By: Renee Bordner
NWE Music Studio Director

One of the frequently asked questions from parents and instructors, is about how much a child should practice their music assignments.

I prefer to have students start with a simple formula. Each student is asked to play each assigned piece four times throughout the week. I encourage students to make their goal of playing each piece a total of twenty times in between the weekly lessons.  Students are usually successful if they make tally marks on the music or in their assignment notebooks.  This visible tracking system creates an easy opportunity for us to discuss how the practice went throughout the week with the student, parents, caregiver and myself.

In order to keep the practice interesting for our beginner students, I ask them to focus on one element each of the four times they play each piece.  The first time, students are encouraged to play the piece through focusing on the correct notes. The second time they are asked to focus on the rhythm and counting out loud or with a metronome (an app can be used). I ask students to focus on dynamics and any articulations the third time through.  The fourth time can be a lot of fun for some students and that is when I ask students to sing along while playing.  If the piece does not have lyrics, I encourage students to create them!

This system works well with beginner students who need structure in getting started with a solid practice routine.  Once a student can consistently achieve the above recommendations, then it is simple to increase the frequency and length of each practice session.  The process helps students break down the various elements of music into smaller steps.  When a student is in the habit of breaking the music into sections, it is very easy for a student to independently analyze what he or she should practice in a piece.

If your student or you have any questions about setting up a solid practice routine, please feel free to contact me for additional ideas.

Best wishes and have fun practicing!

By: Renee Bordner
NWE Music Studio Director

No really, what is on your music stand?  If you are a musician or the parent of a musician, this is an important question.  A musician should be working on at least one piece of music that the musician selected to work on.  Yes it is very important for student musicians to work on warm ups, scales, method books, technique drills, etc..  If a musician has a recital, audition or competition then of course the musician should be working on preparing for the pieces specific to the event.  However, if a musician is not preparing for a major event it is also important for a student musician to explore a wide variety of music that is interesting to him or her!  There should be a balance for every music student of what is interesting, motivating and appealing to the student AND what the instructor believes will help the student continue to progress as a well rounded musician.  IF you believe that there is not a balance in your student musician's assignments, talk to your instructor and or myself.  I am always willing to help find new and creative ways to inspire a student musician.  In fact, here are a few of the piano pieces I have learned recently in order to prepare for my students' lessons... A Medley from the Halo 3 Video Games, The theme from the television show The Office, multiple pieces from Frozen 2 and "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns & Roses.  These pieces were very fun to learn since my students were excited by them.

So, ask yourself and your musician "What's on your music stand?" and consider adding more music that is appealing to your student musician.

By: Renee Bordner
​NWE Music Studio Director

​As the studio owner, as a piano teacher and as a mom I am often asked when is a good time for someone to start music lessons.  I am often asked if a child is too young or a senior citizen is too old.  I am happy to address this question here but if you have additional questions, please contact me directly.  I am happy to discuss your specific situation and help guide you in deciding what is best.

For me, the answer is very simple. If someone is excited and interested in learning then that is the perfect time or age to learn.  Students are never too old!  Sometimes students are too young for private one on one lessons and may be more appropriate for a group music and movement setting.  I do suggest starting very young students off with shorter lessons and an instructor who specializes in working with beginner students.

We do not have set semesters and required numbers of lessons for students for these very reasons.  Not all students' needs and interests fit neatly into semesters and lesson packages. I feel it is best for a student to start lessons when they are ready and interested even if it is in the middle of an academic grading period.

Another question I am often asked is how long of a lesson should my student have.  I typically recommend a half hour lesson for a beginner student and then increase the lesson time after a student shows signs of readiness.  To me signs of readiness include when a student says things like, "But wait I want to show you this!", when a student is still asking more questions that are relevant to the lesson even after the lesson is over or when a student simply does not have enough material to practice throughout the week.  In our Frequently Asked Questions section of our website, you can also see our team's recommendations on lengths of lessons.  http://www.note-worthyexperiences.com/faqs.html  these recommendations are truly recommendations and not set rules for our students. I always suggest discussing increasing lesson lengths with your instructor to weigh the benefits and discuss expectations.  

