Last updated June
2015
Thank-you for your interest in music
lessons J
I
am Katie Dey, a trained Suzuki music teacher. I teach piano, violin and music
theory in both Nelson/Richmond and Motueka. On Saturdays I teach in the
Nelson/Richmond area and on weekdays I teach from my home in Motueka (9
Wellspring Pl, off Mytton Heights, 8-10 mins out from Motueka up Motueka Valley
Highway). I charge by the term (see Cost of Lessons below).
The
Suzuki method (also known as the “mother tongue method”) is based on the way
that children pick up their native language and involves learning initially by
ear. A CD of simple music is played at home in the background every day, so
that the student is surrounded by the music that they will learn to play. As
they learn, they are encouraged to pick out the pieces on the CD by ear and by
copying the teacher (and parent). Parental involvement is an important
component of the method. Classes incorporate individual lessons with the
teacher, group work, music theory and music reading using cards and games. Music
reading is developed using different pieces than those on the CD (which are for
developing the ear and the playing ability).
Suzuki
method is ideal for young children, who are excellent imitators. Children as
young as 3 years can learn this way but I prefer 3 year olds to just attend
pre-school group music classes either through me or through other teachers. I
teach children from age 4yrs upwards. Suzuki method is not only for children,
many adults have enjoyed learning this way as well.
Requirements
for lessons:
For
piano lessons you will need a piano or a good electric piano at the student’s
home so they can play every day.
For
violin lessons you will need a violin of the correct size for the player.
For
a child (under about 15 yrs) learning either instrument, you will need an adult
who will:
o attend
lessons with the child
o learn
to play the first few pieces on the instrument!
o take
notes on what to practice
o play
the CD in the background every day
o practice
at home with the child every day
(These
responsibilities will, of course, transfer to the children themselves as they
mature)
Costs involved
Not
all of these costs will need to be paid right at the start, but it is best that
you know about them ahead of time. A few weeks into each term I will send you
an invoice, which should be paid by about the middle of term.
Instrument: Right
from the beginning, you will need to buy an instrument if you don’t already
have one. A reasonable quality beginner’s violin will cost $120-$300. A
reasonable quality piano is not likely to be less than $1,000. For any
instrument, you can of course pay a lot more for an excellent quality
instrument. Pianos will need regular (about once a year) tuning at about $130.
Violins will need occasional replacement strings and other maintenance.
Books and CDs: You
will need a startup pack, costing $60 from me (or obtain the components
separately). This pack contains a copy of the Suzuki volume 1 book and CD for
your instrument, a spiral bound clearfile book, a Suzuki practice book and a
copy of “Ability Development from Age Zero” by Dr Suzuki. As your child
progresses, I will let you know when other books and CDs are required.
Suzuki
membership: You will need to join the New Zealand Suzuki Institute (NZSI). This
annual fee (currently $60 per year per family) will be added onto your fees in
the first term of each year. Membership supports the NZSI to run student
workshops, student camps and teacher training around NZ. You also receive the
magazines with articles of interest to Suzuki parents.
Lesson fees: I
charge by the term and do not give refunds if you miss lessons due to illness,
public holidays or your other commitments. I do not teach on public holidays so
when lessons fall on public holidays they are cancelled and not refunded,
though I am happy to replace the lesson if we can arrange another time that
suits both of us. In Nelson the term’s fees are $230 for a school-aged child
and $120 for a pre-school child. In Motueka I charge $180 for a school-aged child
and $90 for a pre-school child. This
covers both group and masterclass / individual lessons.
I realize that
the setup cost for music lessons can be daunting and am happy to discuss ways
to spread this cost out.
The next step
If you are
interested in starting lessons, the next step is for you and the child to come
and watch a lesson so you can decide whether this is right for you.
After that, I
will meet with the parents (sometimes a group of parents) to discuss the
philosophy in more detail and for you to ask any questions you have. There is
no charge and no obligation for this step.
Once you have
committed to starting, we will arrange a time for your individual lesson. I
like to teach the parent the first few pieces as well, so that they will be better
able to help the child at home. For younger children, the first few lessons
might consist of a very short lesson for the child then me working with the
parent for the rest of the time while the child watches or plays quietly
nearby. Please note that you don’t need any previous experience in music (or on
an instrument) for this! If you can already play the instrument some things
will be easier of course, but these sessions are still necessary.
You can start
playing the Suzuki CD well before beginning lessons. The longer the student has
been listening to this music the easier it will be for them to learn to play
it.
You
can also read other Suzuki method philosophy books like "Nurtured by
Love" and “Where Love is Deep" both by Shinichi Suzuki and also “To
Learn with Love" by William and Constance Starr. These are not available in
the library unfortunately but they can be bought from me or online for about $20
each or (once you start lessons) I can lend them to you.
Information
on starting lessons:
In
this next section, when I refer to “you”, I mean the adult who will attend
lessons with the child and who will help them practice at home.
Starting
children (under about 10yrs)
Children’s
classes involve individual lessons on the instrument each week and group
classes about 3 times per term. Individual lessons are 15-30mins long and group
classes are 45-60mins.
The
group sessions involve activities like singing, clapping rhythms, music games,
music reading games etc. Sometimes we
have little concerts so that the children get used to playing for an audience. Also,
because the children all learn the same pieces, they can all play the pieces
together, which is fun and develops the ability to play with others. Even for
piano, they can stand side-by-side along the piano and play together.
Sometimes
I combine the individual lessons of a few children (especially very young
children) into a ‘masterclass’ lesson. During this longer session, each child
(or parent) comes up and has a short individual lesson with me while the others
watch. I think that the best way for a young child to start learning an
instrument, is by watching others learn (especially for very young or timid
children, or if the lessons are more your idea than theirs). Therefore, it is
fine for young children to just come and watch for a while, or I sometimes start
by just teaching you, while the child watches or plays quietly nearby. This
gives a much softer introduction to music lessons if you are not sure whether
your child is quite ready to start by themselves. Children benefit from being
able to absorb extra lessons as well as their own.
Starting
older children (approximately 10 yrs and up)
Older
children will have an individual lesson each week. Theory and music reading
might be covered within these lessons or if I have a group of older children I
will run group classes for them too. I
often get the older children to work through theory workbooks.
For
older children I will often go straight into teaching the child at the first
lesson, with you sitting nearby watching and taking notes for them. I start
them with listening to the CD and learning those pieces by ear and by copying.
However, I also start working towards music reading almost straight away. The
music reading pieces will be different (usually easier) pieces than those on
the CD because people’s ability to play usually progresses faster than their
ability to read.
Starting
Adults
Many
adults enjoy learning Suzuki method. I welcome this and integrate theory and
music reading into their individual lessons.
Contacting me
The best way to contact me with
questions is by email.
You are welcome to phone me on
028-255-21964 (no text) but I can be hard to get hold of this way unless I know
to expect your call.
I look forward to meeting you,
Katie
Dey
