Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced musician looking to take your playing to another level, private lessons provide the opportunity to get the personal attention that can be beneficial to your growth as a musician. Lessons are scheduled weekly, for 30 or 60 minutes. Our experienced and professional faculty will work with you to develop an individualized program that helps you achieve your musical goals.
We Offer Lessons in the Following Subjects
Old Time Fiddle
Bluegrass Fiddle
Old Time Banjo
Bluegrass Banjo
Old Time Mandolin
Bluegrass Mandolin
Old Time Guitar
Bluegrass Guitar
Fingerstyle Guitar
Bass
Dulcimer
Autoharp
Ukulele
Traditional and Bluegrass Singing Styles
Early Childhood Music Education
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Student Guidelines
Essentials of learning old time and bluegrass music at The Handmade Music School:
- Music should be fun. Work hard, but have fun!
- We teach the old time way, knee to knee and phrase by phrase, so bring your recorder and take your lesson home with you.
- Invest in a quality instrument to learn on. The Floyd Country Store has instruments to purchase or rent.
- Practice at home and participate in our old time & bluegrass jams every Sunday.
- Listen to quality and relevant recordings to get the full experience. The Floyd Country Store has wide variety of recordings. Talk to your teacher about FCS playlist recordings.
Policies
Scheduling
Lessons are offered weekly in half hour or one-hour long time slots. These slots are scheduled directly with your teacher prior to the start of your private lessons. Any change or variance in your regularly scheduled lesson time must be presented and approved by your teacher. The music teachers at The Handmade Music School will make every effort to accommodate your schedule within reason.
Practicing
Each teacher instructs how much practice is ideal for each student and will encourage students in their practicing. Nevertheless, once the teacher isn’t present, it is up the student to do their own practicing. Progress will be made most quickly by those students who maintain the recommended practice times. Parents are also encouraged to be involved in their students practice. Taking the time to listen to your child play their weekly songs, or creating a set time for practicing in the students’ daily routine are good ways to become involved.
Attendance
Students are responsible for their time slot at The Handmade Music School. If a student is not available for their weekly lesson for any reason, it is the responsibility of the student/parent to give the instructor ample notice. Students/parents are asked to contact their teacher no less than 24 hours in advance. The teachers will reschedule within the week if possible and if that is not possible the payment for that week will be advanced to a future payment. If the student neglects to inform the teacher of a cancellation, there will be no refunds for these missed lessons. Teachers will provide the same level of communication about variances in their schedule.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather, Handmade Music School lessons follow the public school schedule. If school is cancelled, lessons are automatically cancelled and advance payments will be credited unless you receive notification from your teacher or a Handmade Music School representative.
Payments
Students/parents agree to pay for the full month of lessons on the first lesson of each month.
Rates
Our lessons are offered weekly in half hour sessions for $20 or full hour sessions for $40.
Share The Music Scholarships
Our Share the Music Scholarships are easy to access. Any person who cannot afford our learning opportunities but wishes to take part can fill out a simple form requesting the funds for the program of their choice, no questions asked! Choose whether you are interested in a Handmade at Home workshop, private lessons, or the Floyd Old Time Music Get Together. Simply fill out the form and someone from our team will be in touch.