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2
4.4. Teacher switching................................................................................10
4.5. Complaint procedures..........................................................................11
Let’s Play Music
Policies & Procedures Handbook
4.6. Religious factors..................................................................................11
4.7. Student dismissal.................................................................................11
5. Financial Procedures................................................................................12
5.1. Licensing fees......................................................................................12
Let’s Play Music, at its option, may change, delete, suspend, or discontinue any
or all parts of its policy at any time without prior notice. The most updated version
is always on the DownLow.
5.2. Teacher materials................................................................................13
TABLE OF CONTENTS
5.5. Scholarships........................................................................................14
5.3. Royalty payments................................................................................13
5.4. Tuition amount.....................................................................................13
1. Introduction..................................................................................................4
5.6. Raise Your Voice reimbursements......................................................14
1.1. Welcome................................................................................................4
5.7. Team Leader Connections budget......................................................15
1.2. Changes in policy..................................................................................4
5.8. Student material orders........................................................................15
2. Core Concepts..............................................................................................4
5.9. Webstore purchases............................................................................19
2.1. Vision.....................................................................................................4
5.10. Product returns....................................................................................20
2.2. Values....................................................................................................4
6. Corporate Structure and Support.............................................................20
3. Teacher Processes.......................................................................................5
6.1. Board of Directors.............…...............................................................20
3.1. Training requirements............................................................................5
6.2. Advisors....................…....……..………………………..........…..…..….22
3.2. In hiatus and inactive teachers..............................................................5
6.3. Managers and Coordinators................................................................22
3.3. Certification requirements......................................................................5
6.4. Team Leaders......................................................................................22
3.4. Maintaining certified status....................................................................7
6.5. Annual Convention..............................................................................23
3.5. Teacher dismissal..................................................................................7
6.6. Newsletter............................................................................................23
3.6. Teacher allocation.................................................................................9
6.7. Website................................................................................................23
3.7. Teacher relocation.................................................................................9
6.8. DownLow.............................................................................................24
3.8. Commercial studio guidelines..............................................................10
6.9. Forum..................................................................................................24
4. Standards of Conduct................................................................................10
7. Teacher Teams...........................................................................................25
4.1. Measure Up.........................................................................................10
7.1. Team structure.....................................................................................25
4.2. BOOST................................................................................................10
7.2. Team function......................................................................................25
4.3. Dress code...........................................................................................10
Updated: February 1, 2013
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7.3. Responsibilities of a team member......................................................25
13. Connections................................................................................................47
7.4. Cyber team considerations..................................................................25
13.1. Connections overview..........................................................................47
8. Building Your Business.............................................................................26
13.2. Connecting with music associations....................................................48
8.1. Recruiting.............................................................................................26
13.3. Connections certification for private teachers......................................48
8.2. Sample classes....................................................................................28
13.4. Connections piano method..................................................................49
8.3. Waiting lists, pre-enrollment and open enrollment...............................30
14. Acknowledgement......................................................................................50
8.4. Social media........................................................................................30
14.1. Signature from teacher........................................................................50
8.5. Other forms of recruiting......................................................................33
8.6. Year end recital....................................................................................33
1.
9. Teacher-Parent Communication...............................................................34
This document has been developed in order to familiarize teachers with Let’s
Play Music and provide information about key policies, procedures and
protocol on how to operate your Let’s Play Music Studio. In this document “we”
refers to the Let’s Play Music Board of Directors. You may access the Let’s
Play Music online at www.letsplaymusicsite.com.
9.1. Weekly contact....................................................................................34
9.2. Studio policies......................................................................................34
9.3. Parent evaluations..............................................................................36
10. Teaching Procedures.................................................................................36
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Welcome
1.2
Changes in policy
2.
CORE CONCEPTS
2.1
Vision
10.1. Age considerations..............................................................................36
10.2. The older sibling………........................................................................37
10.3. Adding a student after class has begun...............................................38
Welcome to Let’s Play Music! We are happy to have you as a member of our
team. We are grateful so many excellent and highly qualified music educators,
teachers and parents have joined us in this movement to educate young
children. We hope this journey will enrich your life as you serve and love the
children you teach. The fun has just begun!
10.4. Accelerated class policy.......................................................................39
10.5. Students needing to repeat a level......................................................40
10.6. Teaching in a school setting................................................................40
11. Continuing Education................................................................................41
11.1. Training audit.......................................................................................41
11.2. Symposium..........................................................................................42
11.3. BOOST guidelines...............................................................................42
11.4. Teacher’s Forum..................................................................................45
12. Curriculum…………....................................................................................46
12.1. Curriculum selections...........................................................................46
This document supersedes all previous teacher training manuals, emails,
newsletters and/or any written document produced by Let’s Play Music. While
every effort is made to keep the content of this document current, Let’s Play
Music reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate any of its policies or
procedures described in the handbook, with or without prior notice to teachers.
To enrich lives, increase confidence, develop talent, enhance intelligence, and
bond parent to child, by providing an outstanding music educational experience
for children, using premium materials and lessons, taught by superbly trained
teachers.
12.2. Curriculum manuals.............................................................................47
Updated: February 1, 2013
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2.2
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when the teacher has been trained, recruited at least 5 students, taught
classes ,submitted a video and been approved by her Advisor.
Values
We value the development of the musician inside every child. We value
musical interaction with children and delight in watching them progress in
musical aptitude and skill. We value family relationships and believe that the
optimum development of the child happens through the positive, consistent
nurturing of parents. We value excellence in music and desire that each
student is offered the best instruction and the finest musical experience
available.
3.
TEACHER PROCESSES
3.1
Training requirements
Once an applicant has been approved and accepted to teach Let’s Play Music
he/she is expected to attend, in person, all three year trainings and pay
licensing fees when due as follows:
Year 1: $495 due when the application is accepted
Year 2: $595 due no later than May 1st at the end of year 1
Year 3: $695 due no later than May 1st at the end of year 2
You may pay the fees in 6 monthly installments if you start the payment
process by February 28. You will need to go the webstore to set up the
automatic withdrawal.
It is important that you attend trainings without children or other visitors. If you
have a nursing baby, please make arrangements to have someone care for
your infant as you will be actively involved in class.
It is standard to only train for one year at a time. It is required that the
complete curriculum is taught by the teacher as prescribed before considering
any sort of alteration. (i.e. accelerating, condensing, abbreviating, etc.) If
circumstances present themselves and you need to train for multiple years, you
must first obtain permission from your Advisor.
Once this request is approved, you will need to pay all training fees or set up
payment installments before the training occurs. As a general rule, you will
NOT be permitted to attend any training until either the licensing fee has been
paid, or a monthly payment plan has been set up.
During the three year certification process, if a teacher trains to teach a specific
level and for some reason cannot teach the level for which they trained, they
will need to apply for a teaching deferment by contacting their Advisor. They
will be granted one year to postpone their current level certification. If a
teacher does not start classes the year following for any teaching level, she is
required to attend that level training seminar before she intends to teach (some
fees will apply.) The certification process for each level is complete only
Updated: February 1, 2013
3.2
3.3
In hiatus and inactive teachers
If a teacher does not teach any classes for 1-2 years, they are
considered ‘in hiatus’. If they have not taught for 3 or more years they are
considered ‘inactive’. In order to return to full teacher activity they will need to
recertify. Recertification will be handled on a case by case basis depending
upon how long the teacher has been inactive, and other factors such as, a
need for teachers in the area. Some fees and/or seminar attendance may be
required. Once inactive, teachers will not receive corporate information such
as emails and newsletters.
Certification requirements
Following successful participation in the training seminar, prospective teachers
will be mentored by an Advisor throughout the recruiting and preparation
process. Prospective teachers will submit a teaching video, with a self
evaluation form, to their Advisor for evaluation, feedback, and discussion. The
video must be recorded when parents are in attendance and the video must
capture the parent interaction before, during and after class.
