Welcome Will Genovese!
Miss Anna might be cool and all, but there’s only so many hours a day she can teach. Now that MAMS is in a new space with great visibility, demand for music lessons is growing, and one teacher just can’t keep up.
So it is with much excitement that we are happy to welcome a new teacher to our MAMS family, Will Genovese. Will is an established, experienced guitar instructor, well-versed in many styles, from rock to classical and almost everything in between. A graduated of City College with a degree in Music Education, Will has performed across the NY and NJ area, both solo and in ensembles such as the Hunterdon Hills Orchestra and Esteem Entertainment.
Miss Anna has known Will for many years, and even took lessons from him at one point to learn more about flamenco style guitar playing. There are very few teachers that she trusts to join the school at this early stage in our history, and Will is definitely on that list. It is our hope that you will enjoy learning with Will just as much as you have enjoyed lessons with Miss Anna over the years.
To welcome our new guitar instructor, we invite all interested guitar students and their families to a special event on Saturday, March 3. Following a brief performance by Will, students may sign up for a 20 minute trial lesson. If students like his style, parents are welcome to sign up their children to become one of his students. He will be teaching at the studio on Saturday afternoons and Monday nights. Refreshments will be served.
Attendance is free but we ask that you reserve your spot before March 1 by emailing us at missannasmusicschool@gmail.com.
See you next Saturday night!
Join the Choir
Here comes choir! If you’re a singer of any ability in 5th – 12 grade, we cordially invite you to join us in making some beautiful music on Thursday nights!
Students in choir will learn the basics of singing – good posture, breath support, proper vowel placement and more – in a relaxed group setting. If you have a child who has been interested in singing but not yet ready – or interested in – one on one voice lessons, then choir will be perfect for them! We will learn the basics through easy to learn choir warm ups; fun, beautiful (and sometimes funny) rounds and canons, and some great (to be determined) repertoire.
Has your child has been singing for years? Or have they never sung outside of the comfort of their own home? They are both welcome to join us as we sing and grow together as one group.
Choir meets on Thursday nights from 7:45 – 8:30, and tuition is $25 per month. If you are a current MAMS student, sign up through the My Music Staff portal (when signing up on the event on March 1, be sure to set that you will attend every meeting of the choir). If you are not yet a current student, please visit our New Student Sign Up page to join in the fun!
New Year Play-a-Thon Wrap Up
Can I just stop and tell you how fantastic my students are?
Well, they’re pretty super fantastic.
When our Play-a-Thon wrapped up, and with a few extra donations added in, our final donation to Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick, NJ, totaled $319.80. Students practiced 96 hours and 36 minutes to make it happen.
A group of our top practicers was with me to present our donation to the crew at the Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen. It was a great chance for the students to see the facilities and the people that our donation helped!
I look forward to running this event next year, with – hopefully – even more dedicated practicing now that we’ve seen how it all adds up in the end! Thank you to all the students who practiced, and all the parents who encouraged their children on! We really made a difference!
New Year Play-a-Thon
CALLING ALL MAMS MUSIC STUDENTS!
IT’S TIME TO PUT YOUR PRACTICE MINUTES TO GOOD USE!
Of course, practicing your instrument is going to help you grow into an even better musician, but what if your practice minutes could do even more?
Beginning on December 1, Miss Anna’s Music School students will have the chance to turn their practice minutes into a monetary donation for Elijah’s Promise, based in New Brunswick, NJ.
For every minute students practice between December 1 and December 21, MAMS will donate 5 cents to Elijah’s Promise. That may not sound like a lot, but if every MAMS student practices 10 minutes a day for 21 days, that will turn into a $378 donation!
All students have to do is practice and log their minutes (first either using the log sheet that Miss Anna will be handing out or by putting it into their notebooks). Then parents (or students themselves) can log minutes into My Music Staff to be officially counted. From the portal, parents and students will be able to see the average practice time for the rest of the studio, and we will be posting the official tally at the end of each week on our Facebook page. And that’s it!
BUT NOT QUITE!
