Music Questions

Q. How do we differ from in-home and other schools?
A. We differ from in-home lessons in that teaching is a full-time occupation for our teachers, not a part-time or hobby thing. It is their full-time occupation. That means that they are more highly educated and have much more skill at dealing with a great variety of students. As for other music schools, we only can comment on what we offer and that we offer one of the most extensive programs available with extremely qualified and personable staff. Many of our students come back year after year. We can only comment on what we do as a school, not on other schools.

Q. Is the teacher qualified?
A. Yes. All of our teachers must have a degree in music to teach at Bravo Academy. Our teachers are experienced professionals and are chosen not only for their qualifications, but for their ability to relate to the students.

Q. What if the student's and teacher’s personalities don’t mesh well or the student is dissatisfied?
A. This is one of the advantages of taking your lessons at our school – we have several teachers for each instrument so if a problem occurs – which is extremely rare – we can switch you over to one of the other teachers. If you think you may get more out of lessons from a teacher with a different teaching style, we have the flexibility to change you to another instructor.

Q. What are the names of your teachers?
A. All our teachers have extensive experience and a minimum of a university degree in music. We have too many on staff to send out resumes on all of them. Once you decide on a day and time, we will give you all the information on that particular teacher. There is no point giving you all the information on a teacher that you won’t be taking lessons with, or who does not have space available on their schedule.

Q. What if my child starts the lessons and does not like the instrument?
A. They can try another instrument. They are free at any time to switch over to another instrument. It is better to try something else than to wind up hating music.

Q. Do you offer discounts on private music lessons if I put more than one child in?
A. No. Because the lessons are private one-on-one instruction we can’t. We do however offer family rates on our dance classes and Music Workshop classes. There is no discount on Music, Mommy & Me classes.

Q. Can I sit in on the Group Music Class?
A. For the first couple of classes you can sit in, after that we ask that you wait in the waiting room. If the parents sit in every week it is too distracting for the students. There are too many authority figures and the children either lose class time looking for Mom & Dad’s approval, or they act out to see what reaction they will get. We encourage parents of young children to wait in our waiting rooms so that if they are needed they are close by.

Q. Can I sit in on my child’s private music lesson?
A. Yes – we have an open door policy with that. It is your choice when to sit in. Some students find it distracting and some work better with Mom or Dad in the room. The teacher will give you some advice on this after they get to know your child.

Q. Can my two children have a music lesson together, or both myself and my child?
A. We only do private instruction. Even people from the same family learn various concepts at different paces. One might master a skill very quickly while the other needs more time. If you are looking for convenience, we suggest that you try to take both lessons at the same time or book them back to back.

Q. Why don’t you do group instrumental music lessons?
A. Every person learns in their own unique way. If we have a class of students it is impossible to ensure that each student has fully understood the concept. Also a teacher cannot physically ensure that the technical aspect of playing is proper for each student of a group as they can only be watching so many things at once. Private lessons ensure that each student is taught in a way that is uniquely designed for them. Our goal is not to get as many students in a room as possible at one time, but to ensure that each student is getting the best music education possible. Many students switch over to us from group instrumental lessons. We notice that many students in group programs develop bad technique habits or don’t fully understand concepts because of lack of personal attention.

Q. Can we take lessons every other week instead of every week?
A. Every person learns in their own unique way. We only offer weekly lessons. It is really important that the teacher checks your progress and corrects your form every week. Also it is impossible for us to find a student to fill the hole you create on the weeks you aren’t here.

Q. Can I just take one month of lessons?
A. In one month you really don’t have enough time to give your lessons a fair shake. It simply takes time to translate what you are learning into a physical skill. Much like going to the gym, it takes time to see results.

Q. Do we need a real piano at home to take piano lessons?
A. Although a real (acoustic) piano, or a digital touch sensitive piano are always best, they are not necessary to start. Some students can start with keyboards and once they decide they like to play piano, then you can look at an acoustic or digital piano. The most important thing to know when purchasing a keyboard that it must have full sized keys. It is best to get a keyboard with at least 60+ keys so that you don’t outgrow it too quickly (a regular piano has 88 keys).

Q. I have a school band activity (etc. etc.) that I can’t get out of. Can I have an exception to the make-up lessons policy?
A. No. To be fair, unless a student is extremely ill, we do not make-up the lesson. We liken it to a client canceling a meeting with you during the day. You will not want to come in on your own time on a Sat. or Sun. to reschedule that meeting. As teaching is the full-time occupation of our teachers we are sure that you can appreciate that. It is impossible for us to schedule another student into that time for just one week.

Q. How long will it take me to be able to play?
A. That varies from student to student and really depends on the individual, how much practicing they do, and their age. Playing is a physical skill so it does take repetition to improve. Typically if you start piano in Sept., by Dec. you will be able to play a recognizable Christmas carol. With something like guitar, in a few months an adult will improve dramatically. Most students take a minimum of one year.

Q. I am a voice student and I have a sore throat or cold and can’t sing – can I have a make-up lesson?
A. No. Still come for your lesson and the teacher will work on theory with you for that lesson. You can choose to miss, but no make-up lesson will be given.

