Just a reminder…

Hi students and parents,

Just a reminder that lesson fees are due for the following month by the last lesson of each month.

This ensures your lesson time is locked in for the following month and makes me not have to chase you up with an extra fee for late payment!

Belinda xx

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Summer is almost over…

… and I’ll be back to share my love of music with you very soon!

I am taking on new students, so if you are thinking of learning an instrument yourself or wishing your child could do so, please fill out the contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

If you’re an adult who is wanting to learn music and are trying to summon the courage to contact me,  break through that fear barrier! I have a lot of adult students who are pursuing music later in life, so take the leap and just ask me about my available sessions and price. Plus, I also offer a string ensemble made up entirely of my adult students. It’s super fun, and you’ll be playing with us in no time!

Here’s a quick checklist for returning students:

  1. Email me to let me know that you are returning and the day and time.
  2. If you didn’t sort out payment with me before the holidays, please bring it with you on the first lesson back.
  3. Have you been practising?
    No?
    I know it’s the summer, but try and start with ten minutes a day so you’re not too rusty.  You only have to do a little bit!
  4. Get excited to start playing again! Pick out a song you want to learn that you’ve heard and we’ll work out how to play it together.

Lessons start back the week of July 31.
I am so looking forward to seeing you 🙂

Belinda xx

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Purchasing a new instrument

One of the services I also provide for my students is helping them find an instrument that suits their budget and their needs.

My student, Rebecca, was unable to make a few lessons due to unforeseen work and study commitments. So we had a chat about it and agreed to trade those lessons in for assistance with helping her purchase a new instrument.

She had been a little intimidated by the process of finding a new cello and I provided her with my expertise in seeking out a cello with whose voice and fit she loved.

We visited Heaney Violins in Mountain View where she traded in the one she had been renting from them and walked out with this little number: an Ivan Dunov with a CodaBow Diamond SX carbon fiber bow.

Here’s a little note she posted on Facebook (and reproduced here with permission):

I am pleased to announce a new addition to my family. Her name is Clara.

She is an Ivan Dunov from Romania (via Mountain View) and sounds best with a CodaBow Diamond SX carbon fiber bow.

I had quite a time finding a suitable case for her more Montagnana-esque dimensions, but eventually found the right one. I love the mint green!

As soon as I held her and heard her voice, I knew she was the one for me. She’s a wonderful fit in our menagerie of instruments and I feel we are going to be very happy together. 

Many thanks to Belinda for her patience and expertise in helping me find her.

Rebecca

I am so glad that you’re happy with your purchase, Rebecca, and it was lovely to be part of such a happy experience! This is a beautiful instrument that you will have for a long time and will be a perfect one for you to grow into.

It has already helped her progress to the next level in her learning and offers her an opportunity to do far more than her previous instrument.

Belinda xx

PS: If you need assistance with purchasing a new instrument, please let me know and we can work together to help you find the right one for you.

Snapshots from the Spring Recital

Here are a few snapshots from the recent Spring Recital for my Music Time Academy students in Livermore.

Many thanks to photographers Philip Liborio Gangi, Justin W. Garrett, and Juan Montalvo for devoting your time to photographing/filming over 300 music students in three rooms! Here’s a playlist of a just a few of the students’ performances.

To learn with me at Music Time Academy Livermore in the new school year, sign up now by calling (925) 456-3460.

It’s been a pleasure teaching my students in Livermore. Have a great summer and see you in August!

Belinda xx

It’s the little things…

It’s the little things that make my life as a music teacher so enriching. Take this card, for example.

One of my very young students wrote me a thank you note for teaching her this year. How could it not warm your heart, looking at how studied and hard she tried to make it perfect! Lovely!

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Her parents wrote me a note on the other side. I asked them if it would be alright to share their kind words, and they agreed.

Dear Belinda, 

I cannot thank you enough for being the perfect music teacher for our very distractible child. Your energy has allowed her to blossom musically just at the exact rate she needed in order for her to love what she has learned. 

Thank you, thank you!

Sincerely, 

Pari and Javier

A very big hug and thank you right back to Heleyna, Pari and Javier! It’s been a pleasure and I look forward to continuing to see Heleyna grow as a musician.

Belinda xx

August is almost here!

Hello everyone,

I am back from holidays, refreshed and ready to start the new term with you!

Lessons for this term start on Monday, August 1, 2016.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I am looking forward to seeing you again!

Belinda xx

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