Frequently Asked Questions

Contents

1. General and registration
2. Payment
3. Make-ups
4. Online accounts

General and Registration

Q. What are voice lessons?
A. Voice lessons (also known as voice instructions) are singing lessons. Someone taking voice lessons may wish to learn how to sing or improve their singing skills.

Q. What are the overall benefits of private voice lessons?
A. There are several benefits of private voice lessons.
First, voice lessons foster dedication and commitment. With one-on-one instruction, lessons can be tailored to each student's specific learning needs. Skills in concentration, listening, self expression, communication, performance, and building self-esteem may also be obtained.
Singing has been known to help people relax, and it is a gift that each student can share with anyone. Some studies have shown that students who take private music lessons also do well in other subjects such as reading and math.
With goals ranging from taking up a new hobby, to pursuing music as a career, in higher education, or in service to others; students may want to take lessons for many reasons.

Q. What are your rates for lessons?
A. Our rates are $10.00 for 30 minute lessons, and $15.00 for 60 minute lessons.

Q. Do you offer scholarships for single parents or low income families?
A. No. We do not have scholarships available. We are a for-profit business, not a 501C3 non-profit. As a for-profit, we are unable to obtain grant money for such scholarships.Aditionally, I myself came from a single parent low-income home and I understand the financial hardships you may be facing. This is one reason our rates here at Kal Voice Studios are very affordable and competitive! We have worked hard to make lessons cost-effective and affordable to all.

Q. I have more than one child or adult in my home interested in lessons. Can we get a family discount?
A. Absolutely! This is one of the benefits of learning through Kal Voice Studios. We have 4 family plan options available. They are as follows.

Family Plan Title	Rate per lesson for first student	Discounted Rate per lesson for each additional student
Multi-30 minute plan (2 or more students)	$10.00	$7.00
Multi-60 minute plan (2 or more students)	$15.00	$12.00
60-30 Plan (Used if only one student wishes to take 60 minute lessons)	$15.00	$7.00
Combo Plan (3 or more students)	$15.00 for 60 minutes	$12.00/60 minutes and $7.00/30 minutes

Q. Can my spouse, child or sibling and I take group voice lessons together?
A. No. While doing this with other instruments such as piano, guitar, drums, flute or violin may be possible, it is very difficult to do this when singing. no matter the ages, you and your family member(s) may be at different stages of learning, and you may have different learning styles and goals or reasons for taking voice lessons. For example, two siblings who are both in high school want voice lessons. One enjoys Broadway and is preparing for college choir auditions, while the other has other musical tastes and goals.As another example, if you wanted to take lessons as an adult with your 12 year-old child or sibling, your voice will be more developed and mature than a 12-year-old's voice. Therefore, it would be difficult to suit both voices with each excersise and piece of music. You may have even been singing for quite some time, and you want to hone your skills or brush up on the basics. A 12-year-old may sing with the radio, but they may have no to little formal training to date. As an adult, you have the attention span for 60 minute lessons. Many beginning students (mostly children) would however learn better in 30 minute lessons.This does not mean you can not sing with your family members outside of lessons. As a matter of fact, we highly encourage you to do so! Using one of our family payment plans discussed above, you could each take private lessons separately. Once each of you have shown an ability to sing independently with confidence and a piece has been chosen, we may be able to work together on such techniques as harmony and group singing.


Q. How can I determine whether a 30 minute or 60 minute lesson is right for me or my child?
A. This decision is based on a couple factors. First, it is determined by the age of the student. For instance, a 7-year-old student would most likely have a shorter attention span than a 15-year-old. Also, with younger students we must always take great care to not harm their developing bodies. Therefore, the 7-year-old would be better suited for 30 minute lessons, whereas the 15-year-old may be better suited for 60 minute lessons. This is where we factor in the students lesson goals and experience. If the 15-year-old in this example has no prior experience, we might encourage them to start with 30 minute lessons. They would have the option to move to 60 minute lessons as they progress. If this 15-year-old has prior experience, or they have very specific goals or reasons for lessons, we may then encourage them to take 60 minute lessons.
With adult students, we usually factor in prior experience and lesson goals. Most adult students who have no to little prior experience are encouraged to start with 30 minute lessons. But again, we would factor in the lesson goals of the student.
For practicality we may encourage a student to move from one lesson length to another, but each student always has the right to choose what works best for them.

Q. Are you able to come to my home for lessons?
A. I may be able to travel to a student's home within Kalamazoo County for an additional travel fee of $5.00. This availability is determined on a case-by-case basis. Please consult our studio policy for specific terms regarding lessons in your home.

Q. What is your teaching method and philosophy?
A. Although I do not require my students or their families to be of the Christian faith, I teach my students from a faith-based prospective. I also do not teach my students written sheet music, but I teach basic music theory, ear training, music history and appreciation. Skills in music composition may be taught to more advanced students wishing to explore such creative ventures.
I teach my students that there is a deeper meaning to music than just words on a page. Behind the words, there lies a deeper message, and although we must use our voices correctly; we also must sing from our hearts.
My students and I work together to select 2-3 pieces at a time that are appropriate for their age and skill level. It is understood that each student will work on one or two Folk, Broadway, or classical pieces; along with a more contemporary piece of their preferred genre. I also encourage students to bring audition pieces or music used in other vocal music settings.
I do not teach opera, rock, or rap/hip-hop. At this time I am not able to teach songs in a language other than English, unless the student knows the lyrics and wishes to improve the skills used to sing the piece. Although I am not trained or certified as a Suzuki Voice teacher, my teaching pholosophy parallels to the Suzuki method in many respects.