For students who may be interested in doing a little extra to help Elijah’s Promise, there’s an additional step to take. Students can find pledges of their own to sponsor their practicing – friends or family members who will pledge 1, 5 or 10 cents (or more!) for every minute that student practices – or they can make a flat donation. As an example, if someone pledges 5 cents towards a student’s practicing, and they play 20 minutes a day for 21 days, the donor will end up donating $21 dollars. After the 21 days are up and final minutes are tallied, students will go back to their pledges, collect donations, and turn them into MAMS. We will then make our big donation during the first week of January.
If you’re a parent who has questions, do not hesitate to ask! You all know you can reach Miss Anna in person, send a text, email or message through the Facebook group. The most important thing to do is to just make sure students get practicing and more importantly, to begin logging their minutes. We can enter them into MMS at any time for them to count. If you need a pledge sheet to collect a few personal donors, just let Miss Anna know!
Elijah’s Promise is a fanastic organization that nourishes and empowers the community through food. They run a soup kitchen every day of the week, a culinary school, a community garden and a catering company, in addition to providing many other resources to residents of New Brunswick and the surrounding area. I can think of no better organization to donate to at this giving time of the year.
Calling all Choristers!
MAMS is starting a choir!
If you are in 6th through 12th grade and enjoy singing, you may be interested in joining the new MAMS choir.
Rehearsals will run from January to mid-April, culminating in a short performance at the Mid-Atlantic Music Teachers Guild’s Spring Festival. The goal is to participate in the Festival’s Ensemble Showcase, where the students will be critiqued by music professionals from around the East Coast and perform for other students and their families. The whole weekend is a great weekend to experience, and the Ensemble Showcase is great fun!
Interested students should get in touch with us (comment here, private message on Facebook or email us directly) for more information on fees and scheduling. We are trying to find a time when the maximum amount of students can participate!
Guitar Programs at MAMS
Ready to pick up that guitar and rock out? Our guitar class program is a fun way for kids to try out guitar in a fun, social setting. It’s also a great way to try out guitar before committing to one on one lessons! So what does MAMS have to offer?
Beginner Guitar, ages 7 – 13 – This class, on Saturdays from 11:45 – 12:25 is for beginners who’ve never played the guitar before. When they are ready, students can switch over to the Intermediate Elementary or Intermediate Teen class – even if it’s in the middle of the school year. In this class students learn the basics of technique and posture, as well as music fundamentals like note names and values.
Intermediate Elementary, grades 3 – 6 – This class meets on Saturdays from 12:30 – 1:10 and is for elementary aged students who have at least one year’s experience on the guitar. In addition to learning note reading and basic music theory, students will play together as a group in preparation for our end of year performance.
Intermediate Teen, grades 7 – 12 – This class is on Saturdays from 1:15 – 1:55 for teens who have one to two years’ experience on the guitar. Students will learn music theory and note reading, plus chords and playing in smaller groups like trios or duets.
Students of all classes are expected to show up on time or even a little early to make sure that their guitars are in tune and they are set up. All materials will be provided for students, and students will be invited to all performance and competition events alongside the studio’s one on one students, and of course to all of our fun studio activities throughout the year.
Tuition is $25 per student per month.
Classes are graciously held at one of the schools in Perth Amboy, but will be moving to a permanent home in Fords, NJ, at some point during the 2017-2018 school year.
You can register for class by going to the New Student Sign Up page at any point during the month of September. We will then email you information on the class location.
PLEASE NOTE: The Intermediate Elementary and Intermediate Teen classes begin on Saturday, September 9, but the Beginner Class will start one week later on September 16.
Any questions? Please email missannalawrence@gmail.com ! We look forward to playing guitar with you!
Back to School 2017!
It’s September! Are you excited? We are!
Miss Anna had an exciting summer up at dance camp, playing piano for ballet class and watching the little kids. She even had an exciting turn, substituting for the character accompanist! With just a day’s notice, she had to dust off her book of Ukrainian music and play pieces she hasn’t performed on the piano in years! It was a little scary, but a lot of fun – which are important things to do every once in awhile.
