I am very excited to announce that I am now able to accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover Cards for lesson payments. These payments do come with a small fee of 2.65-3.4% depending on whether we swipe or manually input your credit card.
If you'd like to set up your monthly lesson payments to be paid using a credit card, please contact me with your credit card information. Hopefully this new payment option will make things easier for students and parents! Please let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Amanda
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Part III: Exam Tips & Advice for StudentsHello all! Here is my final post summarizing the amazing workshop I attended a few weeks ago, put on by the Royal Conservatory of Music and presented by two of their fantastic Examiners. This post includes the advice, tips and recommendations from those two presenting Examiners on what to expect in your exam and how best to prepare. Let's start with a basic breakdown of the exam components and how much each section is worth: Repertoire - 56% Studies - 12% Technique - 12% (Scales, arpeggios and other technical exercises) Ear Tests - 10% Sight Reading - 10% The first recommendation the Examiners gave is to know the exam requirements and you have prepared the correct number of studies, chosen your repertoire pieces from the correct lists, and prepared your scales and arpeggios with the correct articulation patterns. They are not able to give you full marks if these requirements are not met and sadly, they quite frequently come across students who perform well, but have not prepared all the necessary elements. Next they listed the basic technical and musical elements that they look for when marking an exam.
Another element they look for is less easy to put into words. They listen for the "it" of the piece. Is the main concept communicated? Do you understand what the music is trying to say?
For more advice and general tips from the Examiners, here is a quick list:
Next, the Examiners wanted to give new students and impression of what an exam will be like. After months of preparation, the quick 15 minutes can seem rushed, cold and unfriendly. The Examiners will try and keep things pleasant but will keep their comments neutral and short mainly to allow the students some time to think. Due to the short time of the examination, they may be writing or typing throughout your performance and may continue after you've finished. Do not expect comments other than a short "thank you" before they ask you to begin your next piece. Again, your best bet is to pretend the Examiner is just another member of the audience so they can appreciate your performance that much more. Lastly, the presenting Examiners gave four basic tips to prepare yourself for a successful exam:
And that is it! That is a lot of information so if you are a student preparing for an exam, make sure to leave lots of time to think about all these ideas before your examination date. Any other questions? Have some feedback or advice to add? Leave a message for me in the "add comment" section on this blog! Good luck to all exam students and I look forward to working with you towards this exciting goal. Amanda Part II: Background and Insight into the Mind of an ExaminerHello again!
Here is my second post summarizing the fantastic workshop I attended a few weeks ago, put on by the Royal Conservatory of Music and presented by two RCM Examiners. In order to prepare for your exam, it is helpful to know more about the people you will be taking the exam from: your Examiners. Here are some short insights into the background of your Examiners and what they are thinking as you perform your exam. Examiners at the Royal Conservatory of Music must complete a rigorous training program that includes lectures, workshops, demonstrations and three sessions of shadowing with a Mentor Examiner. In order to even be accepted into the training program, potential examiners must have:
Given the strict time limit on exams, Examiners cannot sit back and relax during your performance, but are constantly writing and evaluating. Luckily, they are trained in listening while writing so that they can evaluate your performance as they are marking down their comments. Through their comments, they attempt to give the student's teacher a snapshot of what happened during the exam. They understand, like most teachers, that positive feedback and encouragement will motivate students to continue on their instrument and so are not attempting to negatively judge or discourage a student's abilities. However, unless they receive 100%, Examiners feel each student deserves to know why they lost marks in certain areas. Therefore, they provide not only the mark breakdown, but also written feedback with advice on how to improve the techniques that need work. They are very conscientious and one mark over another does matter to them. After the exam, they re-read their comments, re-mark the exam, and make sure the comments, marks and re-marks are consistent and match. The two Examiners presenting the workshop also discussed how at the annual meetings, often Examiners will argue over a half-mark that should or should not have been given to a performing student. They are so dedicated to providing an accurate representation of a student's abilities, that one mark here or there will cause hour long discussions. So, keep in mind, potential exam participants, you are in safe hands with your Examiners. They will do their best to mark you fairly, encourage your continued growth, recognize your strengths and advise you on the best ways to improve your weaknesses. They are 100% on your side and are ready and willing to give you full marks for an outstanding performance. In my next post, I will share some advice direct from the Examiners on how best to prepare for your exam. That outstanding performance may only be a few steps away. Part I: The Benefits of RCM ExamsHello everyone!
