Greetings from the Office - December 2009

Dear New Mozart Parents & Students:

It’s December, which means recital season has officially arrived & the Spr/Win Harmony Road Schedule is here as well! Do you have your calendars ready? You won’t want to miss what goes on this month!

Harmony Road Schedule for the Win/Spr 09-10 term is here. Priority Registration is in progress so don't forget to register in time!

The New Mozart Winter Guitar Recital will be taking place on Saturday 12/12 at 3:30pm at the N. California campus. Not only do we have the joy of hearing our awesome guitar students, but our ever popular Rock Band will be present to rock out as well! You won’t want to miss out on seeing them perform...as they’ve got a really great lineup of songs!

But wait...there’s even more fun planned! The New Mozart Winter Student Recital will be held on Sunday 12/13, so for all other instrumental & vocal students, this is your time to shine! Bring your family, friends & musicians alike, because it’s sure to be a blast! If you’re performing on recital day, be sure to attend one of our Performance Week classes from Monday 12/7 through Saturday 12/12. As an added bonus, we’ve included the schedule for you on the next page!

Due to popular demand, we have also extended the our Free Trial Lesson Promotion to last through the month of December! This means that if you have yet to let your friends know about this great opportunity or missed out on it for November, you have another chance!

Don’t forget to note the following dates...New Mozart will be closed for Winter Break from Tuesday 12/22 through Friday 1/1. No private lessons or group classes will be held on these dates. Private lessons & group classes will resume on Saturday 1/2.

If you have any questions, please always feel free to contact the office, as we are more than happy to assist you.
Have a wonderful holiday season & joyous New Year celebrations!

Musically yours,
The New Mozart Office Team
www.NewMozartSchool.com
650 324 2373

Performance Week Classes (December 2009)

Mark Your Calendar So You Don’t Miss Out On Helpful Tips from Our Talented Teachers!

Note: All student performers are required to attend, unless otherwise specified.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS & PERFORMERS
If you are performing with an accompanist at the recital, it is ESSENTIAL that you come to a class where an accompanist is provided to rehearse with him/her at least once. Playing with an accompanist is a completely different experience and rehearsing at least once is necessary to ensure that your/your child's performing experience is a positive one on Sunday. Feel free to contact the office if you have any questions.

12/7 - 6:00-7:00pm (University Avenue: Mozart Room) *for all student performers*
12/8 - 6:00-7:00pm (N. California: Studio 1) *for all Rock Band students*
12/9 - 6:00-7:00pm (University Avenue: Mozart Room) *for all student performers*
12/10 - 6:00-6:30pm (N. California, Sibelius Room) *for Teacher Michele's violin students only*
12/10 - 7:15-8:15pm (N. California: Bach Room) *for voice students ONLY with accompanist*
12/11 - 7:00-8:00pm (N. California: Sibelius Room) *for all piano students*
12/12 - 3:00-4:00pm (N. California, Sibelius Room) *for all violin students*
12/12 - 4:00-5:00pm (N. California: Sibelius Room) *for all voice, violin, viola & cello students, with accompanist*

Harmony Road Win/Spr 09-10 Term (Priority Registration in Progress)

Many of you have been asking for the Winter/Spring 09-10 Harmony Road Schedule for some weeks now & it's finally here!

Check out the Winter/Spring 09-10 Harmony Road Schedule here. Be sure to register during the Priority Registration Period, (12/4-12/12) to ensure that you are able to get into a class of choice.

Many of our classes fill up fast so don't wait till the last minute! Every semester we see a few sad students who forgot to register in time.

During the Priority Registration Period, we'll process enrollments in this order.
-Current Harmony Road students (Students in the current time slot get priority)
-Current New Mozart Families
-In the order it is received
-All new families who register are put on the wait-list during the Priority Registration Period.

Payment Options
-You have an option of paying in full or in installments.
-Please keep in mind that our online registration form is not set up to accept installments. If you'd like to pay in installments, please call to register or stop by the office.

We're looking forward to another exciting semester of Harmony Road with you!











Come & Experience an Entirely Different Way of Teaching Children How to Play the Piano!

Come & See Why Children & Parents Love Our Harmony Road!

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Testimonials

After attending the first Toddler Tunes class, my two and a half year old son loved it. He amazed me one day when I heard him singing "do do sol sol la la sol...¨ (twinkle twinkle little star in solfege) while he was playing with his toys. That was after his third class! .... I was so surprised that just a few lessons can impact a young boy so much ... I really recommend it. -Angela B., Her son Garriet took Toddler Tunes I & II

Teacher Christine is an excellent teacher! She puts all her passion in every class she teaches. It's really hard for 6-year-old boys to take an hour music class and never get bored. But Christine has successfully accomplished the Mission Impossible. My twin boys love the classes! - Sherri M. Her sons Jonathan & Jeffrey took Harmony Road I, II, III, & IV

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If you have a child between the ages of 2 – 7, we encourage you to sign up for this wonderful program.

