Croft Music Studio

Wishing for Spring!

2010-03-03T08:55:00.006-06:00

It has been far too long since I have updated this blog! Since our last blog we have had more new students, so I will post their pictures today.

We welcome to our studio, Caitlyn Corwin, Kaleb Lyons and Khloe Lyons, and our newest Music for Little Mozarts Piano Class, Benjamin Fogle, Claire Fogle, Lauren Fogle, and Glorianna Schooler.

Just to update you on a few items. I will be teaching the week of Spring Break. I still have one week of vacation coming, but plan on taking that sometime this summer.

Many of you have asked about our spring recital; I am working on the details right now. I am thinking about having it the 1st Saturday in June, the week after Memorial Day weekend, so you can tentatively keep that date open. When the plans are solidified, I will let you know.

Speaking of the recital, you may have noticed that my students have been bringing home solos to work on. In many cases, they are more difficult than their ordinary music, but keep encouraging them--it is amazing what they can do!

Again, I have a very talented studio, and am so thankful for you parents who keep my students practicing at home. I cannot do it without you!

Have fun, and think Spring!

Linda

New Students and New Events - Part 2

2009-11-30T12:13:00.000-06:00

New Students and New Events - Part 2

Festival is over, Thanksgiving is over, and now we move on to December. I thought you would enjoy seeing more new students at Croft Music Studio. From the top to the bottom, we have Chelsea Jorgensen, Makenzie Van Maanen, Mary Masek, Elliott Schmidt, and Bryant Agre.

Just a reminder, be sure to contact the other members in your group so you can choose a time that will work for you on Saturday, December 12th, for our Christmas Open House. Just a note, the Burtons will not be here, so if they are in your group, do not contact them.

Our next big event, after the open house will be South Central Iowa Music Teachers Auditions to be held at Central College on January 23, 2010. I will make final decisions before our Christmas break as to who will be allowed to attend. Winners from each class in this event, go on to Iowa Music Teachers State Auditions in March.

I have noticed an increase in practice time for most of my students. Thank you for your positive response to my letter. Bravo to all of you!

Until next time,

Linda

New Students and New Events!

2009-09-14T09:01:00.010-05:00

As September quickly rolls by, I thought it would be nice to introduce you to some new students at Croft Music Studio. There are several, so I will only show half of them in today's blog.

Emmett Schmidt (upper left) is 6 years old, and is from Pella. Valeriya Woodard (upper right) is 9 years old, and from Pella. She joins her brother Gabriel who is already a member of Croft Music Studio. Brooke Jorgensen (lower left) is 9 years old, and is from Pella. Davin Bishop (lower right) is 8 years old and also from Pella.

Music Carnival is Coming on October 10th!

All of my students are invited to attend a Music Carnival, sponsored by South Central Iowa Music Teachers Association.

Come and play music games, earn tickets and win your favorite prizes!

The carnival will be open from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.(noon).
Come and stay as long as your family schedule permits. Students age 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Place: Jefferson Intermediate School in Pella.

Cost: $10 per student.

There will be door prizes given away hourly and a snack will be provided.

To register, Please contact me ASAP, as all registrations must be in by September 26th.

This is the 3rd year we have participated in Music Carnival, and I must say that it is tons of fun. The students easily earn more than $10 worth of prizes. I highly recommend that you attend if at all possible.

Older children (7th grade and up), may come as helpers. There is no cost to help, and helpers earn prizes as well.

I hope to see all of you there. (Registration forms will also be sent out in this month's mailing. It will be important to get them back to me right away.

That's all for this post.

Hope you all have a great, and musical rest of September!

Linda Croft

PS - Answer the question in the upper right column at your next lesson, and you will receive a prize!

End of Summer!

2009-08-15T19:12:00.016-05:00

Summer is almost over; how come it goes faster every year?

Just finished the August Star Wars camp. I thought you might enjoy some pictures.

Claire - "I just need one more question!"