Now that that’s done, we are very excited to get back into the swing of things. Especially with this chillier weather we’ve had lately, especially over night, it’s like fall is already here. Some of you may enjoy your beach time, but as Miss Anna says, “our favorite color is autumn.” We’ve already snuck a few pumpkin lattes at Dunkin!
Some important dates and reminders –
Lessons begin again on Tuesday, September 5. (If you’re a Monday student, your first lesson will be on September 11).
Intermediate Elementary and Intermediate Teen classes begin on September 9.
Beginner guitar will start on the following Saturday, September 16.
If you have not yet signed up for classes, please speak to Miss Anna ASAP, or head over to the New Student Sign Up page if you are, in fact, a new student.
Payment for lessons will now be done on a monthly basis. You can pay in person or through My Music Staff (if you don’t have a login or forgot it, please speak to Miss Anna). There will be a late fee assessed of $10 if you have not paid by the 1st of the following month.
Stay tuned for details on our back to school event!
Our fundraiser raised $1100! We are excited because a big hurdle of leasing any kind of space is the initial security deposit. Once we can get over that, we’ll be able to slowly start the process of making it our own as the school year progresses – renovations, if necessary, instruments and musical accessories, furniture and other supplies. So thank you to everyone that donated, we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. And stay tuned to watch our progress!
See you all very soon, friends!
Our fundraising campaign has begun!
If you are a student at Miss Anna’s Music School, or would like to be one in the future, or used to be one at some point in the past (I’ve been teaching for quite awhile by now), or if you simply appreciate all the hard work I do with kids and want to help me bring my education game to the next level, please consider donating. Every little bit helps.
All money raised will go towards our security deposit and first month’s rent, a beautiful baby grand piano for the kids, and then furniture/office supplies/music supplies/etc (in that order). The more we collect, the sooner this becomes a reality!
There are perks for all you wonderful campaign backers, at every level. There are perks geared towards friends and students, and a few perks geared towards business owners and those who can afford to donate a little more. Check it out!
Visit our campaign page at: http://igg.me/at/mams
And if you can’t donate at this time, please share with your friends!
Why a studio? And how are we getting there?
As I’ve navigated my way through my career, I’ve gotten a lot of questions and commentary from colleagues and other people who usually mean well. “Anna, when are you going to open your own studio?” “Wow, you sure do a lot of driving!” “Wow, your schedule is packed!” “What’s up with the ducks anyway?”
I’ve been teaching private lessons for over a decade, and have been teaching what has now become the Miss Anna’s Music School kids for 7 years. That’s seven years of driving, schedule inflexibility, relying on whatever kind of keyboard or piano is in the student’s home, working most nights until 9 or even 10 pm, and oh man, did I mention the driving? I thought I would outline the myriad of reasons why a studio will be beneficial not just to myself and the Millenium Sapphire (yes, that’s my car’s name), but more importantly, to all of you as well.
Yes, driving is a big factor.
I log roughly 150 miles a week traveling to students. Combine that with my personal driving, and I am filling up my gas tank every 5 – 6 days. I’m also spending roughly 7 hours in my car a week commuting between houses. That’s a lot of podcast listening! It is my hope that I can open up a studio that is in Woodbridge, Fords or Perth Amboy, since that is where I (and many of you) already live.
Inflexibility
I am actually a pretty go-with-the-flow kind of person… when I can be. But when my schedule is dependent on being at different locations around the area at specific times, it is sometimes just not possible to move a lesson due to a scheduling conflict or illness. By opening a studio, I will be able to have a little bit more flexibility in my schedule. I will have more times available for lessons so you will have a better chance of finding that perfect time slot – one which can progress through the school year, unaffected by holidays, sports, other extracurricular activities, doctors appointments and other things that come up from time to time. If a student receives steady, regular instruction, with no interruptions for a baseball game or after-school activity, they will stay focused with practicing, make better progress and actually enjoy playing their instrument. And isn’t that the whole point?