Certification video deadline: Your Advisor should receive your video no later
than August 1st, for first year teachers, and October 31st for 2nd and 3rd year
teachers. If videos aren’t received by the deadline, you may apply for a two
week extension by contacting your Advisor. After the extension, if your video
has still not been turned in, you will be auto-charged a $50 late processing fee.
You will not be permitted to continue your training or order any materials until
the video is received and reviewed. Upon final approval from the Advisor, an
official certificate and license to operate will be issued.
If for some unforeseen reason you cannot finish your certification process
please read about teaching deferments in the Training Requirements section
3.1. If you decide to not continue your Let’s Play Music certification (2nd and 3rd
year) you will need to contact your Advisor immediately for alternative options
so you stay compliant with the licensing agreement.
Certification video format requirements: You will want to submit your video
earlier rather than later so if you run into technical issues you have plenty of
time to get them resolved. You will need to send the link of your video along
with a self evaluation (on the DownLow) to your advisor before the deadline.
DVD’s will not be accepted.
 Video must include parent interaction and must be of a sample class for 1st
year teachers, or a parent week for 2nd and 3rd year teachers.
 Video must be accompanied with an EPIC self evaluation (DownLow)
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 Video must be uploaded to YouTube and should be 'unlisted'
 Video should be an ENTIRE class--including pre and post class interaction
licensee contract. In this way, we can ensure that every student has the
excellent experience they deserve and expect from Let’s Play Music.
Instructions for increasing your limit on YouTube for free:
1. Sign in to YouTube.com
2. Click "upload"
3. Underneath "select files from your computer", click on "increase your limit"
4. Enter your mobile number, they will text you a verification code from google.
5. Enter code and voila! You now have the power to upload up to 50-55 mins.
*While participating in the Advisory Improvement Plan program teachers are
ineligible to receive BOOST recognition.
3.5
Once your video and evaluation have been observed and approved, you will
receive an email stating that you are fully licensed for that year. Certificates
and seals will either be mailed or given out at the spring team meetings.
3.4
Once the termination letter is received, the teacher will no longer be
responsible for paying the final installments of the licensing fee (if any). They
will not need to attend team meetings, training seminars or conventions. They
will not recruit new students or have access to the Teacher’s Forum, website or
Team Leader. All support will be given through their Advisor until the end of
their date of termination. They will no longer be listed as one of our teachers on
the website and will not be allowed to purchase any student or teacher
materials.
Once you have qualified for certification, you will remain as such, as long as
your studio maintains it’s ‘Measure Up’ status and the signs of a successful
studio are present.
When we have reason to believe that a teacher may not be providing an
excellent musical experience for their students, we must look to provide them
with additional training. The indicators for a studio that is failing to thrive are as
follows:
Not meeting the Measure Up standards
High dropout percentage
Did not recruit at least 5 students
Complaints from parents
Inability to follow lesson plans
Poor musical performance
A license may be terminated if a teacher falls short of the Measure Up
standards, either because of lack of foundational musical skills and/or the
inability to collectively manage a music studio, ultimately leading to a business
that has failure to thrive.
In this case, the teacher will receive a terminated licensing agreement. It will
state the official date of termination and the terms of the agreement.
Maintaining certified status
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Teacher dismissal
3.6
Teacher allocation
When a new applicant applies to become a Let’s Play Music teacher, one of
the criteria considered is the need for a teacher in the area. Corporate strives
to preserve geographical neighborhoods so as to not saturate any area with
teachers. We do this by researching the demographics and population of an
area, especially the current population of the zero to seven year old children.
A studio that is not at a functioning status at the onset of the semester will be
carefully observed for retention and recruiting results. A functioning studio is
defined as a studio that has at least 5 students, 20% of which cannot be
directly related to the teacher. At the end of the teaching year, if the studio is
still not at a functioning status, that studio will be termed “failure to thrive” and
the teacher will be placed on an Advisory Improvement Plan in which the
teacher’s teaching style, recruiting patterns, parent communication and studio
set up will be analyzed to identify areas of improvement. A specific plan will
then be put in place for this studio and will be analyzed again at the beginning
of the following school year.
After examining the data, if there is a profusion of both prospective students
and neighborhoods to work with, we may send an assessment email to the
current teachers living within a five mile radius. The email includes specific
questions, and the current teachers’ answers may facilitate a more fully
informed conclusion. The email includes the questions listed below.
If the teacher improves and meets all criteria and/ or observation evaluations
that the Advisor sets forth, they will maintain regular certification status.
However, if the standards are still not met, the teacher’s license may be
suspended or terminated and they will be released from the Let’s Play Music
The established teacher has five days to respond to this email. If the
Advisor does not hear back from the current teacher within three days, they
will try once more. After five days, corporate will conclude the research and
give the applicant a final answer.
Updated: February 1, 2013
1.
2.
3.
4.
How many first year classes do you currently have?
How many first year classes do you intend to fill this fall?
What is your plan/strategy to recruit classes?
What geographical areas will you be focusing on when you recruit?
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3.7
3.8
10
Advisors will contact those not adhering to policy when it is brought to our
attention. *Commercial studios are defined as any location that is not in a
residential home and/or you pay a rental fee to teach there.
Teacher relocation
If a teacher moves from their original teaching location, they will need to
get written consent from their Advisor to teach in a new location. The new
Team Leader and Advisor will determine the need for a new teacher in that
area and whether the moving teacher may begin teaching right away or if
teaching must be delayed until a need for a teacher is evident.
Once you know you are moving, it would be wise to contact your Advisor and
work with them as you select your new location. Being certified to teach Let’s
Play Music doesn’t grant access to teach in any location. All moves and
new location agreements must be approved by the Board of Directors and
must be done via email and not verbally.
4.
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
4.1
Measure Up
4.2
BOOST
4.3
Dress code
4.4
Teacher switching (The Golden Rule policy)
If you are approached by a student who wants to transfer to your studio, your
Commercial studio guidelines
Let’s Play Music studios are primarily situated in a home based setting and
since this is our preferred studio environment we strive to protect this entity.
Nonetheless, teaching in a *commercial setting can also be a feasible
arrangement for your Let’s Play Music studio. Because of the exposure a
commercial studio receives over a home based studio, there is an obvious
unbalanced benefit. Requiring the commercial studios to comply with the
following will eliminate this unfair advantage.
1.
Inform the existing commercial representative that any written or visual
advertisement through the commercial facility, this includes emails, flyers,
posters, and signs, cannot be used unless the other teachers in the 5 mile
radius are also advertised.
Please include the following on advertising: “Let’s Play Music is a
nationally recognized complete musicianship course with instructors all
over the country. We are happy to bring this curriculum to your
community! Other teachers in the area are:” Names and phone numbers
of teachers within a 5 mile radius.
2.
3.
You must charge at least $5.00 more, per student, than the existing
teachers in that 5 mile radius. This minimum $5 extra tuition must include
all discounts and special deals so you are really charging more than the
other teachers. Make sure you have a parent base that prefers a
commercial location and is willing to pay the extra money you are
charging for the professional facility.
You must get verbal acknowledgement from all existing teachers within a
5 mile radius of the commercial location. Make sure they understand the
commercial studio arrangement (i.e. you are charging more and they will
be on all written and visual advertisements, etc.)
Updated: February 1, 2013
Let’s Play Music’s objective is to effectively train teachers and maintain a
standard of teaching that permeates through all the various teaching styles and
studio environments. The Measure Up standard is the standard by which all
licensed Let’s Play Music teachers and studios should operate. Failure to
comply with these standards may result in suspension or loss of license. A list
of the Measure Up standards is located on our website and can be accessed
by clicking on the DownLow tab and then on Corporate Information.