Q. What is the earliest age that my child can take voice lessons?
A. Ideally the older the better. The changes that happen as the child matures physically, such as development of lung capacity, vocal chord changes, etc. will effect how they progress. Many concepts can be understood at the young age, but not all can be practiced because the body won’t cooperate. The children’s choir is a good option for children before age 11. We do take younger children (they have to be at least 8 years old) for private voice lessons, but they need to be aware that they will have to do some vocal technique such as scales and vocal exercises. If it is not working, in the best interest of the child we will suggest that they hold off for a year or two and then try again.

Q. What do they do in the children’s choir?
A.  The junior choir (ages 6-8) often are just developing their reading (word) skills. In this age group, the material is geared to their level, using lots of repetition and teaching by rote. They also are taught the basics of proper breathing technique and singing form. The senior choir (ages 9 & up) work on more in-depth material. They are old enough to work on more vocal technique and sing in parts. The actual songs vary every year, but are interesting children’s songs.

Q. Do you offer Suzuki piano (or what is Suzuki piano)?
A. We don’t offer Suzuki piano. Suzuki piano is a method that was adapted from Suzuki violin. We use some Suzuki books for violin. In our experience the note reading skill of Suzuki piano students tends not to be properly developed. The students become very frustrated after awhile when they cannot fluently read music and play it.

Q. Is half an hour long enough for a lesson time for beginners?
A. Yes. In the beginning the half hour lesson gives the student a lot to practice at home. In a half hour they will get enough material to be able to learn well and develop proper technique. As they progress, at the advice of the teacher, you can go to a longer lesson time.

Q. We moved here from another country where my child was taking piano lessons two times a week. Are you sure that once a week is enough?
A. Of course it is better to have private lessons twice a week. However, from our past experience we found out that nowadays, children have many other activities and parents feel overwhelmed trying to find additional time. If your schedule allows you to come twice a week, we will do our best to accommodate you.

Q. How much practice should my child do each week?
A. We recommend to practice every day. For beginning students the teacher usually gives them repetitions instead of a time amount. For example, do this scale 2 times a day, this song 5 times a day, etc. The younger children find repetitions easier than a set time amount. Typically though a beginning student practices 20 – 30 minutes a day and the practicing goes much better if the parent supervises.

Q. Can my child start Music Workshop classes in the middle of the session?
A. Your child can start any time if a space in the class is available (the tuition will be prorated).

Q.  Do you offer Orff – what is Orff?A.  Orff is a methodology of teaching children music through rhythm – it would be similar to saying Montessori preschool – it is a method of teaching. In our Music Workshop classes Miss Elena uses some games from Orff method, in addition to many other methods.

Q.  What do the students learn in a beginning piano lesson?
A.  In addition to the material in their piano lesson book which teaches them how to read music and play the songs, the teachers will cover the following: sight reading, ear-training and technique (scales, etc.).

Dance Questions

Q. How do we differ from other dance schools? 
A.   As for other dance schools, we can’t comment on the teachers or procedures, but we have several distinct differences from most other dance schools. Our floor is one of our major differences – our professional floating marley dance floors offer additional cushioning and support to help prevent injuries and fatigue. We also have full time office staff, which means the person teaching the class is not distracted with administrative details, and there is always someone available to assist you with your customer service needs. We also keep our class sizes small. Our classes are limited to 10 students. We also never, ever require our students to fund raise to cover dance school activities.

Q. Can we sit in on a dance class before we decide to take? 
A. You can sit in on part of a class, but we need a week’s notice so that we can let the teacher know and so that we only have 1 person sitting in per week in order not to disrupt the routine of the class.

Q. Can I always sit in on my child’s dance class?
 A. We allow parents to sit in on the first 1 or 2 classes and then we have set observation days. If the parents sit in every week it is too distracting for the students. There are too many authority figures and the children either lose class time looking for Mom & Dad’s approval, or they act out to see what reaction they will get. We encourage parents of young children to wait in our waiting rooms so that if they are needed they are close by. You do get to go in on our observation weeks which are marked on the dance calendar we give you, posted on our bulletin boards and on our website. 

Q. What do they do in Creative Dance classes?
A. Creative Dance is the basic intro to dance class. These classes work on sequencing skills, remembering how to go from one step to another, basic coordination skills, all the basic skills they need to go into all the other styles of dance when they are older. Creative movement is also explored along with specific dance steps.

Q. What is Hip Hop?
A. Hip hop is a street influenced type of dance. You may find this style of dance in some of today's hottest music videos, live performances, and dance shows! Hip Hop has no boundaries, it is a combination of almost all forms of dance in one. It's roots come from Jazz, Funk Styles, and even Ballet! In this class dancers will develop flexibility, isolation, will learn how to synchronize movements, express themselves and find their rhythm.

Q. What is Jazz?
A. Jazz style of dance is what is seen in many Broadway shows such as "Cats." It is a structured, stylistic and energetic form of dance, with its roots in ballet and modern dance techniques. Dancers will develop flexibility, muscle strength, and understanding of rhythm. A foundation of jazz terms and combinations will be core for this class.

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