Should I continue piano lessons

through the summer?

By Jo Ann Vick

 

Summer is near, which means the school term is coming to an end. As the days get longer,
students can feel the excitement of summer building. They can't wait for the last bell that signals
the three month break from classes to do nothing but relax and have fun. Who can blame them?
Kids these days are loaded down with not only school homework, but extracurricular activities that,
if not managed well, can drain the fun out of life.

Some of my piano students may be thinking about giving the piano a rest for the summer.
My hope is that they will continue with their lessons.

Here are 3 advantages to continuing summer piano lessons:

• Students have more time to practice in the summer and will gain proficiency in a shorter time.
  A summer without lessons means a summer without practice because most students will not continue to
  practice if they don't have their weekly lesson time with their teacher.
  
  Without practice, not only does the student fail to maintain their skills, but the skills degenerate.
  When fall comes, the student is behind where he or she was when summer started and will have to
  spend weeks doing review work to get back to where they were before summer began. To encourage my students to practice during the summer, I have a summer only practice rewards program called Practice for Prizes!.
  
  
• Flexibility for busy families. There is an optional per lesson summer flex plan where you can
  choose a minimum of eight dates to attend from your regular piano schedule.
  These individually scheduled lessons make it possible to schedule your piano lessons around your summer
  vacation plans.
  
  
• You retain your timeslot for the fall term. Teachers start getting calls in July for fall piano
  lessons so their timeslots get filled up rather quickly. By continuing lessons through the summer,
  you are guaranteed to keep your timeslot for the fall term.
  
  
• It's fun!!

Jo Ann Vick is a private piano instructor with 20 years of training and performing experience
and has a home based studio in Frisco, Texas. Her mission is to develop in others, a love
for playing the piano. Her website is located at www.teachmethepiano.com