BOOST stands for “Building Optimal Outcomes and Superior Teachers” and is
the continuing education arm of Let’s Play Music. It is a program designed to
connect our vision statement to real solid results. Participation in the BOOST
program is optional, but is highly recommended. A BOOST certification page
can be located on our website by clicking on the DownLow tab and then on
Corporate Information. For more specifics about the BOOST program please
see the Continuing Education section of this booklet.
Let’s Play Music class time takes place on the floor and is active; it is important
to wear casual clothes that adapt to these activities. However, casual does not
mean sweats or jeans. Please wear playfully professional pants, capris or
appropriate skirts with your Let’s Play Music shirt.
first priority and loyalty is to your fellow Let’s Play Music teacher. If you find
yourself in this situation, communication between you and the other teacher is
essential to show respect and uphold the team effort. Please familiarize
yourself with the recommended course of action below.
1.
Make it very clear to your first year recruits that they are committing to
YOU for three years, not just the Let’s Play Music program. You cannot
typically fill a spot in a class if they leave, especially in the second and
third year.
2.
When a student tells you they'd like to leave, kindly remind them of this
commitment, but respect their need to do what's best for them.
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3.
When a student calls you and wants to join your class, suggest that they
call their previous teacher first and inform them of their predicament.
Encourage the parent to discuss why they are leaving, solutions to the
problem and what it would do to their current class if they switched
studios. (If the parent feels uncomfortable discussing these topics with
their current teacher, you will simply proceed to step 4.)
4.
Contact the current teacher and let them know that you were
approached by one of their students who wants/needs to switch studios.
Make sure they are aware of the situation and see if the current teacher
can offer a solution.
5.
If the student REALLY needs the switch, you can offer to compensate the
original teacher in some small way. We suggest you pay a “transfer fee”
of perhaps *$50 at the beginning of the year or a prorated amount if the
teaching year has already begun.
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renting a church facility is acceptable, if you can gain permission from the
leadership before holding your event.
4.7
* This fee is in no way a payment to make up for lost income, but an
acknowledgment that the receiving teacher is benefiting from the previous
teacher’s recruiting efforts. This policy is in place to guide us to an attitude of
fairness in dealing with our fellow teachers.
4.5
Complaint procedures
We anticipate a smooth working relationship between our Advisors, Team
Leaders and teachers. However, occasional misunderstandings may arise. If
they do, we strongly encourage you to contact your Advisor or Team Leader so
the concerns can be addressed.
It is Let’s Play Music’s policy to attempt to quickly and fairly resolve any
problems that arise. No complainant will be retaliated against or treated
adversely by reason of initiating a complaint.
Each Advisor, Team Leader and teacher is encouraged to resolve complaints
in an atmosphere of mutual respect. A teacher should bring any work-related
problem to the attention of his/her Team Leader or Advisor in the form of an
email as soon as possible so the problem may be resolved in a timely fashion.
If you feel the complaint was not resolved to your liking, you may send an email
to the entire Board of Directors expressing your issue/problem in a written
email. Please include your contact information. All final decisions from the
board will be in written form via email.
4.6
Religious factors
We do not promote the use of any church facility for lessons or recitals.
However, when there is not a reasonable alternative in your area, using or
Updated: February 1, 2013
Student dismissal
Let’s face it, there may come a time when you have a student relationship that
just isn’t working out. They are disrupting the class too much, they aren’t
progressing at the necessary pace, or they never practice. Please resolve the
issue by adhering to the following guidelines:
1. Alert the parent that there is a problem and ask the parent to talk to the
student.
2. Within a few weeks, if there are no changes suggest a student
improvement plan of some sort and let the parent know of the plan.
3. If the plan does not work, let the parent know that the child may need to
discontinue taking class and ask how the parent feels about this option.
4. After all of these steps have been taken, feel free to contact the parent
and let them know that it would be in the best interest of all involved to find
another activity to pursue that is a better fit for the student’s personality.
Please do NOT dismiss any student without first talking to the parent and
making it clear that is the direction you are moving if circumstances don’t
improve.
5.
FINANCIAL PROCEDURES
5.1
Licensing fees
Year 1: $495 due when the application is accepted
Year 2: $595 due no later than May 1st at the end of year 1
Year 3: $695 due no later than May 1st at the end of year 2
You may pay the fees in 6 monthly installments if you start the payment
process by February 28. You will need to go the webstore to set up the
automatic withdrawal.
To pay any licensing fees go the webstore. In order to access the webstore,
you will need to login to the website and locate the webstore tab. As soon as
you have entered the webstore you will click on the “Teacher’s Fees” logo.
Select the appropriate year you are training for and the date you currently want
to attend. Then you will click the “ADD TO CART” button. The shopping cart
page will then appear. In the order summary box, you will see the option to
make a single payment or pay in 6 installments.
If you select the option to pay in monthly installments, the system will
immediately charge the first payment to your credit card. Your card will
automatically deduct the same amount every month on the date you initially
paid for five more installments. Once you have paid in full, your credit card
will no longer be routinely charged.
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5.2
your team members unless you are on a cyber team or you live 20 miles
away from the closest team member. The suggested range for tuition is $40$60 per child per month if in a home studio.
Teacher materials
1st year: Materials will be shipped or available for pick up when the fee is
paid or after January 10th, except for those items handed out at the training
seminar.
2nd and 3rd years: Materials will be shipped or available for pick up when fee is
paid or after January 10th.
5.3
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5.5
Royalty payments
Royalty payments are assessed once per teaching month (September-April) at
$5 per student. Once your student enrollment is complete you will need to
manually register each student with corporate Let’s Play Music. This numeric
total is reconciled with the amount of materials you order.
Let’s Play Music has a Scholarship Program that provides tuition aid to
deserving students and families. Due to the privileged nature of scholarships,
we strongly encourage teachers to use utmost discretion when considering
scholarship applicants. This should NOT be an offer that is announced in class
or over email, but brought up in private to families that are facing extreme
financial hardship and have a sincere loyalty to Let’s Play Music.
Also, before offering the scholarship option, the teacher should discuss a trade
for tuition. Since the maximum number of scholarship applications per studio is
set at two, teachers will want to be certain that their applicants are truly
justifiable.
Your Advisor will set up a reoccurring royalty payment based on the above
number. These payments will start in September and are automatically
deducted from your credit card on the date of the month that you choose. The
payment will end after the final royalty payment is made in April.
Scholarship Guidelines:
 Scholarships are for 2nd & 3rd year students only.
 1st year applicants will not be considered.
 Student must be registered with corporate to be considered.
 Maximum of two scholarship applications per studio, per year.
 Scholarship deadline is March 15th.
 Late applications will not be accepted.
Royalty payment inclusions:
 Summer/ accelerated classes
 Grandchildren, nieces and nephews
 Students that are repeating a year
 Students that are trading with you
Royalty exemptions: your own immediate children.
To download a Scholarship packet go to our website and click on the DownLow
tab and then on Corporate Information. Download and print the Scholarship
Packet and follow all directions on the application. Use the scholarship forms
provided. Applications submitted in any other format will not be considered.
If your student numbers change in the middle of the year, please contact your
Advisor immediately to make the necessary payment adjustments. Your
royalty payment will not be adjusted until you contact your Advisor. If you
decide to teach a summer refresher course or an accelerated class please
contact your Advisor and layout the details so she can approve your plan and
set up the appropriate number of royalty payments.
5.4
Scholarships
If you have a student that acquires a scholarship, you will need to order his/her
materials from the scholarship section of the webstore.
