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For Members
Latest News
A student of ours was recently awarded a music scholarship by
the University of Minnesota (Duluth). In response, her father wrote: "Thank you for giving her such a
strong foundation on which to further develop her skills."
We are located in Apple Valley, MN near the intersection of Pilot Knob Road
and County Road 42. Studio hours are
We have a comfortable, spacious, colorfully
decorated music learning center with two studios (not cubicles), extensive music libraries,
computers with widescreen HD monitors and quality speakers for audio/visual music training, an
acoustic grand piano, and a high-end digital mini-grand.
Type of Music Lessons We Teach
At the Apple Valley location, we teach piano and NYLON-string fingerstyle guitar. Click here for more information
about our
Nylon-String Guitar Lessons.
We have associate teachers located
close by for acoustic steel-string and electric/amplified guitar
lessons, and all types of playing with a flatpick.
Standard lessons are private for a single student, 30 minutes per
week. Some families enroll two children who have individual lessons
back-to-back.
18 Reasons for Studying Piano and Guitar at Our Music
Academy
Testimonial of an Amazing Transformation
Letters from Students and
Parents
Please note that we offer music lessons only. We do not sell any
musical products, equipment or replacement parts, and do not repair
instruments.
Please
Read These Articles Before Buying a Piano or Guitar
Students at the Apple Valley location need, at minimum, a quality
solid-top guitar or full-featured digital piano to
motivate adequate practice, develop good technique, progress steadily, and
enjoy their music studies. If you don't have an instrument,
a purchase must be made before lessons begin so the student can practice at
home.
Examples of
Entry-Level Instruments
Student Guitar
Advisory and Buying Guide
In addition, you can call or e-mail us with any related questions.
Registration for Lessons
If you're interested in enrollment, please fill out the appropriate
form below. Both forms are fillable with a computer, and can be
e-mailed as PDF attachments. Or, you can mail the form.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. PDF reader software is required on you computer to open the forms.
2. Some Internet browsers display the form in read-only mode, which
you cannot fill in. Instead, you must save the file to your
computer hard drive first. It should end up in your browser file
download list, or you can search for it on your computer as:
AVPARegisFormPiano or APMSRegisFormGuitar.
If the form is not saved to your hard drive, there are browser font
errors due to the software used to create the form. These are not
typesetting mistakes on our part.
The form must be received before scheduling a guitar sizing or lesson
readiness evaluation for younger students, or the first lesson.
Piano Student
Registration Form
Guitar Student
Registration Form
To maintain competitive confidentiality, we do not publish our lesson rates
on the Internet.
For a fast quote, please call 952-322-4329. Or, you can text
the following information:
The name of the
parent/guardian The age of the student The student's instrument:
indicate piano or guitar. For guitar, tell us the
type (acoustic steel-string, acoustic nylon-string, electric/amplified)
and how you want to play (with a plastic pick--say "flatpick" or
plucking with right-hand fingers--say "fingerstyle") The style of
music the student wants to learn
(pop, rock/lead, classical, Latin/Spanish,
blues, jazz, etc.). A few examples of song titles
with the name of the composer or artist is also helpful.
You should receive a reply to your text within a few hours.
LOCAL LESSON RATE COMPARISON/LESSON QUALITY
Our lesson rates in the middle of the range for local music teachers
overall. Compared to other college-educated teachers with 20+ years of
experience, they're actually below average in most cases.
This is most notable considering the high quality of our instruction. As an example, here's a quote from the parents of a 12-year-old student after
one
year of lessons with our head teacher:
"We wanted to let you know that our son played in church today. More
people than we could count complimented him after the performance. The
pastor said it brought tears to his eyes.
As another
example, a teenage student who could only fingerpick basic guitar chords
when he arrived received a five-figure scholarship to study guitar at
a major university 9 months after enrolling with us. Overall, our
25-year track record is full of students making remarkable progress--and
sometimes playing at a professional level--within 1-2 years.
18 Reasons for Studying Piano and Guitar at Our Music Academy
This is possible because we teach of numerous
secrets of professional technique and artistry at all levels. Thus, with us, the journey to musical success begins with the very
first lesson.
Or, if you just want learn the basics of piano and guitar and
have fun, we can do that too.
Update: A student of ours was recently awarded a music scholarship by
UMD. In response, her father wrote: "Thank you for giving her such a
strong foundation on which to further develop her skills."
These include:
·
detailed study notes
for piano or guitar pieces
the student is working on (see the topic "Custom
Piano Editions with Study Notes" below, or
click
here for an example.)