I am also always happy to discuss lesson plans, lesson readiness and goals for students at any time.  Feel free to reach out to me to chat further. 

By: Renee Bordner
​NWE Music Studio Director

I like many have been ready to wrap up 2020 for quite some time. 2020 has been a year for the record books for everyone!  I am looking forward to a fresh start and new year resolutions for 2021.  But first, we have a full weekend of seven holiday recitals and seven awards ceremonies planned!  We will watch, listen and celebrate 155 of our students' successes of the year!  This will be our first time hosting online recitals, this will be the first time we have had seven recitals in one weekend, and this will be our first time with 155 performers!  While I prefer in person events, I am really excited about keeping a tradition alive in a new way!  We will have photos up on our social media after, so please take the time to check them all out.

In 2020 our students, instructors and our studio did have many successes!  Some successes included students learning to play their first note while some students won music competitions and auditions!  My phone and computer were busy with excited parents and teachers sharing the latest news with me. Our instructors also kept my phone and computer busy with news about babies, engagements, graduations and exciting life milestones.  We captured photos and videos of many of these and posted them on our social media pages.  I have found myself going through these voice messages, texts, emails and social media posts on some of our longer tough pandemic days. We truly did have a successful year in the midst of all that surrounded us.  I know that at the end of this year we are all stronger.  

I do hope that you and your family take a break from the daily busy routine and enjoy time with those who are important to you this holiday season even if it is over a video chat.  Thank you for your support of NWE during 2020.  We look forward to continuing to work with you and your family in 2021.

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By: Renee Bordner
NWE Studio Music Director

By: Renee Bordner
​NWE Music Studio Director

By: Renee Bordner
​NWE Music Studio Director

Happy October!

Hopefully this month brings your family some autumn fun and modified Halloween traditions!  We hope that your family has settled into a consistent routine.  The back to school season is one of setting new goals for many.  Our team is committed to helping your students succeed with their music even in this pandemic.  Please connect with your instructor to discuss these goals and methods to achieve the goals.  Your instructor and I can help with setting up a solid practice routine that meets the needs of your family.  Now is a great time to create a map of what your student would like to participate in for the rest of the school year! 

We are offering many opportunities this year, including a composing competition, our annual Winter Holiday Recitals, our annual scholarship competition, Piano Guild Auditions, Royal Conservatory Exams, and our Honors and Senior Recital.  We plan to schedule some informal assisted living facility and Sudbury Housing Authority Recitals and to resume attending youth open mic nights at two local venues.  We will continue to celebrate our students who achieve their Practice Club status as well.  All of these events and programs are optional and our team is committed to guiding our students to be successful at them.  Feel free to contact us at any time for more information.  We will also post more information in our monthly newsletters.

Wishing you and your family the best this Fall!

By: Renee Bordner
​NWE Music Studio Director

Hello Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio!

Happy September!  

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of the year as I love the excitement of the back to school season, college football, and pumpkin spice everything.  However, this autumn is presenting itself with some new twists and turns for absolutely everyone.  

I truly appreciate all of you being incredibly patient as we navigate our fall schedules for in person, online and hybrid lessons.  A huge shout out to those of you who have opted for outdoor lessons and have been flexible due to heat advisories and thunderstorms!

Our team put together many on line free family fun nights and group workshops for our NWE community this spring and summer.  For this fall, we will focus on consistent one-on-one lessons, our outdoor performance, practice club, outdoor band rehearsals and preparing for Winter Holiday Recitals.  I will be hosting a free online workshop for parents who want to help their students with consistent practice routines.  I appreciate all of the feedback from parents and students that consistent weekly lessons have been helpful to have a somewhat "normal" routine in the midst of this global pandemic.

During this pandemic, I have been incredibly impressed by everyone's support of our students.  In addition I have been blown away by the support of our instructors, all of whom are also performers who are not performing regularly during this crisis.