Tuition Amount
When determining your studio tuition, it is important to consider the
community you live in, its expendable income, and its attitudes toward music
and educating young children. You will need to find out, for example, the
average cost of private piano lessons, and/or the cost of similar group music
lessons within your community. Also, consider your teaching facility. You will
be expected to charge more if you teach out of a rented or leased professional
facility than if you teach out of your home. (See section on Commercial Studio
guidelines.)
Suggested range of tuition
Before setting your studio tuition, please contact your Team Leader and ask
where the team tuition is currently set. It is against policy to charge less than
Updated: February 1, 2013
5.6
Raise Your Voice reimbursements
Several times each semester we select a ‘Raise Your Voice’ winner. These
winners are selected from the ‘Raise Your Voice’ submissions. The
submissions are received either by way of the website application, under the
‘Raise Your Voice’ button or via email from the Let’s Play Music teachers
Parent Evaluation comments. If the parent’s comment is published, they
receive $10 off tuition!
When one of your parents is selected as a “Raise Your Voice” winner, you will
be notified and your credit card will be credited $10. We would ask that you
pass this credit on to your parent’s tuition payment.
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5.7
Team Leader Connections Budget
Team Leaders are given a budget of up to $50 for Connections Meetings.
Here is a list of reimbursable connections expenses.
 Cost of renting a facility
 Cost of copies
 Cost of minor office supplies (i.e. adhesive, name tags, etc.)
Scan and email receipts to Director of Relations, Jenny Smith at
[email protected] for reimbursement.
5.8
Student material orders
Each student registered with Let’s Play Music must have his/her own materials.
A Sibling Set is available for families with more than one child enrolled or
previously enrolled. Absolutely NO copying of CD’s, books or manuals is
allowed.
Student materials can be purchased through the webstore anytime throughout
the year. Class registration for the following year takes place in the spring.
(February-May) Typically you will purchase your large group orders in May
through late July.
Ordering materials all together helps minimize the shipping cost. A small order
(one set) will cost MORE shipping than you’ve collected from your student.
When you ship one set it cost approximately $10-12 and you’ve collected only
$7.
The price of materials on the webstore is less than what is listed in the
registration form or down below. For instance, the first year full set is $81at the
webstore, but is listed as $88 in the student registration materials. This extra
$7 will be an ample amount to help pay shipping and taxes if applicable.
The student materials are required for each student enrolled in Let's Play
Music. Since Sound Beginnings has more variation in the age of the student,
not all materials are required for all students. (i.e. a two month old does not
need his own book.)
As with everything else, it is essential that parents have a consistent
experience from studio to studio, and from their website experience to your
studio experience. To have one teacher requiring certain materials and
another treating items as optional will cause confusion, inconsistency and a
lesser public image. The website lists the materials and the price for all to
see. We must align our studios with this established standard to give
reputability and believability to what we're doing. The registration forms also
list the prices for student materials fees. To stray from this is allowing the
integrity of your personal studio to come under attack. Parents will feel that
you do not follow what is on paper, so they will surely expect to see other ways
Updated: February 1, 2013
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to lessen their commitment to you and the program. Following are the prices
you will charge your students for their materials.
First year materials:
Full Set:
$88 – Tote bag, Tone bells, Red Balloon student booklet, Blue
Bug student booklet, Red Balloon CD, Blue Bug CD and Bug
flashcards.
Sibling Set: $23 – Tote bag, Red Balloon student booklet, Blue Bug student
booklet.
Second year materials:
Full Set:
$63 – Green Turtle songbook, Yellow Indian songbook, Green
Turtle student booklet, Yellow Indian student booklet, Green
Turtle CD, Yellow Indian CD, Bubble hands.
Sibling Set: $38 – Green Turtle songbook, Yellow Indian songbook, Green
Turtle student booklet, Yellow Indian student booklet, bubble
hands.
Third year materials:
Full Set:
$63– Purple Magic songbook, Orange Roots songbook, Purple
Magic student booklet, Orange Roots student booklet, Purple
Magic CD, Orange Roots CD, Flashcards
Sibling Set: $38 – Purple Magic songbook, Orange Roots songbook, Purple
Magic student booklet, Orange Roots student booklet,
Flashcards.
Registration fee: $15.00 - This fee is a suggested amount for you to charge
and is not collected by Let’s Play Music. You can waive the fee as an incentive
to get your parents to enroll by a specific deadline. You can use it for a recital
fee; you can use it to purchase rewards and treats you give throughout the
year. You can also raise this fee if needed.
Below are the required student materials and each items intended purpose.
The first year set consists of 2 booklets, 2 CDs, tone bells, bug flashcards and
a tote bag. Once a family has purchased the full set once, they can purchase
the sibling set for concurrent or subsequent students.
The sibling set, consisting of a tote bag and two booklets, is the minimal
required purchased for a new student. Only if the family has purchased and
has in their possession a functioning and complete set of tone bells, a
functioning Red Balloons and Blue Bugs CD, and Bug Flashcards in good
condition, may the new student order the minimum sibling set. Once the sibling
set is purchased, they are free to add on optional items not in the sibling set,
such as tone bells, CDs (for a discounted price), or flashcards. These three
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items are optional for a family that has purchased a full set once and the sibling
set for the other students.
The tote bag is a tool and not an accessory. A new student may not use his
own tote bag or borrow an old one from a former student. The tote bag is the
external indicator that the child is a Let's Play Music student. It is carried to
and from classes and is a statement on the program itself. Think of it like this: a
McDonald's franchisee finds cups cheaper at Sam's club than purchasing them
from McDonald's corporate. Apart from the fact that the franchisee has agreed
to purchase all supplies from McDonald's is the underlying reason that
McDonald's requires them to do so: Branding, consistency and expectations
are all what make a secure image in the eye of the customer. We, like
McDonald's, have spent a good deal of time and money to make sure our look
is professional and consistent with reaching our target market. To have
teachers undermine that is a breach of contract and weakens their individual
program. Please take advantage of our excellent marketing and be sure that
your students are carrying a nice, new, branded tote bag! We want graduating
students to continue to use our tote bags as advertisement to their piano
teachers! It says, "Hey, I've worked hard in Let's Play Music!"
Since tone bells are the most expensive part of the materials, we have
allowed the purchasing of used bells from former LPM students. If your
parents choose this option, please be sure that the bells are intact and fully
functional. Like the CDs, it would be a pity to give up a functioning bell set
considering all the time spent using them as a significant teaching tool.
Borrowing tone bells from current students is not allowed. Families cannot
share a single bell set and expect to get full benefit from partial possession.
Replacement CDs are available for only $5 each if a new student is registering
and the family has already purchased CDs, but they have become lost or
damaged. Please recommend this option to families who may not quite know
where their CDs are. It is a waste and a tragedy to spend the time and money
that they will in the semester and not have the CD to reinforce learning at
home. For all new students the replacement fee is not an option. Each family
must initially purchase CDs for the full price.
The second and third year sets are far less confusing because the only items
not included in the sibling sets are the CDs. Each student enrolled must have
their own booklets, songbooks, bubbles and flashcards. As with first year CDs,
replacement CDs can and should be purchased for $5 if the original ones are
lost or destroyed.
Copyright Guidelines: It seems obvious, but will be restated here, that all
CDs, songbooks, workbooks and flashcards are copyrighted and must not be
copied by either teacher or parent. If a new item is needed, a new item must
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be purchased. Once a CD has been purchased at full price, it may be
uploaded to other media storage devices at the owner's discretion but can NOT
be shared.
The required student materials are just that, they are required for the student to
be able to participate in Let's Play Music. Please do not allow parents to pick
and choose which materials they will purchase and which they will go without
or provide their own.
In addition, all student materials must be purchased from Let's Play
Music. Though most of our materials are produced by us directly, there are a
few items which we purchase from other companies wholesale to sell retail to
students. These items (tone bells, bubbles, Sound Beginnings ankle jingles)
are to be purchased from Let's Play Music and not from alternative sources.
