Suzuki’s famous saying, “You only must practice on the days you eat.” 

To get the most out of lessons, practice, at least a little, every day. If you have 30-minute lessons, plan to practice 30 minutes each day or 3.5 hours each week. 45-minute lessons – try 5-5.5 hours a week. 60-minute lessons – 7+ hours a week. If you run out of time, try to play at least 5 minutes to keep your fingers going, and then practice extra the next day! And if you are thinking of pursuing music in college, set aside 2-3 hours per day to practice.  It’s fun! 

Students and families will not be required to wear masks during lessons unless:

·      Cases in our area rise, and masks are recommended in indoor settings.

·      Families feel more comfortable in close settings wearing masks. I will wear mine, too.

Please notify me immediately if you or your child has tested positive or been in close contact with someone who tested positive for covid during the week before your lesson. We will reschedule.

Please do not bring your child to a lesson if they are sick or may be coming down with something. Lessons missed for illness will be rescheduled.

Any lessons missed for reasons other than illness or family emergency will not be guaranteed a makeup time. Please choose your lesson time carefully for the semester. Make sure you request a time that will not conflict with sports or other commitments.

If you must miss a lesson, please let me know more than 24 hours in advance. If possible, I can offer alternate times in person or by Zoom.

Any lessons I must miss will be rescheduled.

Water is permitted inside the Lathrop House, but please do not bring any other food or beverages inside.

Students are expected to purchase/rent the following supplies for lessons and home practice:

Instrument: Having a nice, well set-up instrument is imperative for your child to succeed at playing the violin or viola. I suggest renting at first since younger children will grow and need bigger sizes, and older students will need to develop their sense of sound as well as their technique before picking out an instrument to buy.

I will measure beginning students before they get an instrument to ensure the correct size.

Music: Students must bring their music to every lesson. When it is time to buy new books or sheet music, I will provide you with links to order.

Tuner/metronome: All students need a way to tune their instruments. There are tuners and tuning apps that can help with that. Metronomes are essential practicing tools for music students and professionals. I can recommend combination metronome/tuners. There are also metronome apps.