Welcome to Sounds of Carolina!
We’re so excited to work with you. Below you’ll find our New Student Handbook, full of useful information for all new students enrolled with us.
Membership Program Students
Our private lessons Membership Program tuition is a flat monthly fee and includes weekly lessons with a regular guaranteed time slot and teacher, participation in our Fall Fest, Winter Recital, Level Up Challenge, Spring Showcase, occasional master classes, access to PracticeSpaceApp, and excellent customer service support.
New students enrolled in our Membership Program will follow a timeline along these lines:
Sign up for a Free Trial Lesson, either online or by calling us
Login into the Student Portal
Attend your Free Trial Lesson and have the opportunity to ask questions and see what it’s like
Acquire an instrument for your home and order any books recommended by your teacher
Enroll in PracticeSpaceApp (our studio code is FE92C7)
Attend weekly lessons and start practicing toward your goals
Sign up for our performance opportunities and enjoy your ongoing improvement
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The Student Portal is an extremely useful tool that helps us stay organized.
In the student portal you can:
-View your upcoming lessons
-View any upcoming recital assignments
-You can self-cancel and rebook private lessons
-Update your student information
-See your upcoming and past invoices
-View and update your payment method
-Leave comments for your teacher (but please, no lesson scheduling through teachers- you may either self-book through the portal or call/text us at (864) 844-8120)
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Your trial lesson is your opportunity to meet the teacher and ask any questions you may have. You’ll get a feel for the teacher’s teaching style and you can see if it’s a good fit. Your teacher will make suggestions about acquiring an instrument if you don’t already have one and they may ask you to purchase books for your future lessons.
If you already have some experience playing your instrument, please bring any books or pieces you have previously worked on. If you have an instrument you may bring it. (However, please don’t try to bring a keyboard… We have pianos in every room!) If you don’t have an instrument yet, that’s okay. We have a number of instruments that are available for use during Trial Lessons.
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Your teacher is going to be the best person to answer this question. However, here are some general guidelines.
Generally, for all ages:
-It is better to practice a little bit every day throughout the week, rather than a lot one day.
-Our student recitals are designed to be welcoming to everyone and one of the biggest reasons they are important is because they provide a goal to work toward.
-Listening to excellent music recordings is very important. The more quality musical exposure the student has, the better. The genre doesn’t necessarily matter. Bonus points if you can see great musicians live in concert. There are many regional opportunities for this, and many offer discounted student tickets.
-Sing and dance at home in your kitchen like no-one is watching. Be silly and train yourself that it’s okay to make different sounds and movements. Uninhibited freedom of expression is one of the most useful tools in the learning of any art form.
Young child beginner: sessions of about 10 minutes
The very young child won’t need a long practice session. But they will need guidance from their parent/guardian. Please do not expect very young children to practice correctly on their own at home. It’s helpful to establish a regular routine for practicing, at the same time and in the same place every day. Make practicing like brushing your teeth and give them reasons why we do it: it’s good for our brain, it helps us with math in school, we can make friends when we play with others, etc. Allow your child to name their instrument and teach them to treat it with care. It’s their new friend!
Older child beginner: about 30 minutes
Older children can usually be trusted to practice on their own at home but it’s very subjective to the individual. Even with older children it’s STILL up to the parent/guardian to establish a practice routine from the beginning because the initial excitement and motivation may wear off! This is for kids all the way up through high school! Here is where PracticeSpaceApp can be really useful because it’s designed to be easily accessed by kids and to motivate them to practice. It relays lesson notes written specifically for them by their teacher and they can check off the tasks as the are completed.
Adult beginner: between 30-60 minutes
One of the biggest considerations with adult students is the prevention of injuries. Yes, you can get injured playing a musical instrument. That is why private lessons are so important. They allow you an opportunity to play for a professional who can adjust your posture and technique in real time. Thoughtful practice is the most effective. A practice session should never consist of simply running through songs but rather isolating trouble areas. Your teacher is there to help you deconstruct and then reconstruct your pieces, and will provide you with practice techniques accordingly.
Lesson Singles Students
Lesson Singles are available for those who cannot commit to a regular weekly lesson. Lesson Singles are great for students who might just need a little help to prepare for an audition, school talent show, or another special performance. Please note, Lesson Singles scheduling is first come, first served and is subject to availability. Only students enrolled in our Membership Program are eligible for the amenities listed above including a free trial lesson, participation in recitals and events, and access to PracticeSpaceApp. Lesson Singles students do not have to pay a registration fee.
New students enrolled Lesson Singles will follow a timeline along these lines:
Check out availability, schedule, and pay for your Lesson Singles
Login into the Student Portal
Attend your lesson(s)
-
The Student Portal is an extremely useful tool that helps us stay organized.
In the student portal you can:
-View your upcoming lessons
-View any upcoming recital assignments
-You can self-cancel and rebook private lessons
-Update your student information
-See your upcoming and past invoices
-View and update your payment method
-Leave comments for your teacher (but please, no lesson scheduling through teachers- you may either self-book through the portal or call/text us at (864) 844-8120)
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It is helpful to record your lesson. This is easy to do with a smart phone voice memo app. Please just let your teacher know that you plan to record before doing so.
It’s also helpful to come in with a piece you are already familiar with/working on and specific questions about technique as it applies that that piece. The purpose of Lesson Singles is to help students polish something they are ALREADY doing. Not necessarily to learn from scratch.
