Tuesday, December 27, 2022 by Debra B Heald | Uncategorized

The spring Federation Festival (held in LINCOLN April 1, 2023 - or submit a video) will be using a new online registration format. For students who have entered previously, complete records from the past will need to be entered, which my colleague and I are working on over the next few weeks. The middle name is needed (as well as birthdate, which I already have for most students) because it's a national database. It helps to distinguish your student from any other students with similar first and last names. This is to your advantage, because if you ever move or need to switch teachers (HOPE NOT!) your student information will already be there.

Note to newer students: The Federation Festival is our main performance AND non-competitive festival for the year. Most students will participate at least by taking the theory test. There are tests at a very easy beginner level and you begin to accumulate points towards a trophy!

You can help by logging in on my website. In the upper right corner, click on the arrow beside your name, then click on Profile Settings. Scroll down to Student Information. Because My Music Staff does not have a field for middle names, please enter the student’s legal middle name in the Skype Username field since we are no longer using Skype for any online lessons. Also, if your student has a different legal first name than the one listed (e.g., Patricia instead of Pat), please make that correction. And please check that the student’s birthday is correct. Click on save before leaving the page.

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Monday, February 12, 2018 by Debra B Heald | Uncategorized

Hi Piano Parents & Students

There are a couple performance opportunities coming up this spring of which  you should be aware.

The first is the Heald/Schoen Studio Recitals which will be held the morning of Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Grand Lodge at the Preserve, 80th and Pioneers Blvd. There will be THREE recitals held in the morning (at 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00) and you’ll be able to choose the best time for your family’s schedule. Please sign up here:

Grand Lodge Sign Up   REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY 2-23-18!

This is a great chance for students new to piano lessons to have their first recital experience. Grandparents and others are definitely invited! Of course, we also welcome residents of the Grand Lodge to attend. This is also an excellent time to try out repertoire learned for the Federation Festival (see next paragraphs). For the Studio Recitals, memorization is optional (but highly recommended for Festival Solo participants). This is also an opportunity to solicit donations to support the Lincoln Music Teachers Association Music Outreach Program, which enables students to take private music lessons who would otherwise be unable to afford it. (Both Ms. Heald and Ms. Schoen teach several Music Outreach students.)

The second is the National Federation of Music Clubs Lincoln Area Festival, a.k.a Lincoln Area Federation Festival, held Saturday, March 24, 2018. The Federation Festival allows students to accumulate points over several years to earn trophies in individual events. It is assumed EVERY student will take the theory test. The occasional worksheets students complete help them prepare for this test.

There are also numerous performance Festival events which are critiqued by a qualified judge. The judge also gives a rating. Ratings are non-competitive and students are judged solely on how well they performed their chosen repertoire. Students in their first year of lessons may choose to opt out of performing. But it is a great idea to have those first-year students sit in on a few performances when they come to take the theory test so they’ll know more what to expect in future years when they do perform. Most students are already working on Festival Performance pieces (solo, duet, or patriotic pieces).

Entry fees for each Festival event are approximately $15.00 each.

It is assumed the all current students are participating in the Festival Theory at a minimum. Theory does not require a sign up time. Festival Performance Time Sign Up coming very soon!

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Saturday, June 3, 2017 by Debra B Heald | Uncategorized

Hi Piano Families!

Here is the information on fall enrollment. The process has been simplified!

For rate explanation, go here: Piano Tuition
For studio policies (slight changes only) go here, and look at the four headings: Studio Policies

For the early bird discount, go to: Encore Studio Home
From there, login, go to June 5th on the calendar, and sign up. You MUST sign up BEFORE the 5th; the deadline is really June 4. My website won't allow you to sign up ON the 5th. In addition, your payment must be received by the end of June to receive the discount.

If you miss the early bird, you can still sign up on the calendar on July 1 (again the actual deadline is June 30), and you can still save the registration fee if you pay the full semester or 1st month on or before July 1.

Additional information: Depending on our teacher situation, the studio size may be smaller in 2017-18. Miss Maryn will only be available to substitute on rare ocassions. Mr. Anson is planning to teach again, and will also be available to substitute. It's possible another teacher may join us as well. Of course, all current students will have a spot (if you sign up!). 

For new students, the plan is to accommodate siblings in current families before other new students, but if you don't sign up for summer or fall, I won't know to reserve a spot for you. There MAY be an additional opportunity to sign up on August 1, but don't count on it! If you are a new family looking for lessons, it would be helpful if you create your login for the website. This automatically places you on the waiting list, and you will be contacted soon!

Thanks!
Debra Bolte Heald, NCTM

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