It has been an awfully long time since I wrote a blog post but I finally have a great topic for discussion! I was lucky enough to attend a workshop last week put on by the Royal Conservatory of Music that gave some great advice on how to prepare for their musical examinations. I have summarized what I learned from that three-hour workshop into a 3-part post starting with the benefits of taking the examinations. Later on I will write posts 2 and 3 on tips and advice on what to expect during your exam and a brief look into the mind of an RCM Examiner. I hope it is helpful and that more students will sign up for exams next Fall! RCM Exam Benefits: Why should you sign up for a Music Exam? I know it seems backwards to think that an exam for music would be beneficial when music is such an emotional, expressive and subjective thing. But, in order to be an emotional and expressive player we have to practice and learn how to properly convey such intangible feelings through a very tangible and - somewhat temperamental - instrument. Here is a brief, point-form list of the many benefits of completing a Royal Conservatory Examination.
I hope that helps give students out there some motivation to sign up for an exam. I know they can seem intimidating and like a lot of work, but they are definitely worth it! Please feel free to contact me at 403-200-9655 or curtis.amandaj@gmail.com for more information on registration and exam dates. Good luck! Amanda Hello everyone!
I want to congratulate all my students on a fantastic recital on Saturday night! Everyone did a great job and it was a very fun and memorable evening. It has been such a wonderful year so far and hearing all the beautiful performances was the perfect way to finish up the fall season. Just a reminder that there will be no lessons between Friday, December 13th and Monday, January 6th, as I will be on holiday for the Christmas season. I will contact everyone to confirm January lesson times once I am back from my trip. Thank you for all your hard work this year. I hope you and your family have a wonderful, relaxing holiday break and I look forward to starting up lessons again in the New Year! Amanda Hello everyone!
I have posted my Tip-of-the-Week #6 to my Facebook Page, this week discussing Master Classes. Take a look to see why Master Classes are important and how they can help you prepare for a performance. Some of my students will need to start preparing for a performance at my upcoming Student Recital on December 7th at 7pm. This Recital will again take place at St. John's Music and all students are welcome and encouraged to participate. Family and friends are invited to attend and, as always, after the performances, there will be cookies and juice for everyone. If you're interested in performing at the Recital, please confirm with me before the end of October so that we can pick an appropriate piece and begin preparing. Parents can email me at curtis.amandaj@gmail.com or telephone at 403-200-9655 to discuss how the Recital will work and confirm student participation. Thank you and I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Amanda Hello everyone,
My Tip-of-the-Week #5 is up on my Facebook page! This week's tip is about the Royal Conservatory Examinations and how they can help you to feel successful on your instrument. For more information on the Royal Conservatory, check out their website at http://www.rcmusic.ca Sign up for the next exams ends November 5th so let me know ASAP if you'd like to take your exam this January. Also, make sure you check out their High School Accreditation page to find out which exams give you credit towards your High School diploma! Have another great week everyone! Amanda Hello all,
I have finally (a little late, but nevertheless) posted my 3rd Tip-of-the-Week! You can read it on my Facebook page by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/AmandasMusicLessons This week's tip is about Listening and why it is so important to listen to ourselves when we practice. Any comments or suggestions for future tips of the week? Send me an email at curtis.amandaj@gmail.com Hope you are all doing well and getting back into the swing of the Fall season Hello everyone!
I am very excited to announce that I will be putting on a workshop for beginner clarinet and saxophone students on October 5th, 2013 at St. John's Music. This workshop is for those brand new instrumentalists who are in the process of learning their instruments and will provide them with tips and tricks to help them get started. There are two separate workshops - one for clarinet students at 10am, Saturday morning, and one for saxophone students at 12pm on Saturday afternoon. If there is anyone you know who may be interested in attending, please pass along the information. Anyone and everyone is invited to attend! And remember, this is a free clinic! All you need to do is show up! Topics to be covered include: - how to put your instrument together properly - correct cleaning and maintenance of your instrument - what additional supplies you may need for your instrument - how to hold your instrument - how to blow and form your embouchure - how to play your first notes - how to play your first scale (if time!) Additionally, I will discuss the value of private music lessons and be on hand afterward to answer any questions from students and parents. If students do not have an instrument, the amazing staff at St. John's Music will be available to discuss rentals and purchases. This is a fantastic opportunity for new students to get a jump on learning their band instruments for the year. Feel free to print and share the poster below with your friends, family and students! Hello again,
If you haven't already taken a look, check out my 2nd Tip-of-the-Week on my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AmandasMusicLessons This week's Tip is another bit of practicing advice - how to practice WITHOUT YOUR INSTRUMENT! Stay tuned for next week's tip and make sure to Like my Facebook page so you don't miss any updates. Happy Practicing! Amanda |