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Your teacher is going to be the best person to answer this question. However, here are some general guidelines.
Generally, for all ages:
-It is better to practice a little bit every day throughout the week, rather than a lot one day.
-Our student recitals are designed to be welcoming to everyone and one of the biggest reasons they are important is because they provide a goal to work toward.
-Listening to excellent music recordings is very important. The more quality musical exposure the student has, the better. The genre doesn’t necessarily matter. Bonus points if you can see great musicians live in concert. There are many regional opportunities for this, and many offer discounted student tickets.
-Sing and dance at home in your kitchen like no-one is watching. Be silly and train yourself that it’s okay to make different sounds and movements. Uninhibited freedom of expression is one of the most useful tools in the learning of any art form.
Young child beginner: sessions of about 10 minutes
The very young child won’t need a long practice session. But they will need guidance from their parent/guardian. Please do not expect very young children to practice correctly on their own at home. It’s helpful to establish a regular routine for practicing, at the same time and in the same place every day. Make practicing like brushing your teeth and give them reasons why we do it: it’s good for our brain, it helps us with math in school, we can make friends when we play with others, etc. Allow your child to name their instrument and teach them to treat it with care. It’s their new friend!
Older child beginner: about 30 minutes
Older children can usually be trusted to practice on their own at home but it’s very subjective to the individual. Even with older children it’s STILL up to the parent/guardian to establish a practice routine from the beginning because the initial excitement and motivation may wear off! This is for kids all the way up through high school! Here is where PracticeSpaceApp can be really useful because it’s designed to be easily accessed by kids and to motivate them to practice. It relays lesson notes written specifically for them by their teacher and they can check off the tasks as the are completed.
Adult beginner: between 30-60 minutes
One of the biggest considerations with adult students is the prevention of injuries. Yes, you can get injured playing a musical instrument. That is why private lessons are so important. They allow you an opportunity to play for a professional who can adjust your posture and technique in real time. Thoughtful practice is the most effective. A practice session should never consist of simply running through songs but rather isolating trouble areas. Your teacher is there to help you deconstruct and then reconstruct your pieces, and will provide you with practice techniques accordingly.
Group Class Students
Group Classes are available for those interested in learning in a group setting. Current Group Classes offered are First Steps in Music for Infants & Preschool, Violin Explorers, Piano Explorers, and our Adult String Ensemble. Prospective Group Class students can attend a Free Trial Class.
New students enrolled in our Group Classes will follow a timeline along these lines:
Sign up for a Free Trial Class, either via our website or by calling us
Login into the Student Portal
Attend your Free Trial Class to see what it’s like and ask any questions you may have
Review our Policies and FAQ’s
Sign up for your Group Class and pay your first month tuition & initial one-time registration fee
Acquire an instrument for your home and order any books recommended by the class teacher
Attend your weekly Group Class and start practicing toward your goals
-
The Student Portal is an extremely useful tool that helps us stay organized.
In the student portal you can:
-View your upcoming lessons
-View any upcoming recital assignments
-You can self-cancel and rebook private lessons
-Update your student information
-See your upcoming and past invoices
-View and update your payment method
-Leave comments for your teacher (but please, no lesson scheduling through teachers- you may either self-book through the portal or call/text us at (864) 844-8120)
-
Make sure you show up a little early to each class and be prepared for the class. Have a positive attitude and don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone is there to learn and make friends.
-
Your teacher is going to be the best person to answer this question. However, here are some general guidelines.
Generally, for all ages:
-It is better to practice a little bit every day throughout the week, rather than a lot one day.
-Our student recitals are designed to be welcoming to everyone and one of the biggest reasons they are important is because they provide a goal to work toward.
-Listening to excellent music recordings is very important. The more quality musical exposure the student has, the better. The genre doesn’t necessarily matter. Bonus points if you can see great musicians live in concert. There are many regional opportunities for this, and many offer discounted student tickets.
-Sing and dance at home in your kitchen like no-one is watching. Be silly and train yourself that it’s okay to make different sounds and movements. Uninhibited freedom of expression is one of the most useful tools in the learning of any art form.
Young child beginner: sessions of about 10 minutes
The very young child won’t need a long practice session. But they will need guidance from their parent/guardian. Please do not expect very young children to practice correctly on their own at home. It’s helpful to establish a regular routine for practicing, at the same time and in the same place every day. Make practicing like brushing your teeth and give them reasons why we do it: it’s good for our brain, it helps us with math in school, we can make friends when we play with others, etc. Allow your child to name their instrument and teach them to treat it with care. It’s their new friend!
Older child beginner: about 30 minutes
Older children can usually be trusted to practice on their own at home but it’s very subjective to the individual. Even with older children it’s STILL up to the parent/guardian to establish a practice routine from the beginning because the initial excitement and motivation may wear off! This is for kids all the way up through high school! Here is where PracticeSpaceApp can be really useful because it’s designed to be easily accessed by kids and to motivate them to practice. It relays lesson notes written specifically for them by their teacher and they can check off the tasks as the are completed.
Adult beginner: between 30-60 minutes
One of the biggest considerations with adult students is the prevention of injuries. Yes, you can get injured playing a musical instrument. That is why private lessons are so important. They allow you an opportunity to play for a professional who can adjust your posture and technique in real time. Thoughtful practice is the most effective. A practice session should never consist of simply running through songs but rather isolating trouble areas. Your teacher is there to help you deconstruct and then reconstruct your pieces, and will provide you with practice techniques accordingly.