·
free sheet
music (click
here for samples)
·
free
arrangements of virtuoso music designed for advanced beginners and
intermediates (makes children and teens sound like "junior concert
performers")·
·
"excerpt"
arrangements from full-length masterworks (not available anywhere else), so
you can sound like a concert pianist with out months of practicing long
pieces
·
free studies
and exercises for developing technical virtuosity
·
free music
theory handouts
·
essays on
technique, musicianship, theory, ornamentation,
etc. In many cases, students can
instantly print copies of these free materials on our studio printer.
Or―if the student downloads the free Finale Notepad 2012
software―they can play back the head teacher's Finale music files on their
computer at any speed they want.
At lesson studios where free, high-quality learning resources are
minimal or not
provided, you can pay
$100+ extra per year for these required materials. In short, these
lessons can cost about $10 more per month than the quote you receive.
Our Roland digital grand has a slanted
lid and the harp shape of an acoustic grand, allowing for additional
speakers and much better sound quality than a console (rectangular) digital.
The digital grand is used to teach young children due to its light,
"easy" key action and access to multiple instrument sounds. Our acoustic grand has an "old world"
European scale design, providing a tone that is warm, round, and
sweet. It
is also regularly tuned, voiced and adjusted by a nationally-recognized
expert technician.
These workstations provide students
with access to fun, interactive software and games for music theory and
note reading. They also serve to showcase our head teacher's
custom music learning materials, master-performer videos and accompanying
sheet music. As a result of the latter, students can see and hear
virtuosos play the music they are studying.
This software allows us to create
music exercises and theory examples tailored to each student right in their
lesson, as well as illustrate various musical concepts in a
crystal-clear visual format. Students can also use a MIDI
keyboard to capture what they play on the screen as staff notation. In addition, our head teacher has
written a free Finale instruction manual, so students can learn to
use the program at home. As a result, they can prepare their written
music homework assignments with software rather instead of the slow and
graphically erratic method of writing music by hand.
·
technique―the
finger skills required to play music accurately, beautifully and
expressively; an understanding of how the choice of fingers used on either
hand improves the ease of playing)
·
musicianship―quality
of sound, conforming to all the expression symbols in written sheet music
·
interpretation―varying
the sound and time of notes according to personal taste, phrasing,
establishing a proper mood or feeling, realizing ornaments symbols, etc.
·
music appreciation―exposure
to a wide variety of music from all historical periods, which positively
influences the student's ability to play contrasting styles in an authentic
fashion.
·
theory
(the building
blocks, structure, and notation of music, leading to a full understanding of
each piece studied, so the student plays the music properly.)
·
composition, arranging
and improvisation
(focusing on the creative aspect of music)
·
ear training
(learning to recognize the names of intervals and chords, nelody and
rhythm patterns without looking at sheet music; the goal is to dramatically
improve the students musical hearing, leading to better instrumental
performance.)
Rather than teach students to copy the teacher's playing style, we have
specialized techniques that allow them to develop their own. This
self-discovery process of sound variations, guided by an expert teacher.
Eventually, the student develops a strong sense of confidence as a musician, and
the ability to be creative without the teacher's assistance. Thus, even
our younger students become real musical artists.
Our
studio has produced virtuoso performers and college scholarship winners.
Free prizes and incentives that motivate younger students to practice.
Free cold beverages for all; free hot beverages (including Starbucks-quality
espresso, cappuccinos and lattes) for adults.
Free Wi-Fi access for adult smart phones and siblings' tablet computers.
Free custom learning materials for piano and guitar created by our head
teacher, that you can't find in stores or on the Internet.
Students perform in recitals on a 9-foot Steinway "D" grand piano, the same
instrument used by the world's greatest virtuosos for concerts and
recordings. In the
studio, piano students learn on a high-end digital grand
piano or a European-style acoustic grand piano.
Digital music teaching workstations with 21-inch HD monitors and premium
audio systems.
Finale music writing software on our digital music teaching workstations.
Comprehensive musical training that includes:
Development of the student's unique musical personality
For every hour in the studio, our head teacher spends approximately 30
minutes on lesson preparation. (See "1000s of custom learning
materials…" below for details.)
In short, his students pay for a 30-minute lesson, but receive 45 minutes of his time as teachers. The overall result is a highly effective, detailed, content-rich lesson experience that helps students master their instrument more quickly and thoroughly.
Important note: The head teacher routinely shares the content of his lesson prep to our associate, early childhood teacher, to an extent that's relevant to her students. Also, most students who stay with us for 2-3 years or more eventually move to the head teacher.
Piano
Skill Testing
For students/parents who request it, we offer graded testing in ear training, "technical" exercises (such as scales and arpeggios) and music performance, which provides provides a clear measurement of student progress. With each successful test, the selected student rises one grade out of 10, giving them a sense of accomplishment and confidence. Best of all, the skills acquired improve one's playing and ability to learn new music quickly.
The testing curriculum is based on the internationally recognized standards.
For advanced students, digital metronome and highly sophisticated chord and
note-recognition "flashcard" software, written by our head teacher.