Instruments
Buying a piano is either an expensive investment in a skill that your child will cherish and carry with them for the rest of their lives, or it is an expensive investment in a large piece of furniture that is going to start collecting dust in six months. It’s hard to tell how long a student is going to stay with piano lessons so you are hesitant about shelling out all that money. Or you can’t find a good cheap one on Craigslist. Or maybe you simply can’t have one in your home due to noise or space constraints.
I get it.
But that doesn’t mean that your little piano player can’t have the experience of playing on a fine acoustic piano once a week at their lesson. One of the first items on my list is a baby grand piano for our new studio. It’s something I’ve personally always wanted and something that every student should have the chance to play on. Baby grand pianos, even used, can cost a minimum of $5,000 to $10,000 but if you were to hear one, you’d know it is worth every last penny. Having lessons on an acoustic piano is not a substitute for having one at home, but if a piano at home is impossible at the moment, being able to take lessons on one is the next best thing.
Set and Setting
Kids know that when they go to school it’s time to learn. When you go to the park it’s time to play. When you go to the studio, it’s time for your lesson. But what about when the teacher comes to your living room? The mindset of the student and the setting they are learning in is often times just as important (if not moreso) than what the student is trying to learn. I can’t wait to create a space that is encouraging for all my creative, budding musicians, without the intrusions and distractions of their home lives. I understand that for many of you, it is infinitely more convenient for me to come to you than for you to come to me. However, I think the benefit of travelling to my magical, musical studio (ok, it’s probably not actually going to be magical) will be not just fun, but might help students who have focus issues whether they are internal (active brain) or external (yappy poodle) (yes, I can admit it, my own dog is a distraction half the time).
Duets and Ensemble Playing
One of the most fun things about music is the chance to get together with a whole bunch of musicians and rock out! Music can be just as social an activity as any other after school activity. It’s something I didn’t really get to enjoy until much later on in my musical studies, and it’s something I hope to be able to share with my students. Playing duets between students (as opposed to students being accompanied by their teacher) is a fun and important part of music lessons that teaches not just musical skills like active listening and understanding harmony, but can also teach skills that spill over into every day life – taking turns, delegating, listening to others, trusting others, communicating clearly. Not to mention, being able to create music with another person is just a downright fun and rewarding experience.
At the studio, I hope to continue the group guitar classes that I have been offering for two years now, but I also hope to start a guitar ensemble, open to students of both classes and one-on-one lessons. If space permits, I would like to start a children’s choir at the studio (if I’m shooting for the stars here I would love to actually produce musicals with a middle school aged group). Maybe even a rock band or two. Workshops for budding singer/songwriter types with actual successful local singer/songwriter types. Masterclasses with other professional musicians and teachers. Finally, having a neutral space to work with piano and guitar students on duets will be much easier to coordinate instead of trying to figure out when we can all get together at so-and-so’s house this week and at the other student’s house the following week and is everyone available at the right time and does this student’s mom feel comfortable having a bunch of people in her house on a random Tuesday afternoon. It feels like a lot which is why I haven’t done much of it yet. But I really, really, really want to be able to do this! Group events are something that I’ve been incredibly eager to add to my list of services.
Having a Home Base
Can I tell you a secret? I legitimately daydream about how I would decorate the walls of this studio. There would be obligatory studio announcements, of course. But also pictures from past recitals and events. A map of the world to see where all the different composers lived. Space to post about student accomplishments, musical or otherwise. Of course, lots and lots of rubber ducks. One of the things I look forward to most is having a place for the music we create to have a home where we, the students, and the music are all celebrated. Because, like, isn’t that the point?
This is all going to be a bit costly…
I’ve been working on spreadsheets (if you told High School Me I’d spend my spare time playing in Excel instead of The Sims I’d have laughed in your face) and the cost of all of this is not really a lot as far as business start-ups go, but they are costs nonetheless, and the money has to come from somewhere. It is my hope that I can launch a successful Indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign to raise some of the funds, and then apply for a business loan to cover the rest.
So this is where you come in.
