Monday, May 11, 2020 by Megan Sabo | Uncategorized

May 11th 2020

Hello piano, guitar, and vocal parents and students! I hope everyone is doing well. It’s about time to start thinking about our summer schedules. This spring has been crazy, it will be interesting to see what the summer brings. We will continue our current schedule through the end of May. Over the summer, I will be teaching on Monday through Thursday afternoons and evenings (online and in-person). I do ask for re-enrollment each summer and fall.

A few things to note for lessons over the summer: 

I recommend keeping the same time slot if possible (especially if you think it will work out well once school starts back).  

Due to summer schedules (typically travel and/or camps), lessons will be charged by the lesson for June, July, and August (as compared to per month over the school year). For 30 min private lessons: $17 per lesson or $65 pre-paid for 4 lessons.  

I do ask for at least 24 hours notice if a student isn’t going to attend a lesson. 

Last minute cancellations or no-shows will be charged for the lesson. 

I’m happy to continue with online lessons, return to in-person lessons, or a combination of both.

We WILL be offering fun group workshops online! Including mini-recitals, music history, vocal classes, etc. It will be offered weekly to all summer students. Watch for details concerning fun group workshops coming soon!

I can set up a lesson reminder email for you anytime you’d like. Just let me know.

I highly recommend that students continue with lessons over the summer. Feel free to take a little break, just not the whole 3 months. So much can be forgotten in 3 months. Please let me know if you’d like to keep the same time slot during the summer or change time slots. 

As always, current students that take lessons over the summer will be guaranteed a time slot in the fall and offered the first choice for time slots in the fall. Registration letters for fall enrollment will go out in late July.  

I’m committed to keeping students happy, engaged, and learning! 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Megan Sabo    

Monday, April 27, 2020 by Megan Sabo | Uncategorized

6 Recommended Items for Every Piano Students’ Studio

Megan Sabo

April 27th 2020

I’m always on the lookout for items to make the storage for my and my students’ studios easier and for items to help my students learn. Here are my 5 ‘must have’ items to help your student have the best start. I hope this will help with your organization and learning. Please feel free to post your ‘must have’ items in the comments.

1. Piano Book Bins: We all love to be organized! Why not make our piano book organization also beautiful? I love these beautiful Magazine Holders by Evelots: https://amzn.to/2VJcfVY

Reasonably priced, beautiful, and helps us to stay organized!

2. While we’re on the topic of organization, I love love these musical binders! They will help students keep their sheet music, theory sheets, handouts, notes from teachers, etc. all organized in one spot! No more stuffing notes in bags and losing them. 

https://amzn.to/2SbJiQc 

3. Music flashcards are a great help to all beginners to early intermediate! Beginners start with learning middle c position and c position letter names and we add on from there. It’s fun for students to time their answers and to try and beat their times. Don’t worry - the answers are on the back! The Bastien brand is the brand I use: https://amzn.to/2SdZal4

But I typically recommend the Alfred Music Flashcards as they are divided into color sections - and we all need a little color in our lives don’t we? https://amzn.to/2zrGub1

4. A metronome will help students keep a steady beat. Parents and teachers can clap to help, but typically will ‘cheat’ the steadiness sometimes without even realizing it. A metronome will make sure the beat stays steady. It was my greatest enemy while majoring in music at university but also my greatest friend. I prefer the mechanical metronomes so students can see the beat: https://amzn.to/3cPJts9

Also in brown: https://amzn.to/2SbizTE

5. Method books. Check in with your teacher to see what method books they recommend. I typically start with the Bastien Piano Basics: https://amzn.to/2xTJ1us

Method books are an amazing tool to teach students how to learn the piano. However, they should not be the only tool used. I always supplement with handouts, games, prizes, ‘fun’ songs, etc. Disney songs are always a great supplement: https://amzn.to/3cR87bV

6. And lastly, but not least…. Actually this one is the most important. A true ‘must have’. Everyone taking lessons must have a piano or keyboard. Unless your child is a very beginner (and even then), a good quality instrument makes a big difference! Student’s will have more fun playing on a good instrument and it is needed for lessons. After all, how can the piano teacher teach a student how to pedal if their instrument doesn’t have a pedal? How can a piano teacher teach a student how to play loud and soft if their instrument doesn’t make loud or soft sounds? 

Please call or visit our friends at Piano Craft in Springfield: www.pianocraftonline.com They will take good care of you and help you to find the right piano or keyboard for your family. Plus, they deliver to the Joplin and NWA areas.

If you’re not in the Joplin/Springfield/NWA area, you may order good quality keyboards online. For example, the Yamaha Arius series: https://amzn.to/2YaMjEk Please note though that it is always better to try pianos out in person if at all possible. 

Megan Sabo has been teaching private and group piano and guitar lessons out of her home in the Joplin, Mo area for over 20 years and now also offers lessons online. She is a graduate of Missouri Southern State University with her B.A. in Music, is currently working on her Masters In Management at MSSU, and is the Honor's Chair and External Communications Chair for the Joplin Area Piano Teachers Association. She is also a member of the Missouri Federation of Music Clubs.

Please join her facebook page to share your ‘must have’ items or 

to inquire about online lessons! www.facebook.com/AllegroPianoStudioJoplinMo

Monday, April 20, 2020 by Megan Sabo | Uncategorized

Here is the list of beginning books for piano and guitar.

For beginner group guitar: 

Alfred's guitar

And for beginner piano:

Bastien Primer

ALL beginning students up to level 2 should have music flashcards:

Letter name flashcards