Fall Newsletter 2023
Fall Newsletter 2023
Dear Parents & Students August 1, 2023
Welcome Back to returning & new students!! I hope everyone is still enjoying the last days of summer vacation. We have a music filled fall semester ahead of us with some amazing concert listening and performing opportunities.
Our “Repertoire List” program last semester was a HUGE success, and we will begin creating new lists for each student this fall. The goal is for each student to be challenged to see how many pieces they can keep in their fingers to be able to play at the “drop of a hat” (so to speak). I will be keeping an electronic list and as each student masters a piece, this new piece will go into their “Rep List” and they will keep reviewing these pieces a few times each week so that when they need to call on some music to play, they will have a veritable feast of music from which to choose.
The culmination of this “Rep List” festival last spring was a truly moving performance at small group senior home in Gladwyne. The residents were so appreciative and enjoyed our performance wo much, that they have invited us to return this fall on Sun, Nov. 5 at 1:30pm.
We will have a wonderful opportunity to expand our musical knowledge by attending a live performance together on Sunday, Nov. 12 at the Levering Mill Tribute House where we will have a chance to meet with the members of the Chivalrous Crickets privately in advance of their 2pm concert.
This special opportunity will take place around 1pm – but we are still negotiating the exact time. Please block out from 12-3:30 in your calendars for the moment and as soon as the details have been finalized, I will send out the information.
Our Fall Recital will take place on Sunday, December 17th at 10:00am and will be preceded by a dress rehearsal on Sunday, December 3rd, also at 10am. Please mark your calendars for these important dates. I look forward to seeing friends and family at our recital! I know you will be all eager to see how much these talented musicians have grown.
Please be sure to return your signed tuition contracts along with the Covid Release Form and a Media Release Form. These forms can also be found under the “Newsletter & Forms” tab on my website: www.gilyahodos.com. You can conveniently download, sign and reupload the form directly to the website or you may email them to me. Either way, I will need both forms and the tuition contract signed and returned by the 1st lesson.
I am committing to in-person lessons throughout the semester, barring unforeseen circumstances. I would ask that you please be very mindful of sending your children to my home if you or they have come into contact with someone who is Covid positive. I am caring for my elderly father and need to be mindful of his health needs. I can switch to a zoom lesson with only a few minutes notice, so please err on the side of caution.
The Covid release form will be included with each student’s tuition contract and must be signed & returned by the first lesson. We will continue with the same safety protocols as we did last spring:
1. Students must wash hands PRIOR to arriving for their lessons.
2. Students will be given hand sanitizer when they arrive. This is NOT a substitute for hand washing!
3. Piano keys will be sanitized in between each lesson.
4. Anyone entering the studio MUST WEAR A MASK.
5. Please use the restroom BEFORE arriving at the studio as I cannot allow anyone to leave the studio area.
I know we will have exciting, music-filled learning experience this spring! I have lots of different learning modalities that will help us explore our musical world and I am eager to dive into our musical explorations together!!
All the best,
Gilya