Hello musicians, welcome back!! We hope you have had a restful break & are looking forward to music in term 3. We are certainly looking forward to this term. Maria will be introducing some new learning methods to keep our students engaged & motivated & always excelling, complementing their traditional learning.
First up, the important stuff…
Our term 2 practice competition will be decided at the end of the 2nd week of term 3. We want to factor in holiday practice! So PLEASE BRING YOUR PRACTICE CHART TO YOUR LESSON THIS WEEK for collection!!!!!! If you forget, the charts can be scanned or photographed & sent but must be submitted by Saturday the 24th of July. Let the term 3 practice competition begin!! Good luck! You can find our printable, customised YVSM practice chart here. Winners from the last practice competition are published here.
The YVSM website is finally published, and we love it! Next to come will be tips, tricks, videos, photos & more resources. Stay tuned!! Check in regularly for news & updates.
We require every client to have thoroughly read our terms and conditions & signed our online agreement form BEFORE the start of term 3 lessons. Our Policies and fees have changed as of July 1st, 2021, so it is crucial that you take the 5-10 mins to read over the information, making sure you agree & you are not signing up for something that you would later dispute. Your time & cooperation is super appreciated. If you haven’t already read & signed the agreement, follow this link.
In accordance with new legislation from the Victorian government, YVSM has a QR code issued by Service Victoria. The QR code is displayed at the YVSM entrance, and you should check-in each time you visit our property. We know that this will be an inconvenience for parents who are just dropping off & picking up. If you prefer, we can manually check-in you/your child, but please understand that this will cut into precious lesson time.
There are NO public holidays that will affect lessons in term 3. (yay!). However, the very last day of term, Saturday the 18th of September will be affected. Maria is not available in the morning & early afternoon. Lessons can be rescheduled to later in the afternoon on that Saturday (most preferred), to the Friday afternoon of the 17th or the Sunday morning of the 19th.
There is a performance opportunity at Rochford Wines for older (14 years +), more experienced students wishing to practice more of a set in a ‘gig’ like setting. Sound production is professional, most equipment is provided. Sets are 30 minutes in duration & performers receive a small fee, free pizza & half-price drinks. Dates are every Friday evening & Maria has selected some students already, who know about the opportunity, however, anyone is welcome. There is a registration form to fill in which you can visit here. You are welcome to register for any date & go for it. Maria will be registering for the Friday the 1st of October (second week of school holidays), if performers want Maria’s support, help, accompaniment etc, then please register for this date. Maria is happy to register on your behalf, but it would be helpful to have uploaded a video of a performance to the website to attach in the registration form which can be done in a lesson over the next two weeks. Please let Maria know ASAP if you’d like to take this wonderful opportunity.
Maria is currently at full student capacity with a growing waiting list, so her time is in short supply. If you are experiencing difficulties keeping to a regular schedule of lessons, we may need to discuss commitment.
It is a good idea to look ahead in your schedule at the beginning of term and email Maria if you expect to be absent for whatever reason (school camps, excursions, holidays, work, etc.) that way, we have the entire term to work out make-up lesson times. Make-up lessons will be done via Zoom or FaceTime if no other alternative can be reached. Each student is entitled to 2 reschedules per term.
For those of you who prefer to pay for your lessons weekly or fortnightly, we request that you pay with cash. It is simply much easier for our administration to manage.
If you are having trouble with practice at home, please address this with your teacher and he/she can assist with ideas and ways to motivate your child to explore their music at home. We want our musical education to be enjoyable, not a boring chore. Please refer to our term 1 newsletter for ideas on how to encourage & motivate.
We have installed a baby gate at the entrance to the deck. Please ensure you close the gate after you enter. Not only does it keep the boys safe, it keeps my two little chickens (who you may be getting familiar with) nicely contained & also safe. Thank you!
The YVSM kitties WERE indoor only kitties but they have evolved & now occasionally do enjoy the great outdoors. Please don’t worry if they get out.
We are currently offering private tuition for the following: Vocals, Piano, Guitar, Self-Accompaniment, Ukulele, Music Theory & VCE Tutoring.
IMPORTANT!! DIRECT DEPOSIT PAYMENT POLICY
READ CAREFULLY & FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. Please only make a payment into the YVSM bank account if you are paying the full discounted term fee upfront and on time. If you are paying weekly or fortnightly, we request that you pay with cash, but please speak to Maria if you have another payment method request and she will do her best to accommodate.