Olivia: "Please, don't let it be a strike out!"

Demrie: "Yes, this is a Star Wars coloring page!"

Sam: "This had better be a home run!"

Rebels, Olivia, Claire, & Demrie, hard at work!

Landon: "How do you spell, "We are winning!"

PS: The Storm Troopers won - way to go Landon and Sam!

Yes, it was a lot of fun. Get ready for #5, The Empire Strikes Back, coming next summer to a studio near you.

Have fun,
Linda

Coming soon:

Carnival - October

Festival - November

Auditions - January

Keep checking back for more details.

July Star Wars Camp!

2009-07-15T10:49:00.017-05:00

It is about time I update this blog - I am sure most of you have already fogotten about it!

The subject of this post is: Star Wars Camp. We are in the middle of the July camp, and I thought you would like to see some pictures of students hard at work.

In the first pictures, students are busy making a quiz for the other team from the song, Princess Leiah's Theme.

We have two teams:

Storm Troopers: Matthew, Leah, Schaeffer, Shelby, and Zachary

Rebels: Mallory, Brayden, Gabriel, and Brianna.

Our Favorite Activities?

Star Wars Baseball, of course!

And . . . sneak previews of the movie

Upcoming activities:

August Star Wars Camp: August 10 - 14.

I could schedule a camp the week of August 17 - 21, either instead of the August 10-14 camp, or in addition to the August 10 - 14 camp.

The August camp will be different than the June and July camps, so even if you have already been to a camp, you may come to this one as well. It is a great way to make up missed lessons.

Have fun this summer,

Linda

Practice Makes Perfect!

2008-08-16T13:10:00.008-05:00

With the Olympics drawing to a close, the focus is on Michael Phelps, perhaps the greatest Olympic athlete ever. How does he do it? What makes the difference between Phelps and the other swimmers?

Is it talent? Well, yes, it certainly does take talent, but don't most of the Olympic athletes have talent? Yes they do, otherwise they would not be participants in the greatest world sports event that occurs every 2 years.

I can think of two things--I am sure there are a ton more--that make the difference between Michael Phelps and his fellow swimmers. First of all it would have to be practice, don't you think? How many hours a day do you think he dedicates to his swimming practice? Every Olympian practices, but every so often an amazing athlete appears who is so driven to succeed that he or she devotes mega amounts of time to his field of expertise.

The other important thing is focus! Michael Phelps, again is a perfect example--his seventh race was certainly proof of that. When the front runner assumed he would win, he allowed himself to float to the wall. Michael, however, never stopped pushing himself up until the very moment he touched the wall. The end result? By 1/100's of a second, Phelps won the gold.

So what does the Olympics have to do with piano? You already know, don't you? You are right, to be a good student it takes more than just talent. Without focus and good practice the talented pianist just withers away.

So, with the new school year beginning, let's make that the theme of this next year. Focus and practice!

Speaking of practice, there are 99 practice charts on my walls (since January of this year). With each chart representing 12 1/2 hours of practice, that means my students have practiced 1,237 1/2 hours since the 1st of the year.

Way to go! Now, as we start over on the 1st of September, let's see if we can double that number by the time school is out in the spring!!

NEW PICTURES

I plan on updating all of my pictures again, so please remind me when you come to your lessons, as I would like to have all of them done by the middle of September. Parents, please let me know if it is all right with you to publish your children's picture on my blog. I will have a list at the studio that I would like to have parents initial (an email will also do if it is easier for you). I will attach copies of the emails to my list.

Email your permission to me at: piano@pybyc.com

I prefer my students use this address, because the mail goes into a specific folder just for Croft Music Studio.

NEW STUDENTS

We will be welcoming several new students into the studio in September--I will introduce them to you through this blog--also, I will be featuring all of you in future blogs as well. I will try to get a new blog out every week.

