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Private Lessons

 435-649-6292

 4593 Silver Springs Dr. Park City UT, 84098

Utah Conservatory – Private Lessons

 

Types of Private Lessons

Voice

We have a large vocal department covering several singing styles and genres at our school. Students may study classical, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial music styles, with various techniques covered, from classic bel canto, to Broadway belt and mix, Richard Miller, speech level, ensemble/choral singing, and other practices emerging from recent research in the field of voice science.  Our voice lessons are private one-on-one instruction, basic group lessons for adults and kids (as early as 5), and advanced performance for the singing actor.  Our voice teachers all have a university degree in music specializing in voice and sing everything from pop and jazz to musical theatre and opera.  The voice faculty collaborates with regular pedagogy meetings and continuing education at local and national conferences.  Our teachers all have professional performance backgrounds as well.   Just a sample of what a student will learn in singing lessons includes how to breathe properly, how to increase their range, proper pitch, resonance, projection, stage presence, and genuine communication.  Although the teacher plays the piano during the private lesson, we provide a professional accompanist for the students for recitals, outreach concerts, evaluations, and master classes.  Many of our students also perform at local festivals, competitions,  as well community and professional venues throughout the region.  Faculty is able to assist students in matriculation to college and graduate vocal programs, as well as auditions and role preparation for professional-level work.  Our vocal program is based heavily in performance as a tool for learning, as well as an emphasis on communication enhancing the effectiveness of the performance.

Piano

Our school offers piano lessons for students of all ages and abilities from beginners to very advanced students, and we are also to prepare dedicated students for matriculation into college-level programs. We offer every style of piano lessons from classical to jazz and pop.  We have students who want to play just for fun and students who excel with standard classical-style repertoire. As we have several piano teachers on staff, we are able to match students with a teacher that works best with their particular age, ability and interest.  Piano lessons begin from age 5 onwards.  Before age 5, we recommend a group preschool music program or our “pre-piano” private lessons.  Our piano lessons are all private one-on-one instruction, and lesson lengths are 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 1 hour.  While our piano lessons are private, parents are welcome, even encouraged, to sit in on their child’s lessons and help them to practice effectvely during the week. For advanced piano students, we have teachers with master’s degrees and doctorates in piano, who can prepare them for university entrance or to compete in piano competitions.  Teachers attend piano pedagogy sessions prepared by the department chair with an eye to stay current of new literature and educational studies, share teaching techniques, and correlate and collaborate on conservatory activities and strategies to promote efficient learning for each student. Also, our piano department volunteers each year to host the Annual Con Brio Music Festival, wherein all of the students are encouraged to compete in the piano and composition competitions and evaluations by internationally recognized adjudicators.

Guitar and Bass Guitar

Our private guitar lessons include acoustic, electric and bass guitar.  We have a largely veteran teaching staff offering lessons in everything from rock to jazz, classical to pop, Spanish to chording.  Many of our teachers actively perform in bands, and all have college or university music training and degrees; thus, they know the proper theory and technique, no matter if a student is interested in metal or in classical.  Guitar lessons at our school are enhanced by the opportunity of learning how to jam with other musicians in a live band setting (through our collaboration with The School of Rock delivered on site, and Jam Band) and/or how to perform in one of our recitals, monthly master classes or outreach concerts.  Teachers collaborate through regular semester evaluations of each student by the entire guitar faculty.  No matter what type of guitar lessons you are interested in, we have the teachers to help you.  Typically, a student is 8 years old before starting guitar lessons, due to their hand size, but some younger students start with a junior sized guitar, as young as 6.

Drums/Percussion

We offer a wide variety of drum lessons and/or percussion lessons. Students learn on both a full drum set (which is provided on site) or a drum kit, depending on the teacher and goals of the student.  We have both male and female students and, typically, they do not start drum lessons before age 7, as students need to be able to reach both the pedal and the high hat.  We do have some younger students, but suggest they come in for a trial drum lesson to see if they are big enough to get started.  Our drums lessons stress proper technique so students become good drummers quickly, and our teachers encourage students to “jam” through in-class sessions with the teacher, in recitals, and School of Rock & Jam Band programs (as our drum teachers are also able to play guitar with the students).  Students are encouraged to participate in regular semester evaluations by the entire department faculty, as well as monthly master classes, all meant to demonstrate comptency on new skills.  Students are provided drum during the lessons and need only bring their sticks.