Student materials fees collected by the teacher are exactly that - student
materials fees. Since wholesale and production costs fluctuate from item to
item, and from time to time, we collect the entire fee from the parents (through
the teacher) and allocate the funds according to the items. In this way, we can
maintain a stable and consistent fee for the parents. Though we sometimes
must break down the materials fee into item, it is not necessarily the actual cost
of the item that we are charging the parent. We may be funneling a few dollars
from one less expensive item to one that is more expensive. That means if a
teacher sees that an ankle jingle is $4.50 on the webstore and she has found a
wholesaler that will charge her just $2.50, she is not free to take student
materials funds collected for Let's Play Music and purchase from another
company. While teachers have the $15 registration fee at their discretion,
materials fees belong to Let's Play Music. Any shopping around to find less
expensive sources for any of the required student materials is a breach of the
licensing agreement.
Lastly, the Let's Play Music program requires ordering materials for the
entire year. That is the way we are set up and this provides stability for your
studio as well as a known commitment from parents. All student materials are
priced and purchased by the year. Do not expect to order red, green or purple
materials only from the webstore. Do not offer the option to parents to pay and
register for just a semester at a time. Again, it weakens their commitment and
their image of you as a business manager. We have established parameters
that work. Make them work for you by following them!
We have tried to make all student materials as cost-friendly as possible. We
have allowed for certain materials to be used again by another sibling in the
family. We have offered replacement CDs at a fraction of the original price.
We have been incredibly generous in not requiring EVERY student to purchase
the FULL materials set, though it makes bookkeeping far more laborious for
us. We do have the customer in mind and understand that materials can be
expensive. We aim to make the cost of the program reachable.
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Do not purchase materials from other teachers or students. The exception
is Tone Bells, which may be bought back from other teachers or families if they
are in excellent condition. Tote bags, songbooks and booklets may not be
passed from student to student. Each must have their own. CDs cannot be
sold to other families. Each family must purchase their own CDs.
Al a carte Items: Once all sets have been added to your cart, you can buy
individual items by going to the Webstore tab. Click on Student Materials and
then select the appropriate year. Select the items you need and they will
automatically be added to your cart. Once you are done adding items, you will
check out.
Ordering only what you need is the best method for not ending up with extra
stock. If you do end up with extra, you may hold on for the following year.
Materials will not become outdated until 2015. In the fall of 2015 it will be
especially important to not order extra stock. 2016 is our revision year so new
student materials will be sold in the fall of 2016.
Order processing: Orders are processed every 2-3 days. Shipments will
normally arrive one week after placement. August and September orders may
take 1-2 weeks for processing. If your order is being mailed you will need to
plan plenty of time for the order to be processed and then shipped. To avoid
your package being delayed, you may want to purchase your student materials
in May through July. Packages are shipped from Mesa, Arizona. If an order is
over 5 lbs. the package will have a tracking number. If items are back ordered
for more than 3 weeks, shipping will ship a partial order.
The best way to avoid extra shipping /pick up costs or ending up with extra
stock is to set a deadline by which you place your order. When parents
approach you after that date, let them know your deadline has passed and
there is now an extra $5 fee to get their materials. This, along with the extra
already built into the materials costs will cause no extra charge for you.
Pick-up option: If you select the “Pick up at our Mesa location” option, you
will be notified via email when your order is ready and will pick your order up at
1540 E. University #100 Mesa AZ 85203 (enter from Hunt. Dr.)
If a student registers and pays, then drops, you may sell the materials you
purchased for that student to a new student or late registrant.
The student must be enrolled in class in order to receive any materials.
They are not allowed to do an at home study course. If they have a conflict
and can’t attend class, even though they paid for materials, the materials
should not be distributed and arrangements should be made to attend another
class you teach or another Let’s Play Music teacher’s class. If no other option
accommodates their situation, you will want to either buy the material set back
or tell them you will reimburse them once you sell the materials to another
student. If extenuating circumstances exist such as moving out the of the
country, etc. contact your Advisor on how to proceed.
If you have a problem with an order you will need to contact the shipping
department at [email protected].
5.10
Please contact our shipping department at [email protected] if:
 There is a problem with your order
 You have defective or broken items
 You need to add additional items to your order*
 You need to delete an item from your order*
5.9 Webstore purchases
To place an order you will login to the website and go to the Student Materials
tab. You will order your student materials in sets.
Updated: February 1, 2013
As a general rule, materials cannot be returned or refunded. You will need to
store any additional inventory that you accumulate in your studio. If you have a
defective or broken product we will refund, return or replace it. Typically,
refunds take between 3-5 business days to process.
Once you have received your order go through the contents immediately upon
its arrival. Damaged and missing item claims must be made within one week
of receiving the order. Items on backorder will be marked on the invoice and
will be sent as soon as they are in stock. To avoid backordered issues, order
before August.
In order to make sure your orders are as error free as possible, they will be
reviewed by your Advisor and the shipping department. This helps
eliminate any ordering mistakes and helps keep your shipping costs down.
You are welcome to order al a carte items, but please mention the reasons you
are ordering the additional supplies so we are all on the same page. Our
ordering system will allow you to make comments on the order so that you can
report that you have extra stock and to which student that was sold.
How to order Student Material sets: Once you’ve clicked on the appropriate
set, you will push the back button to order then next set. If you add a sibling
set, it will automatically add the quantities of items you need.
Product returns
*This can only be done if your order hasn’t been processed yet.
6.
CORPORATE STRUCTURE & SUPPORT
6.1
Board of Directors
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The Board of Directors consists of the creator and founder Shelle Soelberg, the
Director of Materials Development: Sanya Fenn, Director of Communications:
Melissa Lunt, Director of Relations: Jenny Smith, Director of Teacher Support:
Julie Fischbeck, Director of Teacher Training: Marci Flowers and Director of
Operations: Dave Soelberg.
Director of Operations
Dave Soelberg can be reached at: [email protected]
The Operations Department oversees the following:
 Shipping of all product and order fulfillment.
 Answers questions and solves problems regarding material orders.
 Problems with defective products, billing and invoicing.
The main duty of a Director is to oversee their departments by managing the
day to day responsibilities and supervise those within their department.
Chief of Directors
Shelle Soelberg can be reached at [email protected]
 Coordinates with Directors to ensure that the LPM vision is maintained
throughout company practices.
 Resolves questions or concerns relating to the corporation: licensing
agreement questions or clarifications, suggestions for curriculum
alterations or additions.
Director of Materials Development
Sanya Fenn can be reached at [email protected].
The Product and Materials Development Department oversees the following:
 Maintain accurate and improving revisions of all teacher manuals, student
books, songbooks, and corporate documents.
Director of Communications
Melissa Lunt can be reached at [email protected]
The Communication Department oversees the following:
 Manage and disperse information in a clear, concise manner
 Oversee communications methods of company: Newsletter, Policies &
Procedures, Website, Blog, correspondence, etc.
 Ensure compatibility and consistency of all policies, practices, and
responses throughout company
6.2
Director of Teacher Training
Marci Flowers can be reached at [email protected]
The Teacher Training Department oversees the following:
 Oversee and monitor teacher training
 Evaluate teacher performance
 Oversee teacher training programs: Training Seminars, Training DVDs,
Certification, BOOST program, EPIC teaching strategies.
Updated: February 1, 2013
Advisors interview new applicants, hire and mentor teachers. They are also
assigned specific duties and responsibilities to help facilitate all corporate run
programs and responsibilities.
