My Teaching Philosophy:
I aim to build a strong, healthy vocalism with each student, helping them to find their most natural and beautiful voice.  I do this through various exercises and emphasis on building a strong vocal technique, and engaging the entire body to support your best sound.  We will choose repertoire for you to study which will challenge technical issues and help you to grow as a singer and as a performer.  We will work on building confidence in performance techniques and conveying the emotion of the repertoire.  I encourage students to constantly set, realize, and envision goals and encourage consistent growth through positive interaction and encouragement. 


Rates:
Half Hour- $25
Three Quarters Hour- $37.50
Hour- $45


Ages 8-13
I offer basic lessons in beginner piano, theory, rhythm, pitch matching, and a basic healthy vocal technique.  This is perfect for a young child with a talent that wants to develop a strong foundation for future growth in vocal performance.


Ages 14- Adult
I offer private lessons with a strong emphasis on building a strong and healthy vocal technique, as well as developing strong performance skills.  These students will build a strong musicianship and performance value through development of pieces to be performed in the community and on studio recitals.  Beginning students typically start with a half-hour lesson and move on towards hour lessons as they progress in their study.


Audition Preparation
Some high school students preparing to enter college may be interested in taking a limited number of coachings to prepare for scholarship auditions at prospective colleges.  I offer one hour sessions which focus on basic technique improvements, bringing pieces to life in performance, and coaching in audition skills that will give you added confidence to achieve success on your audition day.


Enrollment and Payment Policy

When signing up for lessons you are committing to a weekly appointment for the duration of the semester in which you are signing up for lessons.  Fall 2012 semester dates will be August 20-December 14 (16 Total Lessons for those who study weekly) and Spring 2013 semester dates will be December 31-May 17 (19 Total Lessons).  Tuition for lessons can be paid in one of two different ways.  You can choose to pay in full at the beginning of the semester for the entire semester, or you can opt to be billed monthly for payment due at the 1st lesson of the each month during the semester.  Failure to pay in full for the month by the 7th of the month will result in a $10 late fee.  Payment can be made in the form of cash or personal check.  If your personal check is returned for any reason, you will be billed for the $12 fee that is charged to me by Chase Bank.  I do realize that sickness and other unexpected circumstances may arise.  For that reason I’ve built in “make-up” dates into the semester schedule, where you will have the option to make up any lessons missed during the course of the semester.  Please make arrangements for the make-up lesson with Craig individually, as they will be on a first come first serve basis.  I will also offer openings due to cancellations to the entire studio for make-up lessons.  For that reason, if you are going to cancel, please give 48 hours notice so that I have time to offer the opening to another student as a make-up.  

Make Up Schedule for the 2012-2013 School Year Is As Follows:

November 19-21, 2012 (Thanksgiving Week)
December 17-19, 2012
April 2-4, 2013 (Spring Break Week)
May 20-24, 2013

Tuition must be paid whether you attend or not, as my time is contracted to each individual student for the dates as promised above.  Tuition pays not only for the lesson but for expenses such as time spent planning, photo copies, practice CDs, keeping my music library up-to-date, time spent researching and planning community performances and other audition opportunities, as well as time spent studying new teaching techniques and professional standards.   

Students are expected to arrive on time for lessons.  If you arrive late you may miss that portion of your lesson in order for the studio to remain on time.  


If students are not making adequate progress, they may be asked not to continue at the end of a semester.  


Students may go through difficult periods while learning and perfecting their performances.  That is a normal experience for musicians at all levels.  Parents are encouraged to call or email with any concerns or questions they may have regarding a student’s progress.


If the student chooses to discontinue lessons, a two- week notification is expected to allow time for their spot to be filled.  If a student is a no-call, no-show for two consecutive weeks it will be assumed that they are forfeiting their spot to someone on the waiting list.  If the student should choose to return, they will be required to wait for the next available opening.  

Summer Lessons- Many students opt to continue their study during the summer semester.  I will offer as many slots as are possible based on the interest of students.  I often have to work an extra job during the summer to make up for the loss in income due to students who do not study during this time, and I may not have the same availability as during the traditional school year.  Lessons during this time can be paid for on a week-to-week basis.  I understand and expect that during summer there are many conflicts for vacations, camps, etc.  I request 48 hours notice of cancellation, so that I may have time to adjust the schedule or fill that time slot with a make-up lesson. 

Recommendations- I encourage you and welcome you to recommend my studio to your friends.  If you recommend a friend and they are able to join the studio- I will give you one lesson free of charge to thank you for the reference.  

To gain a better perspective of this policy, I encourage you to read the following article:
http://ottawasuzukistrings.ca/makeuplessons


Contact for More Info:  CraigPriceEntertainment@gmail.com