“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”
Lessons
Lessons take place at Ms. Melody's Violin Studio located in San Gabriel, CA.
Ms. Melody offers virtual lessons, in-person lessons, or a hybrid of the two. It is highly recommended that students be vaccinated before resuming in person lessons. Starting in May of 2023, wearing masks will be optional for in-person lessons. If the student or teacher is feeling a little under the weather, please wear a mask for that lesson.
Ms. Melody does not schedule weekly lessons on Saturday/Sundays.
Ms. Melody’s weekends are reserved for make-up lessons, performances, and rest.
I am an active performer as well as a teacher. Sometimes my performance commitments will require flexibility in the schedule. Due to my commitment as Principal 2nd of the Reno Phil, I will be in Nevada for a week 4-6 times out of the year.
I will let my students know ahead of the month when I will be out of town. We will have a lesson during those weeks. Our lesson will be held virtually or rescheduled when Ms. Melody is in Reno.
For lessons that land on a holiday, we will reschedule to a different day for that month.
Federal Holidays includes:
January 1st, New Year’s Day
3rd Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr Day
Third Monday in February, President’s Day
Last Monday in May, Memorial Day
July 4th, Independence Day
First Monday in September , Labor Day
November 11th , Veterans Day
4th Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day
December 25th, Christmas Day
All students who have studied with me a minimum of 1 year, may enter MTAC Certificate of Merit where students will be tested not only in their performance, but also their knowledge of theory, music history, and ear training.
Tuition Payment/Fees
Tuition is paid monthly for the appropriate amount of lessons to be held during each month.
Students are expected to have weekly lessons when Ms. Melody is in town. Additional lessons are allowed based on teacher's availability.
Payment is due at the first lesson of each month.
Tuition is payable by cash, check, Venmo, Zelle. Checks are to be made out to "Melody Chang". Online payments are made to melodychangviolin@gmail.com. Late payments will incur a $10 fee, which will be waived once a year. There will be a $30 fee for returned checks.
I do not charge annual fees or registration fees. However, if a student will be involved in an organized recital or competition, those fees will be added on.
Music books/materials will be purchased by the parent/student, not the teacher.
Ms. Melody will work with each family to find the best lesson format for each student. As the situation fluctuates, please be prepared for Ms. Melody to readjust the schedule.
COVID-19 Schedule
Students should have their violin ready at the start of the lesson.
Place the recording device so that Ms. Melody can see the bow clearly. During the lesson, the room should be quiet and have no distractions. Students should always have a pencil, eraser, and notebook on hand.
Online etiquette
A Sample Look
Bow trajectory moves towards the camera.
Cancelations
24-hour cancelation notice by phone or email is required for any lessons to qualify for a make-up lesson.
If your child is sick, please notify me as soon as possible. No-shows do not qualify for a make-up lesson.
Make-up for "Make-up lessons" will not be given even with prior notice.
If Ms. Melody must cancel a lesson, a make-up lesson will be scheduled or a lesson credit will be given as an additional lesson to the next month’s 4 lessons.
No-shows, or cancelations without sufficient notification will not qualify for make-up lesson.
Re-scheduling
Make-Ups
If you need to reschedule lessons more than once in a given month, please discuss your conflicts with me as soon as you can.
"Come and Go" - where a student is absent for a month, and then comes back for lessons after that month - is not permitted and you will forfeit your reserved time in the schedule. I can not guarantee your assigned time slot will still be available. I do not allow “Come and Go” because all the progress we’ve made together will be stunted and I must open that time slot to others.
Missed lessons (with advance 24 hour notice) will be made-up.
*If a make-up lesson cannot be scheduled within a month of the missed lesson, the lesson will be forfeited.
Please understand that you are not just paying for lessons given, but you are reserving a recurring time slot of which I can not simply replace with other work.
*A make-up lesson is an additional lesson to the next month’s 4 lessons.
This is to ensure the student has received enough hours with Ms. Melody, the teacher, to improve. A make-up lesson is not a replacement for one of the following four lessons.
Tardiness
The student will contact the teacher by phone if they expect to be late for a scheduled lesson.
If a student arrives after their schedule lesson time, there is no guarantee for an extension of the lesson, especially if there are students after you. However, if Ms. Melody is late, the lesson will be held for their entire length.
Students are allowed to arrive early if needed. Please check with me if a student can stay later.
There are times when I will have to leave immediately after the lesson due to prior engagements.
Lesson Expectations
Bring all books to the lesson. Without their books, the lessons will not be as productive. Please do not have your child(ren) "conveniently" forget one or another book due to their "dislike" of the book!
Nails should be trimmed short so that the nails do not cut into the string and prematurely age the strings. This is very important as long nails encourage bad hand and finger positions. "Manicure and nail polish" is not an excuse for long fingernails. If students are capable of cutting their own fingernails, they may be asked to cut their nails during their lessons, although this is not preferred as it will waste lesson time.
