What our dance school brings is something truly special.
APPROPRIATE LEVEL PLACEMENT
Our dance studio places students in classes based upon their skill level and not by age. To ensure each student is placed in the proper level, an evaluation class or private dance lesson may be scheduled with a member of our teaching staff.
PREMIERE INSTRUCTORS
Parents are very impressed with the education and professionalism of our staff. The School currently boasts award winning faculty members who have all danced professionally with companies such as: American Ballet Theatre, the Broadway musical Chicago, the Rockettes, N.C. Dance Theatre and Ballet Pacifica. The school’s incomparable faculty specializes in teaching ages three and up. The qualifications of PSMD’s staff is unprecidented.
SAFETY FIRST – “INJURY PREVENTATIVE DANCE FLOOR”
Each of our dance studios has “floating floors” and a marley top surface. Our special floors help reduce the risk of injuries and allow students to dance longer without getting tired. A “floating floor” is a dance floor that rests on a system of high-density foam, to absorb the shock of jumping. A high-density foam base is superior to a “sprung” floor, which usually consists of a wood structure built on the regular floor. “Marley” is a vinyl composite accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for recreational to professional dance. It allows dancers to slide but has a great balance between being too slippery and too sticky.
DANCE CLASS SIZE
To ensure the best possible instruction for your child, our dance studio limits the number of students in each class.
ONE ON ONE ATTENTION
Individualized attention is critical to the development and progress of dance students. Instructors at Piedmont School of Music & Dance offer one on one attention to every student in each level. Individual corrections provide students with a clear understanding of their specific areas of needed improvement and enable them to reach their full potential.
LENGTH OF DANCE CLASS TIMES
Beginning through advanced levels have extended dance class times which can span from 45 minutes up to 2 hours per discipline (Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Pointe.) The longer class times allow our teachers to teach technique and not “just a dance for the year end recital”. Studios who only allow enough time to focus on the year end recital are allowing their students to miss valuable technical and artistic instruction.
Our music school brings a new meaning to the word teaching.
Focus on Teaching
All we do is teach music lessons. We do not sell or rent instruments of music.
This leaves us free to specialize in one thing: providing the highest quality of music instruction.
University Trained Teachers
Our music instructors are highly qualified and many have extensive performance experience. Most importantly, our music instructors strive to relate their teaching to each individual student’s learning style.
Music Lessons for All Ages – Beginners to Advanced
Our current students range from 5 years old to many students in their 50′s and 60′s. We take care to teach what you want to learn so music is rewarding for students of all ages and levels.
Private Music Lessons
Private music lessons ensure that the student has the undivided attention of the teacher and can progress at the level suited to the individual.
Regular Concert and Recital – Optional
Music recitals and concerts are held at least twice a year. These provide students with performance experience and build confidence.
Safety
All music rooms at Piedmont School of Music & Dance are equipped with observation windows for peace of mind. Parents may also sit in on their child’s music lesson! There is desk staff on hand during all dance classes and music lessons.
Convenience
At PSMD you have the ability to schedule private music lessons for two or more family members at the same time to avoid hours of waiting and driving to different lesson providers each month. Siblings, parents, guardians or multi-focused students can take dance classes at the same location and save travel time between activities.
Motivation is what gets you started.
GOOD ATTENDANCE
On your way to becoming a good dancer, it is important you attend as many of your scheduled dance classes as possible or you may miss new material and helpful corrections. If you must miss a dance lesson, letting your studio know in advance is appropriate. Schedule a make up class or ask the school if your instructor is available to teach a private lesson. A private lesson is worth five dance classes!
PRACTICE AT HOME AND STRETCH
A lot of material can be covered in one class. It is very important to review steps, corrections and terminology so you can be prepared for the next lesson. Another way to improve quickly is to stretch at home while doing your homework or watching television.
FOCUS AND BE PREPARED
Begin your dance classes by putting your best foot forward. Check the dress code for your particular class and adhere to it. Always arrive to class a few minutes early and show you are ready to go. Your dance teacher will notice these little things and know you are serious about your dancing. When taking class, always be attentive, respectful, and courteous. Concentrate on what your teacher is saying and apply these things to your dancing. Being disciplined is the fastest way to becoming a better dancer!
EAT HEALTHY AND DRINK WATER
Dance requires both physical and mental power. It’s important to eat a healthy snack before attending dance class to ensure you have plenty of energy for the entire lesson. Staying hydrated is equally important so please feel free to bring bottled water into the classroom. Please make sure the container is plastic and has a twist top.
SELF COMPARISION
Everyone is unique and therefore improves and grows at different rates. It is important to try and not compare yourself to others. Focus on yourself in class and always remember to maintain a sense of humor. A happy dancer improves more quickly than a frustrated or sad dancer.
We care about the learning environment.
1. HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG – Starting at the right age
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing.
For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better” but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If a child is put into music lessons too soon they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off to music just because they had one unpleasant experience which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start music lessons their progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well. The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons.
Piano/Keyboard
At our school 6 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease. For our younger students (ages 4 & 5) they may enjoy our preschool piano
Guitar – Acoustic, Electric and Bass
8 years of age is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older.
Voice Lessons
7 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity), the younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique.
Drums
The average age of our youngest drum student is 7. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.
Violin
We accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or older. For the cello, because of its size, we would recommend students 10 and older.
2. INSIST ON PRIVATE LESSONS WHEN LEARNING A SPECIFIC INSTRUMENT
Group classes work well for preschool music programs, and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior since in private music lessons it is hard to miss anything, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. For that lesson period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher. The teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 5 – 10 students at a time and can help the student be the best they can be.
3. TAKE LESSONS IN A PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ENVIRONMENT
Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by t.v., pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 1/2 to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music. Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or sideline for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.
4. MAKE PRACTICING EASIER
As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice every day. Here are some ways to make practicing easier:
Time
Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.
Repetition
We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times every day, and this scale 5 times a day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished.
Rewards
This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school we reward young children for a successful week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work. Praise tends to be the most coveted award – there just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing, in that case there is always next week.
5. USE RECOGNIZED TEACHING MATERIALS
There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners, and books for adult students that have never played before. There are books that can start you at a level you are comfortable with. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. These materials ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can inadvertently be left out. If you ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue from where the previous teacher left off.