Crookston Music Studio, LLC

Harp Studio Policy 2011-2012

• Full Time Tuition Fee (September 1, 2011-August 31, 2012): Tuition is paid at the beginning of each month. The fee is based on the number of lessons given each month (see table below). Full time students must take a minimum of 4 lessons each month. Lessons are a minimum of 45 minutes in length. Late fee of $25.00 will be charged if received after the 10^th of each month. There is a $20 fee charged for lessons canceled with less than 24 hours notice.

Pay at each lesson	$55.00	Full Fee, no discount
Two lessons for the month	$100.00	Save $10.00
Three lessons of the month	+ $30.00 = $130.00	Save $35.00
Four lessons for the month	+ $30.00 = $160.00 (Full Time Status)	Save $60.00
Five lessons for the month (when there is a 5^th week available)	+ $30.00 = $190.00	Save $85.00

• Individual Lesson Fees (less than full time): The individual per lesson fee for students is $55.00. This rate applies to students who pay each time they come for a lesson rather than purchasing multiple lessons at the beginning of the month. There is a $20 fee for individual lessons canceled with less than 24 hours notice.

• Annual Student Studio Activity Fee: There is a two time, non-refundable studio activity fee of $40.00 which must be added to your first tuition payment in September and again in February. This fee is applicable to all students (full or part time status). This fee will cover costs associated with rental of recital venues, partial guest artist/instructor fees, group lessons, and other studio activities and administration.

Please note the following regarding lessons:

1. Original music must be purchased and used for student lessons. I find my books to be a great resource of information, sight reading material, and wonderful memories. Music books in good condition that are no longer needed or wanted may be “recycled” at the studio (more info forthcoming on this option).
2. Students participating in the Virginia String Teachers (VASTA) Certificate program for harp are required to be full time students (4 weekly lessons per month). This will ensure that the necessary material can be covered and the student will be well prepared for the exam.
3. Half hour lessons will only be offered to students under the age of 8. The fee for half hour lessons will be $30.00. Upon the child’s 8^th birthday he or she will be required to take hourly lessons.
4. I require 24 hours or more notice if you will miss your scheduled lesson time. There is no tuition refund for missed lessons; however, at my discretion, I will arrange a makeup lesson as needed or give a $30 credit toward the next month’s lesson fee.
5. On occasion I may need to change a lesson time due to other commitments. I will give you as much notice as possible for such a cancellation and will arrange a makeup for the canceled lesson.
6. Students wishing to terminate lessons should provide me with one month advance notice.

Harp Studio Activities: Students are expected to participate in scheduled studio activities to include but are not limited to:

• Student Recitals - two or more opportunities will be scheduled during the year (usually November/December and May/June).
• Guest Artist workshop - Each year I schedule a workshop with a well known harpist to focus on a particular skill or genre of harp playing. Past artists have included Frank Voltz (2007) and Elizabeth Blakeslee (2008), Sue Richards (2009), Jeremy Keppelman (2010), Robbin Gordon-Cartier (2010), Constance Whiteside (2011), Virginia Schweninger (2011), John Kovac (2011).
• Group Lessons – two or more group lessons between September and May to focus on some aspect of musicality. These lessons may be taught by Mr. Crookston or a guest lecturer.
• Virginia String Teachers Certificate of Achievement program – Students are encouraged to participate in the VASTA-CAP exams which happen in May each year. Whether or not a student participates, I utilize the repertoire lists to ensure that students are making progress towards their goals.
• CMS Harp Ensemble Scholarship Program – Full time students 18 and younger who have certified at level 3 of the VASTA harp exams may be eligible to participate in the CMS performance scholarship program to earn CMS Bucks. These Bucks may be used toward music purchases, harp camps, instrument purchases, and other qualified musical pursuits. Students must be committed and able to perform solo and with a group approximately 4 times between September and June. Please inquire if you would like to discuss participation in this program. The accrued CMS bucks will be awarded at the June recital.

My Contact Information:

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. If you do not need an immediate response, then email is preferred over phone calls.

Address: Crookston Music Studio, LLC

12324 Oakwood Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192

Home Phone: 703-494-3350 Cell Phone: 703-269-8929

Home Email: davidtheharp@aol.com

Practice Suggestions:

There is a definite correlation between the amount of practice and the rate of a student’s progress. I expect the following times to be used as a guide for minimal daily practice. Each full practice session should at minimum include scales, arpeggios, sight reading, etudes and other assigned pieces of music:

30 minutes for the young beginner (6-9 years old)

45 minutes for students 10-12 years old

1 hour for older students who are studying harp for their enrichment

2 hours or more for those students considering a career in music

I am looking forward to another fun and challenging year with each of you. I can honestly say that I get so much enjoyment from seeing each of you progress and become better musicians and harpists. Together, it is our challenge to achieve your goals with the harp. Additional activities that will help you in achieving those goals are listed below:

· The DC Chapter of the AHS will sponsor various workshop, concert, and scholarship opportunities. Dues are $20 per year.

· Crookston Music Studio will schedule a guest artist/instructor in the fall of 2010. More information to come!

· WAFHS annual concert in early April 2012. Students are encouraged to play in the ensemble numbers. WAFHS dues are $15 per year. They award three $500 scholarships each year.

· Two (or more) group lessons during the year to focus on selected music related topics.

Harp Organizations: Students are strongly encouraged to join local and national harp organizations which will keep them informed of scholarship opportunities, concerts, and other harp activities. Please use the following links to obtain membership information for the groups you would like to join:

· www.wafhs.org The local lever/folk harp group - $15.00 per year beginning November 1^st.

· www.dcharp.org The local pedal harp group - $20.00 per year beginning September 1^st. (You must be a member of the National Group prior to joining the local group).

· www.harpsociety.org The National pedal harp group - $36 for 21 and younger, $56 for 22 and older. Membership year begins September 1^st.

· www.vastaweb.org – The Virginia String Teachers site (has the Certificate of Achievement requirements).

Other Harp Links for music/accessories and general harp related information:

· www.harpcolumn.com Nice magazine with useful harp related information.

· www.vaharpcenter.com Local harp store near Richmond, VA. Excellent resource for music, harps (new and used), strings, and harp regulations.

· www.folkharp.com Harps, harp music, accessories (Mary Radspinner’s store).

· www.harpcenter.com Harps, harp music, accessories (Sylvia Woods’s store).

· www.harp.com Harps, harp music, accessories (Lyon & Healy’s site)

· www.lyonhealycpo.com Used harps with warranty (Lyon and Healy used harp site)

· www.vanderbiltmusic.com Harp store based our of Illinois

· www.harpconnection.com New England based harp store.