Deb's after school guitar program has been popular and successful in several schools over the past 5 years. With just two or three students in a group, this an affordable way for children to learn guitar as the rate is divided among the group members.group. Private lessons are also through the after school guitar program. The small group setting can be more motivating and fun for beginners and very young /PageVaultContent.aspx?vlt_id=9042students and less overwhelming than perhaps one on one with a teacher. More advanced students may opt for private lessons. Groups of two is encouraged for students at higher levels, groups of three for beginners. Deb plans to hold student recitals in a fun "coffee house" setting with the possibility of selling donated foods with all proceeds going to support a scholarship program Some scholarship funds available now and we are working on a program to implement more.
The After School Guitar Program is available at Maple Street School on Mondays and Tuesdays; Currier Memorial school on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Flood Brook school in Londonderry.
For best results students are encourage to commit to this program for the year, which ends the last week of April. Tuition is paid at the beginning of each month. If a student misses his lesson, private makeup lessons can be sceduled at their convenience, in Deb's Manchester, Dorset or Danby locations. To Register: email Deb. Include student name, grade, & all contact info (email, phone, address) as well as parent name. Need rental guitar - yes or no? Will your child attend After School Care and return there after lesson? Or will child be picked up after lesson by parent?Lesson price is $25 for 45 minutes with fee divided among group members.Message from Deb (and specifics): I would like to share how rewarding and therapeutic it is to play guitar. I remember spending hours in my bedroom as a child, playing and singing through sad or difficult times; I rarely watched TV! That has not changed today. I have played (and written) many songs that have helped me through painful and challenging times and greatly enhanced joyous times. My guitar has helped me make me a living for the past 15 years, through the Music Together® program, as well as other music programs that I’ve taught at preschools, camps, libraries, elementary schools, not to mention the hundreds of children’s concerts and the musical birthday parties I’ve performed. I’ve had the great pleasure of playing many, many adult gigs as well, both large and small, solo and with other musicians, all providing memorable musical experiences. I’ve played for many churches, one regularly for a year – and often at my own Church in Dorset. My comedy songs have been a hit in several cabaret type venues. I have more or less designed my own curriculum through my own experience teaching guitar over the past eight years. I have learned something from every guitar student that I have taught, realizing that no two people learn or play the same. Remaining teachable and continuing to grow in my own musical journey allows me to be a teacher who can relate to the struggles of students (I still consider myself a student too!). I have been blessed with a few GREAT teachers over the years and have learned what doesn’t work from the one “not so good” teacher. I pride myself on being very patient and encouraging; I believe that EVERYBODY has a shot at playing guitar if the desire is there, the rest will follow with the right guidance and motivation.For Beginners of all ages… learning to play guitar should be FUN so I believe immediate success right away is key. I use a modified version of the “SmartStart” method of teaching beginners. The guitar is tuned to an open “G” chord. This enables students to play songs right away, by ear naturally, without frustration. First I help students develop a couple of rhythmic strums and then add simple one and two finger chords. They will progress by learning more strums and some finger picking patterns. As we build upon the simple chords, students are gaining finger coordination (and calluses) and different strumming and picking patterns. I introduce the guitar language of “tablature” early on and inject basic theory and note reading when students need it to move on. Theory makes sense when applied in a practical sense. During lessons I typically play along on my guitar, which allows students to experience how that song should feel rhythmically. This is especially beneficial to the visual right brain learner which many musical/artistic people are. However, some learn better by me simply guiding them as they experiment on their own at lessons. Again everybody is different! Returning Students… Most returning students from the third grade and up are, or will soon be, in standard tuning, which is a more advanced stage of playing. The returning older students have learned most of their first position chords and are working on melody and bass lines, finger picking, hammer- ons, slides and bends and other cool embellishments. They will be exploring the art of moveable chords. Class Requirements: Students will be provided with a notebook to organize sheet music and handouts. Students are encouraged to decorate their notebooks musically with clip art or by drawing musical notes and symbols, guitars, chord diagrams, or perhaps images of their favorite musicians. Students should put their name & phone number on their “designer” notebooks in case they are lost or left behind. It is critical that students BRING THESE NOTEBOOKS TO LESSONS EACH WEEK, otherwise precious lesson time is spent redistributing music and rearranging or transposing keys again.Every student needs a Capo & several picks that must be brought to every class. These items can be purchased at Be Music in Rutland or just about any music store. I can pick these items up for you if requested in advance. Lesson protocol: upon arrival students need to remove their guitar from its case and have their capo, pick(s) and notebook ready and wait quietly until the previous lesson is dismissed. Students leaving the lessons should also be considerate by moving away from the lesson chairs and quickly and quietly packing up to await their parent(s), caregiver or after-school program teacher. There will be an older student available to assist young students with packing up.Practice should be fun and stress free. In fact, I prefer to call practice “playing”. Children who play often will undoubtedly progress faster than those who do not. I know that children have many activities filling their days so I understand finding time to play can be a challenge. I have found it most effective to set a 10-15 minute time slot everyday for playing guitar. This could be just before bed, just before dinner, or even during TV commercials! In the beginning 10 or 15 minutes is probably all tender fingers can handle. Once toughened and eventually calloused, playing time can and should be increased. The more skills that the student develops, the more they can do, which makes guitar playing more fun! It is also helpful to play in the evening after the lesson or the very next day while it is still fresh. Some creative ways to encourage more guitar playing is to simply ask for a mini-concert or jam along with your child using a drum or something you can drum on. If you play an instrument, by all means play with your budding musician! Another way to encourage at home practice is to ask your child to teach you, which most kids love to do! OR… ask them to pretend to be a restaurant musician and entertain the family before, during or after dinner. Investing in a guitar stand & leaving the guitar out helps!!! Make up/missed lessons:If your child will not be able to make a class please let me know as far in advance as is possible; this will allow me to do some shuffling and reschedule your missed lesson and to allow another student to do a make up in the absent child’s place.Need a Guitar?Rentals are available through Ellis Music Co. They offer guitar rentals for $18 per month with the first two payments ($36) due at the time of rental. After 9 months, at your option, you may purchase the guitar. They will credit you with 2/3 of the rental fees paid to date towards the purchase. Be Music, located at 162 Woodstock Avenue in Rutland (775-4030), offers beginner (and all types) of guitars for sale. If you decide in time that you do not wish to keep the guitar they will sell it on consignment charging 15% of the sale price. If you decide to go that route you may contact Be Music directly.Deb Zaccheo
www.musicwithdebz.commusicwithdebz@live.com(802) 362-2971