Harmony Road program consists of various group classes for different age ranges: Toddler Tunes (2-3), Music In Me (3-4), Harmony Road (K-2nd).

Each level of instruction is carefully matched to age-appropriate skills and conceptual abilities. Parent participation is a must so kids aren't the only ones having fun ;)

Unlike other general music programs, New Mozart's Harmony Road teaches piano from the very beginning as well as solfege (do-re-mi) and music theory, ensuring that our students experience powerful musical foundation not found in other music classes.

Classes fill up fast so don’t wait till the last minute. If you’re interested in finding out more about our Harmony Road, call us to speak with one of our friendly staff. Feel free to call us if you have any questions!

P.S. Remember, New Mozart's Harmony Road classes are 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you find that we’re not the perfect fit for your family, just let us know within 72 hours after the 1st class meeting, and we’ll cheerfully refund you in FULL.

We’re that sure you’ll love our Harmony Road.

Musically Yours,
The New Mozart Office Team
650 324 2373

New Mozart Student Recitals on 12/12 & 12/13 (Sat & Sun)

NEW MOZART WINTER GUITAR RECITAL (Guitar Students Only)
When: Saturday 12/12, 3:30 pm
Where: N. California Campus, Fellowship Hall



Watch our guitar/vocal student, Richard Wilson
performing at the Year End Recital, June 2009

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NEW MOZART WINTER STUDENT RECITAL (All Other Instrumental & Vocal Students)
When: Sunday 12/13, 10:00am-8:30pm (Session I—V, All Day)
Where: Foothill College, Appreciation Hall


Watch our voice student Suzanne Guzzeta
performing at the Honors Recital in Apr 2009

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Tickets: $15 adults, $10 seniors, $5 children (under 6 free).Ticket purchase is required for every attendee with the exception of the performers & teachers.

* Please note that 100% of our administrative costs as well as the recital hall rental fees are donated by New Mozart. 100% of the funds raised will be donated to Escuela Caracol & the Music In the Schools Foundation. To date, we raised $5205 for these organizations in 2009, and our goal is to reach the 10k mark this year. Thank you again for your help and support in our efforts to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children.

Music in the Schools is a non-profit organization founded and run by music teachers. MIS foundation brings classroom music to the children of East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park. Through several funding sources including ours, they hire music teachers and send them to these schools that would otherwise have no music curriculum. Read about MIS here.

Escuela Caracol is a Wardorf elementary school in San Marcos, Guatemala. They provide quality education to the international & local residents there. They additionally sponsor Mayan indigenous children to attend this school ensuring that the poorest children receive the same high quality education as their international counterparts. New Mozart has partnered with Escuela Caracol and will provide on-going financial support to this school & its mission. In a country where only 10% of the population go beyond the 6th grade, your support makes an enormous impact in these children's lives. Read about the school here.

Dates to Remember - December 2009

12/7-12/12: Performance Week Classes!
12/12: Suzuki Group Violin Class, 3:00-4:00pm (N. California campus, Sibelius Room)
12/12: Winter Guitar Recital, 3:30pm (N. California campus, Sibelius Room)
12/13: Winter Student Recital, all day event (Foothill College, Appreciation Hall)
12/21-1/1: Winter Break! No private lessons or group class will be held.

Featured Article: Clara Wieck Schumann: A Romantic Period Composer

This is part I of three part series.

By Christine Shin

“I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose—there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?”

Clara Schumann was twenty years old when she wrote this in the marriage diary she shared with her husband, Robert. What is, perhaps most perplexing about this self-doubting statement is the fact that she had already composed over 25 pieces, including art songs, solo piano works & a piano concerto. Eight of these early works are so well regarded that they have entered the modern recorded repertoire.

Fortunately, Clara was not entirely convinced by her own declaration. In the course of the next 16 years, she composed more than 70 additional works—including the lovely Trois Romances (Op. 11), written in the very year she had “given up” the idea that she possessed creative talent.

Born Clara Wieck in Leipzig in 1819, she began her remarkable musical life as a piano prodigy. From the age of 5, she studied with her father, Friederich, a celebrated piano teacher & began performing publicly at the age of 9. Within 4 years, Clara Wieck was considered by many of her contemporaries to be the finest living piano virtuoso.

For additional details, be on the lookout for our January & February newsletters!

© 2009 Christine E. Shin. All Rights Reserved. Music Educator Christine E. Shin is the chair of the Palo Alto branch of the National Guild of Piano Teachers & the director of the New Mozart School of Music in Palo Alto, California. Want to use the article in your e-zine or website? You can. Just send us an e-mail at info@newmozartschool.com & consult with the office.

Free Trial Lesson Promotion Extended Through December!

Due to the great success of our free trial promotion in November, we have decided to give those who missed out another opportunity.

We have extended our free trial lesson promotion through the month of December, so if you’ve been curious to try out another instrument or have friends looking for lessons….now’s your chance.

But remember…. It’s only through December.

Call us today before it’s too late!