Students should arrive with the willingness to participate, learn, and be positive. We all have our bad days, and I do my best to understand. However, a consistently bad attitude will hinder lessons and progress.
Equipment & Supplies
Instruments and additional materials are not included in the tuition. Students are expected to bring all necessary materials to their lessons. This includes their instrument, rosin, cleaning cloth, assigned music, lesson notebook, and a pencil.
Violins can be rented and purchased at any Luthier. I highly recommend visiting
Robert Cauer (Cauer.com)
2242 N. Cahuenga Blvd., LA, CA, 90068.
If a student is considering purchasing an instrument or graduating to a larger size instrument, the teacher must be consulted to ensure a proper instrument for the student.
Parental Involvement
Although parents are not required to attend every lesson, I do encourage parents to sit in once in a while to observe their child during the lesson.
At home, it is normal for a child to not want to practice. Please gently encourage them to practice at least 5 times a week. Older students should aim to practice 1 - 2 hours a day, while younger students should aim for 30 minutes - an hour (if not more). Practicing consistently makes a huge difference in how a student progresses. Without practice, it is impossible to teach new concepts and the student will lose interest. I encourage you to set a specific time in the day to practice, and adhere to it as much as possible.
Please make sure that your child is practicing everything that I have assigned for the week as written in their lesson notebook. Although parents are encouraged to practice with their child, it is not always possible. Do take a moment during the week to ask your child to play for you! When making comments, be encouraging and honest. The best thing parents can do is help motivate their child to practice.
You are enrolling your child(ren) in violin lessons. Please make time to listen to music! I strongly believe that the more they are exposed to good music, the more they will appreciate music for all its worth. Classical music is great to have on in the background when they are studying or even playing video games.
Studio Recitals
Students will submit video recordings for a total of 4 virtual recitals a year.
Winter Recital - December
Spring Recital - March or April
Summer Recital - July (Compositions)
Fall Recital - October
Participation is required with the exception of unforeseen conflicts. After each online recital, there will be additional “Recital Homework” to complete. (Example: Listen to assigned pieces, write listening responses, draw self portraits, give feedback to other studio mates).
Recitals are important to experience because students need to learn how to perform in front of an audience. It also gives students a goal post to aim for and an opportunity to develop a sense of pride in their work. And finally, it’s a way for the students to share their music with family and friends.
In-person recitals may be offered in the Summer and Winter time.
If anyone is concerned about internet privacy, please feel free to send Ms. Melody an email to discuss options.
Summer Lessons & Festivals
Lessons are expected to continue during the summer as long as the teacher and student are both in town.
The summer months are a wonderful chance to make great progress when school is not imposing on the student's time and mental energy. Regular practice is still expected, though conditions where the instrument is not available due to travel is understood. It is encouraged that the student bring their instruments with them to practice on long trips if possible.
From June - August, students are invited to participate in the Ms. Melody's Summer Practicing Contest. The top 3 students will receive a small cash prize.
Students are encouraged to participate in summer music programs, festivals, and competitions. The student is expected to consult with the teacher regarding potential programs to ensure that the best decisions are made for the student's education.
Academic Materials
Ms. Melody writes and assembles all supplemental materials that are catered specifically for her students.
Students do not need to purchase any books for Theory, Composition, and Music History.
Each supplemental material contains writing assignments to do on their own time. This relies heavily on self-study, planning, and good time management by the student. Please communicate with me if you see that the supplemental materials became overwhelming for your child. I can always adjust the workload week by week. These supplemental assignments are meant to deepen their understanding of music.
Do not sell/redistribute these materials to the public. For Ms. Melody’s studio only.
Termination
If you choose to discontinue lessons with me, please notify me at least one month in advance.
This will give time for both the student and teacher to build a sense of closure and plan for the future. Whether it's transitioning to another teacher or simply pausing their violin studies for the time being - I believe in parting amicably and a chance to take a picture together for the memories.
I reserve the right to terminate lessons with a student if after I have notified you and provided time to correct it, the problem still persists. This may include, but not limited to:
bad attitude (negative comments, talking back, etc)
lack of interest in lessons or during lessons
lack of dependability (missing lessons consistently)
missed payments (more than two months)
Consistency is needed to learn any art form and learning music is both a physical and mental exercise.
There is a saying “You practice on the days that you eat” implying there is no true “vacation break” when studying music.
Trying the master an instrument is a great way to learn the benefits of consistency, dedication, and patience. I am here to help develop those skills in my students while instilling a love for music.
When joining my studio, you will be sent this Studio Policy to initial and sign to show that you’ve read and understood the studio’s policy.