5 Things to Expect at Your First Official Lesson for Elementary Age Students

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Yay! You are about to have your first official piano lesson!   Your first official lesson is the lesson you have after we have already met once and you are going to start your new set of piano books, the Piano Adventures Primer set of 4 books. Here are 5 things early elementary age students and their families can expect for that first lesson at my studio.  

1.  Commemorate the Moment!

We will take your picture to commemorate your first lesson!  Be prepared to have your picture taken.  Each student at my piano studio has a shared Google Photo Album with me, so once your picture is taken, we will start your album so you are all set with an online folder to share pictures and videos regarding your piano progress.  Parents of elementary age children are strongly encouraged to stay for lessons, especially the first few lessons.  We will set up these few online accounts together.  

2.  Start Your New Books!

Your first official lesson usually takes place after your initial “meet and greet” lesson, so we have already selected the books you are going to use to start learning piano.  For elementary students at about grade 2 or 3 in school, the Piano Adventures Primer set of books is where we will start.  This is a set of four books: theory, technique, lesson and performance.  We will start at the beginning of your books with concepts such as finger numbers, rounded hand shape, posture, etc. For many, this will be a review of concepts we briefly discussed in your unofficial first lesson.  Online audio is included with this particular series with the lesson book and the website to access it is in the front cover of your book so you can use it at home.

3. Practice Expectations

Practice is an important part of learning any new skill and learning to play the piano is no exception!  We will discuss how families and students plan to incorporate a practice routine into their schedule.  Practice should never be considered a chore, which may have negative connotations, but rather a part of your regular routine.  To remember everything we learned at lessons can be overwhelming.  One of my favorite tips is to take just a few minutes at home to have a mini practice session as soon as you can after your lesson.  Have your child teach you what they learned at lesson.  This will help them to remember what they are to practice this week for their next upcoming lesson.  Elementary students will require guidance from parents and grownups to make practice a priority and enjoyable activity.  

For elementary students, I offer a practice incentive program designed to help you get started in creating the habit of practice.  In your piano folder should be a sheet to record your practice. We will discuss those details more at your lesson.

4.  Lesson Notes and Your Account

Payment is made in advance of lessons with cash or check made payable to Loretta Picco.  While I strongly encourage payment by the month or a set of lessons, you may pay weekly.  Students behind in payment run the risk of being released from my studio.  My studio is generally full or nearly full, so there is almost always a new student interested in taking your lesson time.  To see your balance you can login to your account at Waukesha Piano Lessons.  Lesson notes are also emailed to you at the end of each lesson, and you can also find them by logging into your account.  It is a good idea to bookmark the website and remember your password.  We will walk through accessing all of this at your lesson.

5.  A Few “Housekeeping” Items

Please remember to:

Park on the street and refrain from blocking my driveway.

Do not expect to start lessons more than 5 minutes before your lesson time.

Text me that you have arrived and wait for me to text you to come in. (I may grab a bathroom break between students, be in the middle of a piece with a student, or texting or talking to another parent, so please be patient with my response.)

Take your shoes off by my front door.

Try to use the bathroom before you arrive for your lesson.  You may use the facilities here, however, this will take up part of your lesson time.  

Arrive with clean hands and ready to learn.  

Let me know important things that may affect how your child responds to lessons.  For example, do you have guests visiting and practice has been minimal?  Did your child have a particularly trying day? Is your child planning to play piano at school for music class?  

Interested in piano lessons? Let's chat!