Contact your Advisor with curriculum questions, classroom functioning
questions, recruiting questions, getting replacement visual aids and order
placing that have a definitive answer (rather than those that are asked for
discussion purposes) and issues relating to data, such as address changes,
student registration, and password retrieval. Also, any issues or problem
relating to payments on royalty fees, materials orders or licensing fee
payments.
Director of Relations
Jenny Smith can be reached at [email protected]
The Relations Department oversees the following:
 Oversee and monitor Team Advisors, functions and relations
 Oversee and monitor Connections program and relations to private piano
community
Director of Teacher Support
Julie Fischbeck can be reached at [email protected]
The Teacher Support Department oversees the following:
 Oversee and monitor the support given to teachers
 Evaluate teacher satisfaction
 Oversee teacher support programs: Forum, Newsletter, Symposium,
Advisors
Advisors
Sound Beginnings Creator and Advisor
Raya Leavitt can be reached at [email protected]
 Curriculum questions, classroom function; any and all questions regarding
the Sound Beginnings program should be directed to the Sound
Beginnings Advisor.
6.3
Managers and Coordinators
6.4
Team Leaders
There are several manager and coordinator positions within each
department. As the company continues to expand, more positions will
be added. Currently, we have a BOOST Manager, Blog Manager,
Certification Managers, Connections Correspondent, as well as a Seminar
Manager, Composition Coordinator and a Symposium Committee.
Lets’ Play Music teachers are organized into geographical teams. Each team
has a Team Leader. The Team Leaders report to their Team Advisor. The
Team Leader organization is a part of the corporate structure.
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New Let’s Play Music teachers must set up a personal profile to be officially
placed on the Find a Teacher website page. A link to this web form was
emailed to you, by your Advisor, before the first year training.
The primary objectives Team Leaders are responsible for:
 Communicate corporate news to team members
 Interviewing and aid Advisors in selecting new applicants
 Providing support to team members
 Oversee local issues such as combining for recitals, substituting for each
other, recruiting needs for coming up year, Connections meetings,
observing each other’s classes, etc.
If you have not yet finished this process, it is extremely important that you
find the link and complete your profile without delay. Make sure you have a
recognizable username, so we highly recommend that you use your first and
last name or something very close to it. Be sure to upload a nice, professional
picture for the website. Keep in mind, once you submit your profile
application, your Advisor will need to approve your submission, so
contact her RIGHT AFTER you create your account! Once you complete
and submit the form, your Advisor will need to approve you. This may take a
few days. To expedite this process, you may want to send your Advisor an
email stating you have finished your website application.
The Team Leader is responsible to organize and hold two team meetings per
year in February and August. They are also in charge of holding Connections
meetings and managing the private piano Connections certification information.
They will observe and evaluate teachers on their team when necessary.
6.5
Annual Convention
The annual Let’s Play Music Convention consists of several days’ training in
Mesa, AZ, in June. Convention week offers training for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year
and culminates on Saturday with the Teacher Symposium.
Once you have been approved, an automated system email will be sent to you
to complete the registration process. Because this email is automated, it
frequently goes to junk mail. If you are not seeing an acceptance email, please
look in your junk email file.
The Let’s Play Music Symposium is for all of the Let’s Play Music teachers and
is a wonderful way to enrich your life and enhance your teaching. The
Symposium is an all day event filled with classes, corporate announcements,
curriculum addition notifications, booths and free PRIZE giveaways! You will
be greatly enriched by attending this event.
One of the best ways to avoid problems when setting up your website account
is taking the time to slowly read the directions and follow the directives under
each field on your website profile page.
The Symposium is advertised through email. You will get your official invitation
via email in April. You will need to respond to the email by clicking the link,
indicating that you would like to attend. When you respond, it puts you on the
list of attendees. You will also want to collaborate with your team so you can
divide up hotel room cost and/or transportation.
6.6
6.7
If for some reason your password is giving you problems and/or the system
isn’t recognizing you, simply request another password. Resetting your
password is the simplest way to adjust any minor problems. If you are still
having problems, contact your Advisor for solutions.
6.8
DownLow
6.9
Forum
Newsletters
Corporate Newsletters are sent at the beginning of each month August
through May. These official newsletters are the best way to stay up-to-date on
the latest Let’s Play Music announcements. Make sure to read carefully
through each email and save them, as you will find answers to your questions
that will come up during your teaching year.
Website
The Let’s Play Music website is a place for prospective students and parents to
come and read information about the curriculum as well as locate and
communicate with a prospective teacher. It is also a place for teachers to enter
the Webstore, Teachers Forum, DownLow, Student Roster, Student Materials
and manage their personal website account.
Updated: February 1, 2013
The DownLow page is accessible only through the website. Once you login to
the website, you will see the additional DownLow tab at the top. The DownLow
is a place to retrieve pertinent Let’s Play Music files, such as business forms,
fliers, updated curriculum materials, corporate information, logos and much
more!
The forum is easily accessible by logging into the website. Once you login to
the website, you will see the additional Teacher’s Forum tab at the top.
If you are an existing teacher, you will simply login to the forum. If you are a
new teacher, you will need to register to participate on the forum. To do this,
simply click the appropriate link on the webpage and follow the instructions. Be
certain to again use your first and last name as your user name. This is
very important, as we have quite a few people daily applying to participate on
our forum. If you create a user name other than your first and last name, you
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may get rejected. Your Advisor will need to approve you, so email her to let her
know you are registered.
The Teacher’s Forum is a place to share ideas that have worked well in your
studio and seek for inspiration to improve your classroom and teaching.
Please keep your posts related to these topics. If you have concerns or issues
that deal more with corporate Let’s Play Music (LPM curriculum, business
structure/policies), please take these concerns to your Advisor for clarification.
The forum is a melting pot of ideas, suggestions and sharing. Because
information can change rapidly and Advisors don’t always moderate every
thread, it’s important to get official information by emailing your Advisor or
reading/referencing the Policy and Procedure Handbook.
7.
TEACHER TEAMS
7.1
Team structure
7.2
Teams are created based on geographical location and teacher concentration.
Each team has a Team Leader that is selected by corporate. The standard
team number is approximately 4-10 teachers. If a team gets too large, we will
select another Team Leader, adjust the team boundaries and create a new
team.
Team function
Ideally, the team function is to establish a local setting where teachers can
collaborate and work together to build and support each others’ studios. They
will also combine efforts in creating a Let’s Play Music presence in their
shared communities.
Teams will accomplish their purpose by having team meetings two times a
year, in August and February. They will hold Connections meetings and should
plan activities that will create bonding between team members. For example,
having a “Cottage Meeting” where the team members observe each other’s
studio set up and organization, driving to Symposium together as a group or
sharing the opportunity to participate in a children’s festival.
7.3
7.4
Responsibilities of a team member
In order for a team to function properly, each team member must do their
part. This includes putting high priority on the team meetings and attending
them, contributing to the team effort when necessary and sharing your skills
and ideas to enlighten and better your team members.
Cyber team considerations
If you are in an area where teachers are significantly spread out, the core
function of the team must be modified to meet your team needs. You will
follow the ideal function as closely as possible, but will adapt some of the
Updated: February 1, 2013
activities accordingly. For example, your team meetings will be a conference
call, or you may need to Skype a team member into your meeting. You will
need to hold Connections trainings using the corporate training video instead of
doing it as a group. You can still have “Cottage Meetings” but you will use
video recordings or Go to Meeting type options. Teachers can collaborate and
learn from each other, even when they are not in close proximity.
8.
BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS
8.1
Recruiting
Be enthusiastic, optimistic and aggressive in building your business. This is a
fabulous curriculum and you are a fabulous teacher; don’t be timid about telling
people that!