Q. Can I listen to you sing before I commit?

A. Absolutely! Visit the Studio's official Myspace to listen to some of my original works.

 

Q. When is the studio open for lessons?
A. We are available Monday through Friday, from 9:00AM-7:00PM. Please check our calendar to see dates in which the studio is closed for the current year.


Q. What can students/parents expect at the new student consultation?
A. The consultation is where you can become familiar with Kal Voice Studios, and we can become familiar with the student's musical ability, desire to learn and goals in taking voice lessons. Students should come prepared to sing a song of their choice. The chosen piece should demonstrate the student's vocal ability, and the lyrics should be clean. The student can choose to either bring a CD to sing along with, or sing acapella without musical accompaniment. The studio policy will also be reviewed and discussed during the consultation. Students and parents are welcome to ask any questions you may have.

Q. Am I required to stay for the duration of my child's lesson?
A. No. If you choose to stay, we ask that you come to observe the lesson, so as to allow my family their privacy and space. Otherwise, you may drop your child off for their lesson and return to pick them up after their lesson is complete. Please be prompt when traveling to and from lessons.


Q. Am I the only person allowed to transport my child to and from lessons?
A. That is totally up to you. When signing the studio policy, we will also fill out a new student information sheet for every student. At that time, you will provide us with the names of any person who is authorized to transport your child to and from lessons. If necessary, you may also wish to provide us with the names of anyone not authorized to transport your child as well.

Q. Can my child drive, ride their bike, or take public transportation to and from lessons?
A. Again, this is your decision. We will need your authorization for this either when signing the studio policy, or 30 days before they would begin to travel unaccompanied by a person you've previously authorized.

Q. How long do I need to commit to lessons?
A. You can enroll either on a semester-by-semester basis, or for the entire school year. For new students only, when signing the initial studio policy, you will have 30 days to revoke it. If you choose to continue past the 30 days, you will be required to finish the original term of your contract. Our calendar details the dates on which each semester begins and ends for the current year.

Q. Can I come and observe a lesson?
A. No. Such observation may cause distraction for the student and/or instructor.
However, we have two options available for prospective students and their families. The studio offers an array of group workshops where prospective students/families are more than welcome to attend and participate! Please click the "group workshops" link to learn more and register.
Aditionally, you have the option of observing one of our current student clinics. Offered at least once a month, these clinics, provide students currently enrolled in Kal Voice Studios the chance to perform for their peers and receive constructive feedback on their performance. This is a great time to ask questions and become familiar with Kal Voice Studios and what we have to offer. Please contact the studio at: (269) 267-2205 for more information.

Q. If the studio schedule is full, can a new student still register?
A. Yes. The student would be placed on a waiting list, and they would then be contacted either when a lesson time becomes available, or when we begin enrolling for the following semester. The student/parent should specify the day/time in which they're requesting lessons when registering. Please also make every effort to contact the studio if your scheduling availability changes, or if you are no longer in need of lessons.

Q. How often should a student practice?
A. Students are asked to practice in a quiet environment suitable for adiquat concentration for at least 30 minutes a day This time should also be used to fill out the practice logs in the student's online account.

Q. What materials are students required to bring to lessons?
A. Each student is required to bring a 3-ring binder to store their lyrics, highlighters or colored pencils for marking their lyrics with breath symbols or other notes, extra paper or post-it notes on which to write reminders, a bottle of water at room temperature and their CD, CDRW or SD card with songs and warmups. Students should have an organized way in which to carry such materials. Each student should come prepared with these materials and a willingness to learn. If dire circumstances prevent the purchase of said materials, arrangements may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Q. What is the studio dress code?
A. We ask that all students dress in a modest manner, and that they are in comfortable clotheing.

Q. My child is 17, but they will turn 18 within the semester. Can they register as an adult student before their 18th birthday?
A. No. Due to legal restrictions, this is strictly prohibited!
However, there are two options you and your child have. You can either register them as a child, and when they turn 18 they can register as an adult student. Or, they can wait until they are 18 and register as an adult.

Payment

Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. We accept online payment, money orders, casheers checks, and personal checks. We do not accept service for service payment, and for accounting reasons we are not able to accept cash.

Q. What are the payment periods you offer?
A. You can pay on a weekly or monthly basis.

Q. Do you offer refunds?
A. Refunds are not available. However, we do offer lesson credits with which students can make up missed lessons.

Lesson make-ups

Q. If I need to reschedule a lesson, how much notice is required?
A. We must have 24-48 hours notice, unless circumstances prevent you from doing so.
If you are aware of extended leaves of absences in advance due to vacations, holidays, or other such instances, the make-up lessons must be arranged two weeks in advance of the originally scheduled lesson/s.

Q. Can a student have two lessons on one day at separate times of the day, in order to make up a missed lesson?
A. No. This is not possible due to practicality and scheduling conflicts.

Online Accounts

Q. Why is each student required to have an online account?
A. This helps keep the studio organized, and allows for more efficient and timely communication between the studio and the students/families.

Q. What are the benefits of having an online account?
A. There are several benefits to having an online account.

• Pay for your lessons online
• View payment history
• Receive lesson reminders and progress reports right in your email inbox
• Receive invoices and receipts right in your email inbox
• Request to reschedule a lesson
• Keep track of your at home practices
• View files only available to students, such as extra learning materials and other valuable resources

Q. Can I change the log-in information that you registered me with?
A. Yes. Although we will never use your account information inappropriately, you are more than welcome to change it. Be sure to change such information to something you'll remember, but others will not figure out.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the studio, or call us at: (269) 267-2205.