Our teachers have a minimum of 12 years of music teaching experience.
Our head teacher has 50 years of music experience, college and university training in music theory and performance, and has published music teaching books sold on major retail websites.
We are full-time, professional teachers.
As a result of this exclusive focus, we are expert musical educators capable of delivering rapid, quality progress and satisfaction to our students.
Our Newest Feature:
Free Hidden Treasures of Piano Music
For those students who love classical piano music, our head teacher has compiled a a FREE SHEET MUSIC catalog of hundreds of "hidden treasures".
These are extraordinarily beautiful compositions―especially in terms of the melody―yet are unknown to the vast majority of piano students and even many professionals.
Most importantly, the hidden treasures catalog of piano music ranges in difficulty from mid-beginner to the concert level. Therefore, every student who enjoys classical music has access to these precious compositions.
Some of this music is not available in stores, and is very difficult to find―even on the Internet. In one case, for example, it took four hours to find one of these rare sheet music scores. In other cases, there is only one piano music treasure in an entire large collection. Thus, pianists must play through numerous pieces in dozens of collections to find all the pieces in our catalog.
This resource is available exclusively to students of Apple Valley Guitar and Piano Academy.
Custom Piano Editions with Study Notes
Our head teacher produced dozens of professionally-typeset guitar music editions designed for our students. Now, he is introducing the same type of editions for piano. Each of these meticulously crafted publications involves up to 40 hours of effort in the following areas:
Detailed study notes, which are used to guide the student in their lessons.
Particularly important are solutions to technical and rhythmic problems that
allow students to overcome difficulties quickly.
Numerous fingering indications (1-5), including extra ones missing
from standard sheet music, and improvements on existing ones. This is especially important in passages that must
be played fast. As a result, the music is much easier for our
students to play.
Furthermore, doing this work up front means that valuable lesson time is not wasted while the teacher adds or corrects fingerings in standard editions.
Melodic
ornaments (trills, mordents, etc.), which are usually abbreviated symbols
such as "tr",
are "realized" or written out in full. All these realizations are
confirmed by listening to recordings of the world's greatest concert piano
interpreters, who are the true experts as far as ornament performance is
concerned. In contrast, relying on the ornament interpretations in
commercial editions often leads to musically unsatisfying results.
Below is an example of a trill realization:
In contrast, the "as written" example would be incomprehensible to many younger students.
These custom editions are just one of many examples of Apple Valley Piano Academy's commitment to the highest levels of excellence in piano teaching, and above all, to the piano playing success of our students.
Special Articles on the Piano
(These articles explain many technical terms used in those below)
How to Use the Piano's 3 Pedals
How to Improve the Sound of Your Piano
Piano Tuning: The Key to Beautiful Tone
AVGPA Students Offered Scholarships
An AVGPA student recently received a $12,000 scholarship to study guitar at the University of Minnesota, AFTER JUST 9 MONTHS OF CLASSICAL LESSONS with us.
A St. Thomas University professor gave another guitar student assurances he would receive a scholarship if he applied to the music school. This student also received a grade of "A" after an evaluation by a member of the Minnesota Orchestra.
These independent assessments by top music experts confirm our claims of educational quality and results throughout the remainder of this site.
Testimonial of an Amazing Transformation
The following testimonial is regarding a student who quit lessons with a
recording artist to study at Apple Valley Guitar Academy. At age 12,
he is now a musical performer in his community.
"We really wanted our child to learn from someone who genuinely cared about the technique and precision needed to master classical guitar. We are so happy with the progress he has made and we graciously thank you. It has been an amazing transformation and we appreciate all you have done for him."
More Letters from Students and Parents
Return to Main Menu
Studying Fine-Art Music Improves Intelligence
Science has shown that playing fine-art/classical music improves intelligence, stimulates artistic creativity, and boosts learning ability.
You or your child can enjoy these benefits with the guidance of our fine-art music experts. In particular, we are one of the few studios in the area that specializes in teaching classical music on the guitar.
Note that we also teach quality popular music.
Customer Service Contact information
Contact Apple Valley Piano Academy,
Apple Valley, Minnesota
Call: 952-322-4329
E-mail: info @ AVGuitarAcademy . com
Privacy Statement
All information we obtain from customers in order to conduct our music lesson business and process payments is kept confidential. We do not sell e-mail or postal addresses of our customers to any other party.
Payment, Cancellation, Return and Refund Policies
We are located in Apple Valley, MN, and serve the following South of the River communities: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Cannon Falls, Coates, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Farmington, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville, New Market, Northfield, Owatonna, Prior Lake, Rosemount, and Webster
MISCELLANEOUS
Piano Student Registration Form
Guitar Student
Registration Form
*updated 10/2010
LINKS