To really wrap your head around recruiting, you will need to study your
teacher’s manual. There are wonderful ideas and strategies that work if you will
be patient and follow the model suggested there. Keep in mind, if you do a
thorough job of recruiting the first and second year of teaching, and you run a
consistent, professional studio, you will find that recruiting becomes somewhat
effortless. In some cases teachers don’t have to recruit at all. The word just
spreads and you have a waiting list to work from.
Following are some of the most important factors of recruiting:
1.
Get email addresses: When you are working with your friends and
neighbors, emailing is a better form of contact. It gives them the space
and freedom to be honest with their interest. Email also carries the
capability of instant access through web links.
2.
Announce a deadline: When you hold your first sample class you will
want to state verbally and in written form your registration deadline, as
well as any incentives you want to offer. It is best if the deadline is
scheduled a few days after the class. You don’t want to give them long
periods of time to sit on it. They will lose the enthusiasm and forget some
of the magic they saw. Give them a week at the most.
3.
Create urgency: One of the best ways to push parents over the decision
line is to create urgency. For instance, when you are talking to the
parents at your sample class say, “I’ve had such an overwhelming
response that if you are the least bit interested you may want to enroll
soon, because I know this class will fill up quickly!”
Creating urgency in emails is quite easy. In the subject line you can say,
“URGENT…only 3 spots left!” or “Registration deadline ends in 2
days…hurry and pay no registration fee!,” “One month FREE tuition if you
recruit someone by Friday!” (Make sure the free tuition is given in the
month of April, not September.)
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4.
Talk to your circle of influence: Sometimes talking to those who are
closest to you is the hardest. However, this is where you will find the most
success! Waiting until someone approaches you is just NOT going to
happen. If it does, it’s rare.
voice are ready and there are still so many things musically that they CAN
learn WITHOUT having to read.
One of the best ways to start talking about it is mailing your neighbors and
friends a sample packet. Then call them and ask them if they have read
through the material. If they haven’t, validate the fact that you know
everyone is busy and ask for their EMAIL ADDRESS. Tell them that you
will send them some information via email. Send the “Guess what I’m
teaching” email with live links inside the body. (If you don’t know what this
is, ask your Advisor.)
Teacher: Well it is actually a 3 year curriculum. 1st year we focus on bells,
voice, and staff awareness and then 2nd and 3rd year we take what we have
learned and apply it to the keyboard. But the best part is that EVERYTHING is
taught through a game or a song—it’s ALL about keeping it fun. But I am
actually teaching Sample Class Previews right now. How about you and
Samantha come together and see what it is all about?
Once you’ve sent them the above email, you will need to email them back
and say something like, “I realize we are neighbors/friends and want you
to know up front that I have no intentions of pushing this new curriculum
on anyone. Everyone has different goals and each child has different gifts
and abilities that we as parents want to nurture. I personally honor this
decision for you as a parent. With that said, I’ve scheduled two sample
classes that are filling up very quickly! Once my classes are full, I won’t
be able to accept any more students, so if you are the least bit curious,
call me to sign up for one of these free classes. The dates are, (date /
time) or (date / time). There is no pressure to enroll. Just give it an
honest look and decide for yourself if this class is the right match for your
child. I’ll give you a call later on this week to see what date works best for
you.”
5.
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Familiarize yourself with some sort of dialogue: Remember, your
dialogue should not be too hot or too cold. We want it just right. Here is a
short script to help put some verbs in your sentences.
Teacher: Hey, Jenny I am so glad I ran into you. I have been meaning to tell
you about the Let’s Play Music program I am teaching. I really think it would
be perfect for your little Samantha!
Friend: Let’s Play WHAT???
Teacher: Let’s Play Music. It’s a foundational music and piano curriculum
emphasizing learning through play.
Friend: Really? Piano??? Samantha is only 4 and 1/2...
Teacher: EXACTLY. She’s the PERFECT age. Let’s Play Music is structured
specifically with the 4 and 5 year old beginner in mind. They might not have
finger dexterity and reading skills yet, but kids are little sponges. Their ears and
Updated: February 1, 2013
Friend: I don’t get it. How it is a piano course if their fingers aren’t playing?
Friend: Okay... I’d need to check my schedule.
Teacher: No problem. I’m teaching one on Tuesday morning next week and
one on Wednesday afternoon. Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you
the details so we can figure out what works best for you.
Friend: Okay…GREAT!
8.2
Sample classes
Sample classes can be the scariest thing! Most teachers say that after this is
done, everything else is a cinch!! There are a few things to keep in mind as
you prepare for this big day.
1.
2.
You will need at least 5 children to make a nice class (6-7 is much better).
Remember to call those attending to remind them of the class the day
before.
3. Watch the Sample Class DVD so you feel confident in how it should run.
4. Make sure you have a welcome sign on door.
5. Have a sign-in sheet with a place to write e-mail addresses.
6. Display all the student materials: tote bag, bells, binder, CDs. The parents
will want to see what they get for their first year materials. Also have
ready to show the sample songbooks from the 2nd and 3rd year.
7. Create the parent packet that includes a Sample Class Outline for parents
to follow printed onto bright yellow paper, the Registration forms and the
What Does it Teach? fliers. (You can print them from the DownLow,)
8. Have all the teaching materials needed to teach the class out and ready.
9. Prepare an activity and have cookies/treats for kids at the end of class.
10. Wear your t-shirt because…you are a billboard!!
11. Have the “Word from the Creator” video ready to play. Use the DVD or
pull it up from the website and show it on your laptop! (It’s located after
the sample class video that you received at your 1st year training.)
Arriving: As people arrive, have the children come in and sit on stickers in a
semi-circle in your listening area. Hand the parents the “parent packet” and a
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pencil and have them sit on the couch. "So glad you're here! You're going to
love this! Follow along and write questions as we go! I can't wait for you to
see this!"
Beginning: Start the sample class no later than 5 minutes after you said you
would. (Normal class time will NEVER be late, but on this, you should wait as
long as you can for people to arrive.) Speak to and teach the children directly;
do not address the parents.
Even if they are older than the real age, it is still good to physically go through
each activity to get the feel for it before you have parents watching your every
move!
8.3
Teach the lesson plan: At the end of the lesson, after singing "Let's Say
Goodbye," give each child a cookie/fruit snack or some other treat and invite
them to go play outside so you can talk to their parents for a minute.
5-10 min. Turn on the video, “Word from the Creator” and let Shelle introduce
the program for you. Then briefly go through the class outline with them and
explain the basic philosophies behind the curriculum, such as the piano
playing dilemma, experience precedes the learning, full body involvement,
use of instrumentation, the voice as the first instrument, etc.
One method you can employ for open enrollment is put together the recruiting
packet with a letter to place on neighboring doors that says, “We have just
completed pre-enrollment and only have a few spots left in the Let’s Play Music
first year class. Let’s Play Music is a researched based music course for
children ages 4-6 years old. If you are curious about what amazing results we
are seeing, please call or email me to sign up for a free music class that I’m
holding next week on Tuesday at 10:30 or Wednesday at 1:00. (Always give
two choices.) These free music classes fill up quickly and we want to make
sure your child gets a spot! My email is: (email address) my number is: (phone
number). If you can’t make it to either of these class times, give me a call
anyway and we’ll put you on a list to attend a future class.”
2-3 min. Show the scope of the program briefly by explaining what will be
taught in the 2nd and 3rd years and show your sample songbook.
Wrapping up: You have probably used 8-13 minutes by now and the children
will naturally start to come back to their parents. Let them play with the bells,
autoharp and puppets, as long as they follow your rules. Collect completed
registration forms and answer questions. To anyone who has to go home and
think about it or talk to their husband, say, "No problem! I'll call/email you in a
couple days to check back with you. I'm sure I'm going to fill up fast."
Everyone should be gone one hour after you began.
Remember, the first class is the hardest. After that, it will feel natural. It might
be a really good idea to do a 'mock' class with different children (relatives).