If you are making a payment directly into the YVSM bank account, it is important to keep the descriptions consistent so payments are easy to locate. Please follow the instructions below each time you make payment.
If you have one child with us please enter the child’s full name as well as what term you’re paying for. For example, ‘Jane Jones T3’. If you have more than one child with us please put just the surname followed by the term. For example, ‘Jones T3’.
If everyone consistently enters each term with a capital T followed directly by the number of the term with no space (i.e. Term 3 would be T3, it makes payment verification much simpler. Thank you.
Yarra Valley School of Music
Bank: CBA
BSB: 063 689
Account Number: 1023 8099
TERM 3 FEE STRUCTURE
Term 3 of 2021 is 10 weeks duration commencing on Monday the 12th of July & ending on Saturday the 18th of September. The lesson fee is $40.00 per half hour not including $120.00 yearly fee for vocalists or $80 yearly fee for other instruments. To be eligible for a 5% discount on lesson fees, the full term’s amount must be paid upfront by the 2nd lesson of the term. If your lesson is for an hour or more, you have multiple children with us or see multiple teachers, please ask Maria for your total lesson fee if unsure.
| Instrument | Lesson x 10 30 mins | Lesson x 10 45 mins | Yearly School Fee | Total Less 5% discount If paid by 2nd Lesson |
| VOCALISTS & OTHER INSTRUMENTS | $400.00 | N/A | Paid Term 1 | 30 minute lesson = $380.00 |
| VOCALISTS & OTHER INSTRUMENTS | N/A | $600.00 | Paid Term 1 | 30 minute lesson = $570.00 |
Please refer to our terms & conditions for our cancellation & rescheduling policies.
ZOOM/ONLINE LESSONS
The gift of flexibility that Covid & technology has given us! Here are some reasons why you or I may opt for an online lesson on any given week:
- You/your teacher don’t feel 100% and think it’s best to stay home, but you/your teacher feel well enough to receive/teach a lesson.
- You’re running late or you’ve forgotten your appointment & know you’ll lose valuable lesson time.
- You’re not feeling up to the drive.
- Someone in your household is sick or isolating & you don’t feel comfortable leaving the home.
- A make-up lesson is required & we’re having trouble finding a mutually convenient time.
- You’ve gone away & don’t want to miss your lesson.
COVID & GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING
- Please sanitise your hands with the sanitiser provided outside of the entry way into YVSM.
- Hand sanitiser is also available in dispensers in the doorway of each studio, as always. If you cough, sneeze or blow your nose during a lesson, you will be asked to sanitise your hands again.
- The pianos & stools are disinfected after every lesson.
- Social distancing is observed wherever possible during lessons. Social distancing is not possible when playing duets. If you do not feel comfortable with this, please communicate this to your teacher.
- Students & parents are not required to wear a mask inside.
- One Parent is welcome to sit in on each lesson or in the waiting room. If you have other children, they are of course welcome to be inside with you.
- Siblings may come to lessons together.
- Music exercise books for weekly journaling will be provided by YVSM along with a practice chart. Please bring this to each lesson so the teacher can keep students and parents up to speed and make practice at home more straightforward.
- YVSM singers are required to have a display folder to keep their lyrics and music organised and neat. Recordings of singing exercises are available to be emailed upon request. Recordings will be done during lesson times.
- Exam & book fees will be required before being submitted/ordered. You will be notified verbally or via email. An email or text will be sent if follow up is needed.
- Please drive slowly (no faster than 30km/hr) & carefully on our dirt roads – complaints from neighbours have been filed with the council.
- Please park your car sensibly. We realise that it’s difficult where we are. Use the shoulder directly in front of the house. Use the driveway and please have patience with others in regards to drop-offs/pick-ups if you happen to get parked in. Please don’t park in front of the neighbours’ cars. You may also park horizontally in front of the garage.
- Grant Crescent is a through road and loops with Graceburn. Can make drop offs/pick ups easier to utilise this loop.
- Please remove your shoes before entering YVSM.
- Due to Covid we have had to remove the luxury of the tea & coffee facilities as well as our shared fruit bowl. Apologies if this causes any inconvenience.
Thank you all for taking the time to read our newsletter.