I have been blessed to bring additional team members to our team, thank you for welcoming them.
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Please continue to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at any time.  I am here for our students and I can only help with a challenge when I am aware.  Please continue to send photos of videos of our students and instructors in action.
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Enjoy the autumn and stay healthy!

After you’ve decided, “Yes, my child will take music lessons!” And after you’ve filled out the registration form, submitted your credit card information, purchased instruments and materials, after a teacher has been mindfully selected, and after you have allowed this teacher into your home—literally or virtually—, it is time to trust the process of your
teacher—and we know it’s not easy!

In-home music lessons are an opportunity to create a unique bond between families and teachers. Most families at home are within earshot of a music lesson, though some family members may not be paying close attention, others may be sitting in the same room. As you’re chopping carrots, you may wonder, “Why don’t I hear more music? Why do I hear
singing in a piano lesson? Why have I been listening to “The Happy Stream” for the last three weeks?” All good questions, and from every Note-Worthy instructor comes great answers! It’s not a saying, it’s a fact: the key to any fruitful relationship is communication.

Please do not mistake this essay as a Note-Worthy advertisement. I write from the point of view of a Note-Worthy Experiences instructor and team member. The following considerations are meant to provide comfort and offer recommendations to families who are experiencing anxieties about their new musical guest and give incite to the process of a successful lesson. By engaging with your child’s music teacher, you open doors to exponential growth for your child’s musical progression and for the interconnectedness of you, your child’s music teacher, and their new music student.

Consider: Experience

Note-Worthy Experiences is true to their name; Renee Bordner is a master instructor hunter and we as teachers naturally strive to maintain the company’s reputation. Your teacher was not chosen for you out of a hat. We do not pick straws to pick our students. Your child has a teacher that has been specifically selected based on traits that include, but are not limited to: skill; personality; and well, experience. Here’s a scenario: You read the profile of the music teacher who is about to teach your child. The teacher has a masters degree and over five years of experience teaching in the real world. They arrive at your door and per previous discussion, you observe the lesson on a couch in the same room. You wonder, “Why is this teacher so nervous? Why are they stuttering? I thought they had years of experience, what’s going on?”

Well, here are two examples of what could be “going on.” One, it is possible the five years of experience were teaching out of a private, sound proof studio room that shut its door adjacent from a family waiting room. Confidence in how we teach is vital in private, and even more-so when the people who are paying for lessons can hear every word and see every step of the process. For me, it was like building a callus, I just had to teach the way I teach and know that there was success behind closed doors, so what difference does it make if they’re open. In fact, now I enjoy in-home lessons so much that when I teach in studios, I frequently invite parents into the room to observe progress.

Another possible scenario is that this is your music teacher’s first time teaching a music lesson—ever. Now, Renee would not hire an instructor that is not fully capable of carrying out Note-Worthy’s mission, so give them a chance! Great music teachers are built with experience and it is impossible to gain wisdom unless they are allowed to teach. You are most likely not the only family they will visit that day which means they are getting a crash course in teaching, say, ten, or even twenty lessons in the week before they see your family a second time. Consistency and confidence will materialize!

So what is the best way to approach your teacher when questioning experience?

Ask! Our ears are for more than music! We’d love to share with you our musical journey! If it hasn’t already been addressed in email correspondence prior to the lesson, please do not hesitate to approach your teacher; the last thing your teacher wants is for you to hesitate about taking lessons!

Consider: The First Lesson

We don’t use the word “trial” at Note-Worthy, the first lesson is the first lesson. However, this does not mean a lesson without first impressions and a teacher’s assessment. Whether you are a musical family or a complete stranger to music lessons, the first lesson is simply a pre-requisite to a second lesson. Keeping in mind every teacher has their own approach and personal flare, below is a list of standard characteristics of a first lesson:

The lesson may go on longer than scheduled. This is certainly at the discretion of mutual scheduling, but consider that initial greetings and settling in will only take this long the first time. It will not add dollars to your invoice; it will only add weight to the initial connection and assessment.

Your teacher will explore strategies to figure out how your child best absorbs information. There is a chance for success in the first half-hour; and there’s also a chance your teacher will connect with you two lessons later and discuss strategies in the best interest of your child.