Now, go home and practice! (smile)

Mischa

2008-07-05T18:18:00.011-05:00

Hi Everyone,

You would think I am a cat lover or something! Sarah's new cat, Mischa, came to visit our studio one day; here are some of the lucky students who were able to play with her. Can you imagine, they wanted to play with Mischa instead of doing computer?

As the summer days roll quickly by, start thinking about your fall schedule. I will schedule you at the same time you had last year unless I hear different from you. I will send out a tentative schedule this month so you can let me know if there are any corrections.

Hope you had a safe 4th of July,

Linda

Our question for this blog is: Who is in every single picture shown above?

New Baby!

2008-06-15T11:19:00.008-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I have been so remiss in updating this blog.

Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!

Please note: at the end of each new blog I will ask a question. Each student who can answer that question at their next lesson will get a prize. I will try to get this updated every week, so keep checking back. Prizes are only awarded to those who answer the latest question!

For the Budget Minded - New Rate Info

I realize that this is not a good time for me to be raising my rates with the economy in such a downturn. So, for you budget-minded people, here is my compromize: Monthly tuition is due on the last week of the month for the next month. For those who pay their tuition before the 1st of the month (not on the 1st or later), I will give a $4.00 discount per student, allowing you to keep the current rate.

For those signed up for the Music for Little Mozarts classes, I apologize for taking so long to get this set up. The rates for both the piano and music classes will be $30.00 a month. I hope to start all classes the first week of July.

New Baby

In my over 30 years of teaching piano, I have a new first! I have a piano student who gave birth to a beautiful little girl on Thursday, June 10th. Sam and Tersha McNeely (Tersha is my student) are the proud parents of Adela Grace McNeely, 7 lbs 1 oz, & 19 and 3/4 inches long.
[I had originally misspelled Adela's name - the spelling shown here is correct. Sorry, Tersha.]

Congratulations to Sam & Tersha, and my other students, Aunt Carli, Aunt Breanna, Uncle Wyatt, and Uncle Tanner Hagenow, as well as Grandpa and Grandma Hagenow (Grandpa and Grandma are not my students).

Oh, all right, I will share a picture.

Prize Question:

Now, here it is students!

At your next lesson, tell me the answer to this question, and you will get a prize!

What is the name of the baby shown in the picture above?

Until next time,
Linda Croft

New Visitor

2008-05-09T12:01:00.008-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I thought you might enjoy some pictures of a new visitor to our studio.

By the way, it is the kitten who is the visitor, not Tessa; Tessa is one of my students. It was hard to get through lessons once she heard Shadow meowing.

Shadow (named Blossom at first when we thought "he" was a "she") is Sarah's cat, and will probably only be with us a few weeks. See -- you never know what is going to happen in your next piano lesson!

Here are a few more pictures (with students, of course).

Do you think Tessa likes Shadow!

Leah and Shadow.

Tessa, Kieran, and Shadow

David and Shadow

That is all for now.

Keep watching as my camera has been rather busy during lessons lately,

Mrs. Croft

Welcome!

2008-04-19T11:55:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Parents and Student,

My purpose in this blog is to keep you updated more frequently with the happenings in my studio. Because my studio is growing, change seems inevitable.

Also, I want to use this blog as a means of communication; please send comments or questions, as I will be checking my blog daily. Your questions and comments will not appear on the blog itself (unless you want them to appear).

Also, you can always email me at linda@pybyc.com.

Now is the time to send back your replies (bottom of the yellow letter), regarding summer lesssons. Even if you plan on leaving your lesson time the same, please note that and send it back with your child on their next lesson day.

Also, I would like to do profiles of my students on this blog; however, I will need your permission before I put any pictures or articles about your child on this blog. I will send permission slips home next week, as well as a request for your email address if you have one.

Just as a reminder, summer lessons are not optional if you wish to reserve a time slot in the fall. My goal is to keep my studio full year-round to avoid a serious drop in our family's income. I will make exceptions to this rule on a case by case basis, so call me if this is a problem.

Thanks,
Linda

Telephone: 628-1124