2012-2013 Instrument Lessons - General Information
Please see links to the right for more information
about lessons. Scroll down to read lesson FAQs.Register
your child for instrument lessons! If your child is interested in beginning instrument lessons in the
fall of 2012, and you would
like to avoid the crowds at Registration Night on Thursday,
September 20 from 4:00-6:00PM, just download
the Beginning
Instrument Registration Form (for new students only), due September 20
and
return it to the Performing Arts Department: Wellesley
Public Schools
Department of Performing Arts
50 Kingsbury Street
Wellesley,
MA 02481
If your child is a first year student, please do not send in a check with the
registration form. You will give the registration check to your child's instrument
teacher during your child's first lesson. You
will be contacted with the date you can come to the Wellesley Middle School and
pick up your child’s new instrument and book as well as
other materials needed for lessons. You will receive an e-mail with the name of
your child’s new instrument teacher as well as the day, time and location
of the lessons. Limited tuition assistance is available - click here
for more information. That’s
it! Your child will be on their way to a fulfilling experience that can last them
a lifetime! Important Lesson Dates for
2012-2013 - Monday,
September 10 - Returning Students begin After School Music Lessons.
- Wednesday,
September 12 - Performing Arts Music Lesson Information Session for parents who
are thinking about after school lessons but still have questions. WMS Room #333
beginning at 3:00 PM
- Friday, September 14 - Tuition
Assistance Applications Due
- Thursday, September
20 - Beginning Student Lesson Registration Form due
- Thursday,
September 20 - Instrument Registration/Rental Night - MS Cafeteria 4:00-6:00 PM
- Monday,
September 24 - New Students begin After School Music Lessons
Frequently Asked Questions
about Instrument Lessons How
much do lessons cost? There is a $35 registration fee
charged at the start of each semester. Private lessons cost $348 per semester
which covers 15 lessons.
How much
does it cost to rent an instrument? Wellesley Public
Schools does not endorse any instrument rental company in particular but does
recommend the companies listed here.
Please contact them for their rental prices. All companies will pick up and deliver
instruments to the Performing Arts office in the Middle School. Rental agreements
are between the company and the individual. If
my child’s instrument breaks, how do I get it fixed?You
contact your instrument rental company. Then drop off the instrument at your child’s
school. It will be returned when it has been repaired. Where
do the lessons take place? The lessons take place in
all of the school buildings in Wellesley. How
long are the lessons?30 minutes. How
does my child get into band or orchestra?After your
child has reached a specific level on their instrument, they will be ready to
join their school band or orchestra and the All Town Band/Orchestra. The School
Committee has implemented a fee for entering elementary band and orchestra which
is $100 for a full year and $50 for a half year. What
is All Town Orchestra and All Town Band?All Town is
an orchestra and a band made up of all seven elementary bands/orchestras. It meets
one time per month and performs a final concert at the end of the school year.
Your child automatically becomes a member of this group when they enter their
school band or orchestra. The music for this group is the same as their school
ensemble music. Does
my child need to be a member of his/her school band/orchestra in order to be a
member of the All Town ensemble?Yes. There is a lot
of instruction given in the individual school ensemble rehearsals that just isn’t
possible to give during a large ensemble rehearsal like All Town. So your child
will need to be a member of his/her school ensemble in order to participate in
All Town. What does my
child need in addition to an instrument?Your child
will need a method book - your rental company will know which book is needed.
A wire music stand and a metronome will also be extremely helpful in your child’s
instrument lessons and practice. How
long should I expect my child to practice each week? Approximately
15-20 minutes 4-5 times per week for the first half of the year. After your child
joins band or orchestra, then you should expect the practice time to increase
to 30 minutes 4-5 times per week. Who are
the instrument teachers?All our instrument teachers
are Boston-area professional musicians. They all perform regularly on their instruments
and have many years of experience teaching children of all ages. A list of Extension
Faculty may be found here.
What if I can’t afford the lessons and instrument
rental?There is a system in place for tuition assistance
and instrument rentals. Just contact Elizabeth Perry, Director of Performing Arts,
either by email
or at 781-446-6250 x4120. You can also download the Tuition Assistance application
here and mail it to Elizabeth Perry,
Director of Performing Arts, Wellesley Public Schools, Dept. of Performing Arts,
40 Kingsbury Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. The deadline for tuition assistance
applications is September 14, 2012. More information and the tuition assistance
application can be found here. Can
my child take lessons with a friend?After many years
of experimenting with two friends taking lessons together, we have concluded that
kids do not progress as fast, or as well, when they are studying with another
child. The problems usually occur because neither child ever progresses at the
same rate. This will result in the teacher spending time with one child while
the other waits. Private study ensures your child will receive all of the teacher’s
attention throughout the entire lesson. My
child is taking drumset lessons with a teacher outside of the Wellesley program.
Can my child still join the school band?The band program
requires percussion students to take lessons on traditional snare drum and bass
drum. There is specific curriculum and techniques which are not always taught
in the drumset lessons. So, your child will need to take traditional lessons if
their goal is to play in the band. Adding drumset to the curriculum happens in
middle school. Last modified 9/22/12 | 