Sounds may sound simple. I say sounds because it’s very possible what is being played doesn’t sound like music. But it is! There are cognitive reasons you are hearing the sounds you hear. Enjoy it!

Your teacher will find you when they need you. Music teachers are not disciplinarians or force mongers. If your child is exhibiting behavior that requires attention beyond our pay grade, your child will be politely asked to find you to save the moment and disentangle the matter.

The first lesson is often a blast! We want students to know they are capable of anything! We want students to know the glory of their instrument. And though not every lesson will be a walk in the park without stepping in a little sludge, our goal is to introduce your child to music in a way that elicits love at first listen!

Questions? Comments? Ask! Let us know! Our ears are for more than music!

Consider: What is your child telling you? What is your child telling your teacher?

No one knows your child better than you do, but ideas and inclinations of the student may be passed on to the wrong adult. There are a lot of common utterances I’ve heard from students over the years and sometimes they’re taken into consideration, other times they are ignored. Your parenting is not under question; our job is to teach music, not assist in their upbringing. However, if communications about music lessons between student and family
are blurry, it is the teacher’s job to clarify those messages, even if they are silent.

Examples of communication between teacher and student; family and student; teacher and family:

Student says, “I hate the violin.” Teacher says, “Why do you hate the violin?” And there may be many reasons. Maybe it’s physical discomfort. Maybe their dream is to play the flute. Maybe, they never asked for lessons and don’t understand why they are taking lessons. The real problem is when they identify the instrument with music itself and start to say, “I hate music.” No Note-Worthy teacher will let it go that far! It is the job of the teacher to identify issues that may be inhibiting musical progress and then it is the teacher’s job to approach the family with the student’s concerns. Perhaps you had no idea your child wanted to play flute instead of violin. Perhaps a conversation can now be implemented between you and your child to determine the best way to move forward
without sacrificing music altogether.

Haven’t had a progress update in a while? Ask! Our ears are for more than music! I am a huge fan of progress updates! When a student meets a milestone, we’ll let you know! If it’s time to rehabilitate the practice regimen, we’ll let you know! And if it seems like a student has hit a plateau, we’ll let you know! And we will have plans and be ready to discuss any or all of these breakthroughs or concerns.

Long term goals should be discussed early. Goal discussions guide the teacher’s approach and determine the appropriate materials. Teachers and families make decisions together. For example, a music teacher recommends a series of materials for the student, some provided by the teacher, some purchased and provided by the family. If a set of materials isn’t working, we will let you know and make plans for a change, and we will do so with your permission.

Have questions about your teacher’s approach? Ask!…Yeah, yeah, yeah, ears more than music…I know you know!

Consider: Understanding what you don’t understand

Not a musician? No worries, we’ve got this! If you have a desire to become more fluent in what your child is learning, primary level books have the resources you need to follow along and answer common questions your child may have when they practice. Teachers are ready to help families navigate their child’s materials for the sake of practice progress and unification. It is important to us that you know what your child is working on, even if you
don’t read music.

Consider: What if a different teacher is the answer?

This is an awkward question to consider, and that is why I saved it for last. If after a solid probation period you think your child’s teacher is not the best fit for your family, your musical guest is likely aware. We deliver the best of our abilities to each lesson and sometimes, the delivery ends up at the wrong house! Great music teachers do not take these changes personally, we take them thoughtfully, and there are only great music teachers at Note-Worthy. Music is valuable and we want to make sure that students continue to value music, even if we are not their teacher.

Thank you for your consideration!

There are plenty of resources provided on the website and in the monthly newsletters that can help answer a lot of questions. Renee Bordner has made herself more than available to all families and teachers who have signed on to the Note-Worthy team, and your teachers are also available to you for you to express any interests or concerns. Allow me to say, we are Trust-Worthy!

Alicia Britton is a voice and piano instructor for Note-worthy Experiences. Read more about her here. 

Studio director Renee Bordner was honored to be asked to contribute to Comeback Momma's blog. Her article goes over the the benefits of learning music from a young age. Read the full article here.