The best way to improve our musicianship is to have constant contact with the subject. This concept, coupled with the space we have in the building, prohibits scheduling private lessons every other week.
If you prefer a more flexible schedule, we invite you to enroll in our convenient pay-per-lessons!
Enrollment is on a month-to-month basis. To experience true growth in the instrument of choice, we recommend studying for at least six months to one year. Most students are able to perform a recognizable song within three months.
Grow Your Gift Conservatory Music in the Fort Walton Beach area is intentional when selecting instructors to serve our musicians. Our instructors understand this is to be a long-term commitment and that turnover is detrimental to our mission.
Our instructors don’t teach as a side gig to fill their time or to only earn extra money on the side. They are still very active in our music community and have chosen their career path to make a difference in the lives of each student musician they come in contact with. They are dedicated and often conduct their personal lives around their teaching schedules, not the other way around. Although teaching at Grow Your Gift is a part time job, every staff member exhibits a full-time commitment to our mission and to our students.
All instructors have an extensive background in the instrument(s) they teach.
We strive to maintain a manageable and consistent schedule through an unlimited make-up lesson policy.
Our level of communication with families is streamlined through a knowledgeable, on-site administrative team who work to serve the needs of our current and prospective customers.
Our musicians and their families can expect consistency, transparency, opportunities to perform, and an exciting and inclusive atmosphere.
In order to become proficient on an instrument, students should schedule in their practice times just as they do with homework or any other responsibility. We suggest 10-15 minutes daily for beginners.
For more advanced students, 30-45 minutes minimum is required to truly put into practice what was covered in the lesson.
Additionally, it is proven that our students retain more if they practice the same day, but after their lesson. A lesson does not count as practice!
Lastly, studying at the Conservatory is to learn new concepts. Students should always come prepared having mastered (or almost mastered) what was taught the previous week. In the event students haven’t practiced in the previous week, the lesson will then become a practice session. This means new material may not be taught, therefore causing a delay in progress.
What does this mean? Practice if you want to progress!
A student’s age depends on the instrument of choice. We understand a five-year-old probably shouldn’t learn to play the tuba just yet. But aside from size, elements such as attention span, maturity, and the ability to comprehend are considered when determining the age to begin studying music.
All of our instruments have age-appropriate restrictions, but a student may be exempt on a case-by-case basis.
We have Baby Bops and Preschool classes for younger students from birth to age five.
We absolutely believe the connection is the most important aspect of studying music. After all, music is EMOTION. It’s hard to be free when there is no connection between student and instructor.
If there’s a lack of connection, our first approach is to try to resolve this by understanding the needs of the student and how we can better serve them. If no resolution is reached, we will pair the student with another instructor according to availability.
Continuity is one of the most valuable components of study and it’s important for our students to understand that studying music is a commitment if you want to truly experience growth.
Students enrolled in the private lessons are eligible for unlimited make-up lessons. The only requirement is to submit an absence in their Opus1.io account no later than 2 hours prior to the start of the lesson.
Students who do not notify us by the specified time frame will forfeit the lesson unless in extreme circumstances, such as an emergency.
We understand that scheduling conflicts can occur, or students lose interest and no longer want to study music. That’s why we support the decisions of our families.
To ensure instructors have proper notice and to end your relationship with the Conservatory, we require one month’s written notice. As an example, if a student will be leaving us at the end of August, the parent must submit a notice in writing to theconservatory@growyourgiftmusic.com no later than July 31st.
Failure to provide a one-month notice will result in the auto-payment being processed for the following month.