May 3, 2025: Saturday Remix
Teachers and Staff: Happy Saturday!
Coming up: Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday & Sunday, May 10 & 11, are scheduled off-days (no regular lessons those two days). May 10 is our Destination Recital (see below).
Destination Recital
Our first annual Destination Recital in San Diego County on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The field trip includes a charter bus ride, meals and snacks, the recital in a beautiful temple, a visit to the Museum of Making Music, and more!
Each year we plan to offer a destination recital at a different location. The first few will be local to Southern California (a bus ride away). As we grow we hope to travel out of state and eventually out of country for our destination recitals.
Musical Ladder System
The Musical Ladder System is being launched this month (May). Here are the basics of what you need to know and to do. More information will be forthcoming. For now, please know (and think about) the following:
Every student will participate in the Musical Ladder program by default. Students can opt out of the program. We will let you know if your student opts out. Until that time, if it occurs, please assume they are in the program. Please encourage them to be in the program! This includes all ages, including teens and adults.
Teachers cannot opt out of the program. Every teacher participates, and every teacher is committed to participating enthusiastically.
The system is based on longevity. Students reach levels as they progress, over time, through their ongoing lessons. There is an achievement aspect (test, project, performance, developmental milestone) for each, but the milestones and levels take place on a pre-determined schedule. The levels start at every 3 months of continuous lessons, then eventually evolve to every 6 months, and then every year. (Students who withdraw and then restart later must restart on the first rung of the ladder.)
Students NEVER fail their test or are unsuccessful in reaching their scheduled milestone and level. It is your responsibility, as their teacher, to define their goal at each level in a manner that ensures that they attain their goal, every time. (We will talk more about this as we go along.)
Milestone goals can include a wide variety of diverse activities. Here, I will note some basic examples; this listing is simply a starting point of ideas and potentialities. Accomplishments can be: written tests, oral tests, playing tests, performances (including in-lesson, at-home, Forum, recitals, at school talent shows, and more), memorization of some material, completion of a task or project, reading or research and then a written or oral report, demonstration of a new skill, a self-assessment, and many more.
The requirement for teachers is to work with each student, at the beginning of each level, to design the milestone activity. Then, help ensure the student learns what is needed, develops the skills needed, etc., and completes the activity successfully by the due date at the end of the level period.
Milestone activities should be meaningful, yet easily achievable. They are not meant to be so easy that a student can already do them without even trying. But they must not be so difficult that a student must devote inappropriate time or effort into achieving them, or have the chance or failing.
Remember, the levels are first about longevity – the continuous time they have put into their music lessons. The milestone activity is a procedure to formalize the process and event, to make it more meaningful, to make it more rewarding, and to help students and parents to know and to feel that they are accomplishing things and growing as musicians and students.
Additional questions about Musical Ladder logistics, procedures, system access, etc., will be answered later (but soon)!
Teacher Boxes and Hooks
Each lesson room has a teacher box and a hook or hooks. The purpose of the teacher box is for the office to place things there for the teacher, and for the teacher to place things there for the office. The purpose of the hooks are for the office to place the tote bags for new students.
Most of the teacher boxes are plastic on the wall, and most of the hooks are under the teacher boxes. But there are some exceptions. 107 Office Lobby is one exception (they are in different locations, and the box is metal), and the 108 Studio (there is a box but no hook – tote bags will be placed on top of the piano in that particular space).
Photo Example: 205 Ensemble Room
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Q. Should I give my contact information to students and/or parents?
A. No. Our music studio policy is that students and parents communicate only with the office for all needs, including scheduling.
There are a few exceptions, and these are specific to certain lesson circumstances, including in-home lessons and online lessons. In these cases, we will let you know specifically, and then it becomes appropriate to have each other’s contact information. Even in these situations, all needs and scheduling are still handled by the office. The contact information is for the online lesson technology / meeting connection, and for in-home lesson logistics, emergencies, or other direct communication needs.
If a student or parent strives to communicate with you directly, please ask them to email the office instead. office@dennisfrayne.com
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Thank you, everyone, for all that you do!
Have a magical Saturday, a musical weekend, and a safe and healthy coming week.
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Thank you,
Dennis Frayne
"Dr. Dennis"
Laguna Niguel School of Music
Dennis Frayne Music Studios
30110 Crown Valley Pkwy, Suites 105/107/108
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 844-9051 (office cell)
(949) 468-8040 (personal cell)
www.lagunaniguelschoolofmusic.com
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