Violin/Viola/Cello

Our strings program offers private instruction in violin, viola, or cello.  Private violin lessons start as young as age 4.  Due to the size of the instrument, most cello lessons start at 8 years of age or older.  Our teachers are also acquainted with the Suzuki violin program, the Suzuki viola program, and the Suzuki cello program, and regularly use the Suzuki materials for teaching. We have students of all ages from adults to children.  For younger children we highly encourage a parent to sit in on the lesson to help the student at home with things such as posture and hand positioning.  We supplement private violin, viola and cello lessons with monthly master classes and concerts, semester evaluations and recitals, where students play with an accompanist, which we provide.  Our violin, viola and cello teachers have university or college degrees in their instrument and perform regularly with local orchestras, quartets, and as soloists.

Flute

Private flute lessons generally start at age 7 and older, but sometimes younger students will start with a special curved-head flute.  The flute instructors have university or college degrees in music.  Lessons are offered in 30 minute, 45 minute or 1 hour lengths. Flute students perform in our holiday and semester recitals, as well as in monthly master classes and outreach concerts, where we provide a professional accompanist, if needed.  Students are also provided a professional accompanist for monthly master classes and outreach concerts, as well as semester recitals and evaluations. Our flute teachers are well aquainted with the school band programs and able to assist the students in preparing for their school orchestra assignments, as well.

Saxophone / Clarinet / Oboe

Our private saxophone and clarinet lessons start from age 8 onwards.  Earlier than age 8, a student typically does not have the lung capacity and strength to handle these instruments.  The saxophone and clarinet instructors are proficient on both instruments, so a student can start with clarinet lessons and move to saxophone lessons without having to change instructors.  Both saxophone and clarinet lessons are offered in 30, 45, or 60 minutes sessions. Our saxophone and clarinet instructors actively perform in all types of bands and ensembles, and as soloists.  The teachers have undergraduate and masters degrees.  Students are provided a professional accompanist for monthly master classes and outreach concerts, as well as semester recitals and evaluations.

Trombone / Trumpet / Tuba / French Horn

Our brass lessons include private trumpet lessons, french horn lessons, trombone lessons and tuba lessons.  Students for these instruments usually are ages 9 or older as they need to have developed a great lung capacity and, in the case of the tuba, need to be big enough to hold the instrument.  Brass teachers have undergraduate and graduate degrees in music and perform in everything from salsa bands to local orchestras and/or teach in the public school music system.  They can help students enhance their skills for their school band program or develop advanced skills to become soloists.

Acting

Our acting lessons are available for all ages, from 4 through adult, from beginning through professional.  Private lessons are best scheduled in 45 to 60 minutes sessions, and can also be individually scheduled to prepare a more seasoned actor for an upcoming audition or role.  All of our acting teachers are late career professional actors who have done what they are teaching, with long performing experience, have advanced degrees, and have taught for decades in premier college, university, high school and professional acting schools.  This enlightening program focuses on a non-critical process of what the basic problem of the performer is, because it is a question of knowing a process of interpreting a situation and navigating one’s way through that without falling into the various traps that exist, which will reduce one’s effectiveness to perform that role.  The acting department has an emphasis on a process of self-discovery, so the student comes away with a technique and approach that they can actually use and get a desired result. Courses and camps have an emphasis on development of technique, how to audition, how to develop skills as a singing actor, and focusing one’s attention on the character’s viewpoint.  The acting department is largely focused on helping a student to get cast and to feel confident in what they do as a performer.  Courses end with industry-type showcases, and the students are welcome to share their work in outreach programs and monthly master classes.

Theory & Composition

Private and/or group theory and composition classes are available for all levels and ages, especially to prepare for college or graduate entrance exams.  The conservatory has a wide variety of teachers with varying specialties, including basic theory for supplementation in voice,instrumental and piano lessons, sight singing and dictation, guitar theory, song writing for commercial music, chord progressions/charts, and improvisation.  Students who are taking private lessons may also take a supplemental theory program for an hour each week at a reduced fee.