Over summer 2017 I will be launching a fundraiser to cover my start-up costs. There are basic costs like a security deposit on the lease, the baby grand, furniture and a computer, and then there are stretch costs like music games, handheld percussion toys, even the gear for a composing/recording station – a computer and keyboard, plus iPads and other tech accessories. (Oh, and don’t forget the rubber ducks.) There will be perks ranging from MAMS swag – bracelets, tshirts, backpacks, temporary tattoos – to live musical performances and prepaying the year’s tuition at a discount. Every little bit (and big bit) will help. Even if I don’t reach my fundraising goal by my deadline, Indiegogo still funds me, meaning that even if all I can do is raise the funds to cover the rent for a few months, that combined with a small business loan will give me the boost I need to make this dream of mine a reality.
So…
I hope you’re ready to join me in this dream. This is truly going to be a great adventure and I hope we’ll be able to embark on it together.
Important Information for Current MAMS Families
Parents,
First, I cannot thank you enough for your continued support through the years, and your belief in music education for your children. It is because of you that I am at where I am today, and why I am ready to bring our music school to the next step of our journey. It is because of my commitment to you that I will continue to teach your children whether I travel to your home or you decide to join me in the studio, whenever we find a suitable location and open.
As we grow, there are a few administrative changes that you need to be made aware of as we transition to a school that features both in-home and studio lessons.
There will be a change in tuition for the 2017-2018 school year. It actually will not even affect some students.
All students will be at a flat rate of $25 per lesson. For traveling lessons, there will no longer be any kind of discount given for siblings/multiple lessons/friends and family. Once the studio opens, there will be a discount for multiple lessons per family. In the 2018-2019 school year, there will be a small increase in tuition for studio lessons and a slightly larger increase for traveling lessons. I’ve never increased prices and have also never charged a distance fee, which is common practice for every studio and teacher I’ve ever spoken with (they’re often shocked to hear that I haven’t done these things). But as the studio grows and changes the services we offer, changing the pricing schedule is something that comes along with the territory.
There will also be a change in how I take payment. For the fall and onward, I will be able to take payment through My Music Staff online. You will be able to pay as you go or set up an automatic payment. I encourage you, my current families, to try out online payment, as I think this will be an easier system for all (the system is not yet in place for the last few weeks of this school year). Cash payments are still accepted and many of you like to pay at each lesson, which is fine. Beginning in January of 2017, however, I would like to move everyone to a once a month schedule. Payment for each month will be due the third week of the month. If payment is not made by the 1st day of the following month, there will be a $10 late fee assessed. If you switch to an automatic payment, you will never be late!
Tuition for group classes will be $25 per student as well, also due by the 3rd week of the month. It is also my hope that, in a larger space, I will be able to run ensembles open to all students – a guitar ensemble and a choir. Included in the price of all classes and ensembles will be the price of any supplies needed except for a choir folder (those can be $20 to $30 a piece and will be an additional cost for choir members. Don’t worry – if treated well a choir folder can last years).
For scheduling – in a few weeks I will have a form available for you to fill out, either in person with me during your lesson or on our website. Ideally, there will be no change to the schedule as it stands right now, so if your current time works, you can keep it in the upcoming school year. When the studio opens, I will start scheduling lessons on days that I do not normally teach a lot of my MAMS students – either Tuesday or Thursday, and the schedule will be open to anyone who wants to switch. I will also be hopefully switching guitar classes to one of these weeknights as well (guitar class parents – I will confer with you all on the scheduling to ensure that you can keep coming!). As the holes start popping up in the rest of my schedule, I will take it from there – shifting around students who can move, or possibly opening more times up at the studio.
For new students – I know that many of you refer me to your friends – which I absolutely love and am thankful for. I currently have a waiting list of students who would like to start in the fall, and I will be working through that list on a first come, first serve basis after I confirm all of your lesson and class times. I will only be booking referrals first, so if a parent fills out the online New Student Form it is important that they put down your name in the “How did you hear about us?” box. Otherwise, their name will stay at the bottom of the list.
All of these changes can be found in my Studio Policies page, so please head there to see the full rundown of the rules and policies I abide by.
I thank you for your continued support, and look forward to embarking on this new step of the journey with you all.