New students: Please download, read, and sign full lesson policies below and bring to your first lesson.

Down Load Benjamin Baxter Violin Studio Policies below

Benjamin Baxter Violin Studio Policies

Age Group:

Violin lessons are offered to students ages 3 and up.

Lesson Rates & Lengths: Students will be assigned a lesson length depending on age and level determined by the instructor.

Tuition is due the first lesson of each month. A $5 late fee will be charged per late week. Acceptable forms of payment include CASH and CHECK, made out to Benjamin Baxter

For Tuition Fees contact Ben

Lesson Procedure:

For young students, a parent must attend the lesson. I will provide a practice guide chart for note taking and home practice, or if you’d prefer you can bring your own notebook. Parental involvement is essential as the parent will be the home teacher.

Note: If siblings must attend lessons, they should not be a distraction to the student. Therefore, they are allowed to bring a book, homework, or quiet toys and sit on the couch. As a personal liability to me in my home, I cannot allow children to be unattended. They must remain in the areas of my home designated for business. You are responsible for your children in my home; my responsibility is to teach violin

Attendance Policy & Make-Up Lessons:

Monthly rates are tuition based, which means all four weeks are paid for in advance and no refunds are offered. Tuition will remain the same each month as I commit to teaching 48 lessons throughout the year (an average of four lessons a month) allowing me four weeks for vacation, sickness, and family emergencies. Please do not attend if you or your child are ill. One make-up lesson will be offered a year for times of illness or emergency. If a lesson is missed for other reasons and a make-up lesson cannot be made, refunds will not be offered. If you know in advance that you need to miss the instructor will try to provide accommodations; no make-up lessons will not be provided if no notice is given of an absence.

Materials:

You can choose to rent or purchase an instrument; please see my list of recommended music stores below. They will be able to size you for the instrument at the store; however, I have included some sizing guidelines below. Please ensure the violin comes with a bow, rosin, and clamp on or sponge shoulder rest. Please also purchase the Suzuki Violin Book 1 with the corresponding CD and begin listening right away. The parent is required to read Schinichi Suzuki’s book Nurtured By Love, which you can check out from me or purchase yourself.

Stephanie Voss Violins
620 Glen Iris Drive Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30308-2767
(404) 876-8617

Benny Hurley
Fiddles and Sticks
669 North Ave. Winder, GA 30680
Phone: 770-867-5228
Fax: &70-867-5228 (Call first)
E-mail: bhurley@fiddlesandsticks.com

You can also purchase materials online at:

www.ymonline.com
www.southweststrings.com
www.sharmusic.com

Sizing Guidelines:

Choosing the correct size is an important part of purchasing a violin for a child.
Most qualified violin teachers use one of these two methods:
1. If you have different sized violins to use for this exercise, have the child put the violin in playing position. If he or she is able to grab the scroll with the fingers wrapped comfortably and the arm dropping down a little, the child is ready for this size.
2. Without instruments to compare, you may instead measure. Hold the left arm fully extended, palm up, and a yardstick under the chin to simulate a violin, record the measurement in the center of the palm. At this point, with no slack in the arm, the measurements below will indicate the correct size of the instrument with a proper bend in the elbow.

How to Choose the Correct Size Violin

Violin Size Inches From Chin To Center of the Palm
1/8-Size 17″ – 18-1/2″
1/4-Size 18-1/2″ – 20-3/8″
1/2-Size 20-3/8″ – 22-1/4″
3/4-Size 22-1/4″ – 23-5/8″
4/4-Size Over 23-5/8″

Recitals and Group Classes:

Positive peer encouragement and attitudes improve with group playing and it is essential. Classes are held every other Saturday from August-May. Please visit their website, Baxterstudio.com for more information. MYSO also provides recital opportunities, workshops, and fun activities. You can sign up for recitals; participation in at least one recital per year is a studio requirement. Students who are older are asked to be in either their school orchestra program or other orchestral group such as the prestigious Atlanta Youth Symphony

Music Lesson Agreement

Please detach and return this portion at your next lesson.
“I have read, understand, and agree to abide by the policies set forth above:”
Printed Name: __________________________________________
(Parent/Guardian)
Signature:______________________________________________
Student Name:___________________________________________
Student Age: __________
Lesson Length: 30 45 60