Talent
Machine

Finding great teachers for your students is the most important thing we do. Our hiring process is rigorous and thorough. Only talented and gifted musicians and teachers are invited to join our faculty. The behind-the-scenes operation creates freshness, growth, positive interaction, and the implementation of proven teaching methods. We have created an exciting work environment that eliminates the typical teacher problems of boredom, stagnation and burnout. Students benefit from the best ideas of many teachers instead of the old ideas of one. And don’t worry, this is not assembly-line music teaching. Students receive individualized and custom-fit instruction based on their own needs and desires.

Once hired, our teachers benefit from a wide array of resources and support.

• Staff Meetings —In this highly collaborative monthly setting, training is given by the director and other highly experienced teachers. In addition, teachers discuss what they have learned in their monthly observations. Finally, open discussion allows teachers to share any curent challenges and receive helpful ideas from the group.
• Mentoring Time — Every month, teachers meet one-on-one with the director or a senior faculty member to discuss the needs and progress of each of their students. In addition to providing a consistent and reliable source of knowledge and support, it also creates accountability which ensures that each student is reaching his or her potential.
• Teacher Observations — Every month teachers observe at least one lesson taught by another teacher. These observations are discussed at our monthly staff meetings where ideas gained as well as suggestions for improvement are discussed. This is one way we access the wonderful brain trust present at the Academy
• Training from Outside Experts — Periodically, outside experts are brought in to train our faculty and staff on the specific area of their expertise. This is an incredible opportunity for our faculty to learn from a world authority, and then apply this knowledge to their teaching.
• Other Resources — Our faculty benefits from many other resources including a Reference Music Library, Support from an Office Staff, a Balanced and Comprehensive Curriculum, a Music Buying Service (also available to students), a Gorgeous Facility, as well as many other things.

It would be next to impossible for an individual music teacher to create the environment that we work in every day. Can you imagine the difference it makes?

Our carefully designed program and curriculum give our students all of the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents. Some of the student enrichment activities and experiences include technic, performance, composition, theory, ear-training, ensemble, sight-reading, practicing skills and playing the best music from today and the past. The different parts of our program reinforce eachother creating an incredibly effective learning experience. Students gain practical skills that they will use and enjoy throughout their lives. Everything we do is geared toward student progress; this is what you are paying for.

We have many performance opportunities for our students including regularly, and frequently scheduled recitals and performance classes. Students will work harder to prepare for a performance and since our students are always preparing for something, they are always doing a little bit more and a little better. At the end of the year, this really adds up. Not every student performs in every recital, though many do, but they are scheduled and ready when the students are. Of course, we work with our students to help them prepare for a successful performance experience.

Festivals (depending on instrument) are held twice a year and our Personal Progress Review (most instruments) is held once a year.

• Festivals — Festivals are a very fun event where students are grouped into three divisions, determined by age, and perform individually for a judge in a preliminary round in the morning. Judges from each division choose 10 finalists to perform in a winner’s recitals in the afternoon. All three judges hear all three winner’s recitals and choose distinguished winners from each division. Distinguised winners receive medals or trophies as a token of their outstanding performances. Though our festivals are held in a very mild competition setting, students receive recognition and positive reinforcement for their efforts and preparation.
• Personal Progress Review — This important opportunity represents our milestone for the year. In this event, students perform the music that they have learned during the year for a highly qualified adjudicator. This judge is usually a world-class concert artist, and sometimes comes from out of state. Students receive an incredibly valuable evaluation of their playing which addresses the specific challenges and nuances of their instrument.

These events inspire and motivate our students to work hard and prepare well. Much more importantly, these events provide our students and faculty with important outside feedback from highly qualified master teachers. As an Academy, the value of this feedback cannot be understated. This is one of the most important ways that we can determine how well we’re doing.

Music theory is the math or science of music and provides the intellectual support for music study. It accelerates learning at the instrument and makes every private lesson more productive. Students work with many media (computers, audio, video, written materials and others) gaining and refining knowledge and skills in theory, ear-training, music history, performance practices and styles, practicing, motivation, and viewing performances by world-class artists. This all takes place in a self-paced and instructor-led environment. The study of music theory and ear-training will be included in any serious music program and is vital to the success of every music student.