Exciting Changes for 2021-2022

I am pleased to announce some exciting changes coming for the 2021-22 year!

The first change is that I have decided to move all lessons to a 50-minute length. For my 45-minute students, this is a 5 minute increase. For my 60-minute students, we’ll be done 10 minutes earlier. (I have just violated my cardinal rule of not doing maths in public.)

 

There are a few reasons I’m doing this:

1. 1. I tend to run over with my 45 minute lessons, which then means I start the next lesson late, which means I end late at the end of the day, sometimes by as much as 15 minutes.
   2. It will make it easier for people to book their lessons.
   3. My dog needs to be fed and/or be let out. He will come and stare at me at about 4:50pm. If I don’t feed him by 5, the barking begins. (He has a very reliable inner clock.)
   4. Sometimes I have to go to the bathroom. I am, after all, mortal.

As a result of this, there will be a slight increase in cost for the former 45-minute students (and a decrease for the 60-minute ones).

Like last year, lessons will be offered over a 40 week period, starting after Labor Day (which is also Rosh Hashanah).

The 2021-2022 year will go from September 7 through June 11 (I always take off birthday week!). More specific information will be forthcoming when I find out what the scoop will be about my various temple/church/opera gigs and possible vacation.

In the event that I am cast in and decide to do Carmen with WNO, I will be extending this as needed based on those conflicts.

Also, based on the last two years of offering package options, I have decided to increase the number of lessons for the 2021-2022 year from 30 to 32.

The majority of people have had several weeks left at the end of the year after they’d finished their packages. Since we still had a recital coming up, just about everyone did a set of bridge lessons to cover the time till the summer session began, or began the summer session early.

This will also add the cost of two lessons to the package, so there will be a slight increase for that as well.

This applies to the Performers Package. The Busy Professional package will remain at 20 lessons, and it will be for 50 minute lessons instead of 60, so there actually may be a price decrease or it might stay the same. (Although I haven’t done the math yet, so don’t hold me to that – see public math, above.)

Another change – I will be offering two payment options instead of three.

(No one took the three-payment option last year for the Performers Package last year anyway.) Going forward, payment may be made:

• • In a lump sum upfront (Best Value)
  • Over 9 months, September-May

But the biggest new change of all is that I am introducing an MVP package for those students who are planning on going into music or musical theater.

Don’t get me wrong. All my students are valuable. MVP doesn’t stand for Most Valuable Player. It stands for Musically Vibrant Performer.

This is going to be an offering for people who really want to focus on the discipline and devotion (which, BTW, is going to be a blogpost theme later this month) that is required of any kind of serious practice, singing or otherwise. Like the performer’s package, it’ll include 32 lessons, but it’ll go beyond that. Full details will be sent out to invitees on July  10.

It’ll be kind of like going to an all-inclusive resort – except you’ll have to put in some work, instead of just lying by the pool (you’ll be neck deep in the pool instead).

At this point, this is an offering by invitation only for students who have indicated that they intend to go into these fields. But if you’re thinking of exploring that kind of training and would like to know more about this, drop me an email and we can talk about whether this is right for you.

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If you missed the treasure trove of information that was the College Audition Panel Discussion last week, it’s not too late to contact me to see if you can get the PDF and video link. The latter will be available through August 31.
(Cost: $25)