Updated: February 1, 2013
Using a waiting list is a wonderful way to create urgency when recruiting. If
you are a brand new teacher, once you have filled the desired amount of
classes, create a waiting list. When you get enrollment requests either before
school starts or after you start teaching, tell them you currently don’t have any
openings, but you can put their child on a waiting list and will email or call them
when openings become available. Write down their contact information and
save it.
Then, in January on a parent day, tell your parents that you are beginning preenrollment. Let them know that you do have a waiting list, but want to
give their family and friends priority before you begin open-enrollment. Give
them a solid deadline and in February begin your open enrollment.
Addressing the parents: Once you have the parents' attention, ask them if
there are any questions.
2-3 min. Pass out your registration forms, show the students materials, go over
tuition amount, class size and duration, etc. Tell them that you will begin
accepting registration forms today and that you expect to fill up quickly. Class
time requests will be honored in the order they were received. Explain to the
parents that if they invite another person to a sample class and that person
registers, they will receive $10 off their first month's tuition, or the registration
fee is waived, or some other incentive. Emphasize the registration/incentive
deadline. Ask them if they have any other friends. Get addresses, e-mails or
phone numbers and call these people to register for your next sample class.
Waiting lists, pre-enrollment and open enrollment
8.4
Social media
The use of Social Media can not only be an effective way of recruiting, but also
a useful tool to help communicate with current students and parents.
Blogs: Setting up a personal LPM blog is a fun way to stay connected with
current and prospective students as well as the parents. You can post about
registration, class times, recitals, fun practice tips and success stories. It is
also a great place to brag a little bit about yourself and your credentials.
Creating your LPM blog is easy! The following steps are beginning guidelines.
There are many other creative things that you can add to your blog as you get
more comfortable with Blogger.
LPM Teacher Blog Instructions
1. Go to www.blogger.com and sign in using your Google Account log in. If
you don’t already have one, click on “Sign up” and go through the steps to
get an account. In the upper right hand corner click on the down arrow.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Upload your picture from your computer. Preferably your LPM headshot.
This will be the picture that shows on your blog. Click “Continue to
Blogger.”
Make your blog title, “Let’s Play Music with First Last (name). So for
example, it would say, “Let’s Play Music with Jenni Coberly.”
Your blog address (URL) needs to be: http://lpmfirstlast.blogspot.com.
So the example would be http://lpmjennicoberly.blogspot.com.
Choose the “Simple” blog design. Then click “Create Blog.”
Click on the arrow to the right of the two gray pages to the right of the
orange pencil icon. This is where you will find all the functions that will
help you make your blog colorful and interesting.
Your blog is now started. Here are the instructions to make it look LPM
uniform. 
In the “Layout” function you will find “Template Designer.” Click on it.
Click the “edit” icon to the side of the “Header.” Download the Teacher
Blog Banner off of the DownLow and then upload that image from your
computer. Click on “instead of title and description.” You now have your
header. 
Click on “edit” by the “About Me” icon Scroll down to and type any
description you would like in the “About Me” box.
Click on “Template Designer” and click on “Advanced”. Here you can
change the color and your font to any part of your blog.
On the right hand side click “Add a Gadget”
Click on Add Picture
Title, “Let’s Play Music”
Download “Let’s Play Music” button off of the DownLow and save it to
your computer.
Upload the image from your computer to blogger and then save.
Type in LPM website URL: www.letsplaymusicsite.com
Repeat steps 11 & 12.
Title, “Let’s Play Music Blog”.
Download “Let’s Play Music Blog” button off of the DownLow and save it
to your computer.
Repeat step 15.
Type in LPM Blog URL: http://makingmusicianslpm.blogspot.com/
Now you have the basics for your new blog. Go ahead and add tabs,
other gadgets or information that you would like to have on your LPM
Teacher blog.
How to Post on Your Blog
1. Log on to www.blogger.com
2. Click on “New Post.”
3. Title your post.
4. In the left hand corner click on “Compose” mode not “Edit HTML”
5. Type whatever you would like in the big white box. If you would like to
upload a picture click on the picture icon.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Click on “Choose File”
If you have more than one image that you would like to upload click, “Add
another image” and repeat previous step.
You can add up to five pictures at a time. After you are finished choosing
up to five pictures click the orange “Upload Image” button. If this is your
first time you will need to click the “I agree” button and then upload.
You can now add more text above or below the image.
If you want to add a movie clip click the movie film icon.
Same as the photo click “Choose File” and upload it from where you
saved it on your computer. Title the video for your records, check the box
by “I agree” and then click the orange “Upload Video” button.
If you would like to have a word you type link to a certain webpage, type
the word, highlight the word, then click on the blue “Link” icon.
Type in or paste the URL you would like to link the word to and then save.
When you are finished composing make sure and press the “Publish Post”
button.
Facebook Account Instructions
1. Go to www.facebook.com and create an account under “Sign Up”. Fill out
the information requested and click the “Sign Up” button.
2. Complete “Security Check” and click “Sign Up” button.
3. You can either fill out or skip steps one through three.
4. Now set up your profile picture in step four. You can either upload it from
your computer or take one with your webcam.
5. Click on which you would like to do and then follow the instructions.
6. In the “Search” field type, “Let’s Play Music – Making Musicians” and hit
return.
7. Click on the LPM icon when it comes up.
8. To the right of the page title you will see a thumbs up with the word “Like”.
Before you click on the “like” icon you must make sure and find the email
message from Facebook in your email inbox and confirm your Facebook
account.
9. You are now a fan of the LPM Facebook page. Whenever anything is
posted you will be notified on your personal Facebook page.
Twitter Account Instructions
1. Go to www.twitter.com
2. Click on big yellow button under “New to Twitter?”
3. Fill out page instructions.
4. If you want, uncheck the “I want the inside scoop” I never like to receive
more spam email.
5. Click on “Create My Account”
6. Follow Steps one through three.
7. On the top of the screen click “Find People” and type in “Making
Musicians.” Choose to follow.
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8.5
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Venue Considerations: Reserve your venue early in the year and make sure
it will accommodate all of your students and their families. If you combine your
recital with another teacher it can save on costs.
Other forms of recruiting
The sample classes have proven to be the most successful model for
recruiting, but you may want to get creative and experiment with other forms of
recruiting as well.
1.
Use the website: Email the ‘intro letter’ to people so they can simply click
the website links. Encourage them to watch the demo video online by
giving them the video link (www.letsplaymusicsite.com/video).
2.
Word of mouth: This is the best advertisement, but it can take a while to
get the word out. Talk to people to create interest and excitement.
People and parents in the music community need to know that there is
something new coming. When it’s a new program, they need to hear
about it several times over a period of time to gain trust in it as a solid,
reputable business.
Music stores, charter or regular public schools, arts or reception centers are
great locations to hold your recital. We do not promote the use of any church
facility for recitals. However, when there is not a reasonable alternative in your
area, using or renting a church facility is acceptable, if you can gain
permission from the leadership before holding your event.
For more information on how to prepare and carry out a recital, look in your
teacher’s manual, the DownLow and the Teacher’s Forum.
9.
TEACHER-PARENT COMMUNICATION
9.1
Weekly contact
9.2
Studio policies
3. Take fliers, pamphlets and intro letters to local pre-schools, dance studios,
dentist & doctor’s offices and other places that mothers and children
frequent. Strive not to leave stacks of papers, if at all possible try to get
the information into the parents’ hands.
8.6
Year end recital
At the end of the teaching year, the teacher should hold an end of the year
recital. Let’s Play Music is not a singing and performing group, but rather an
exciting avenue through which difficult musical skills and concepts are learned!
The end of the year recital helps to share this knowledge and excitement with
extended family and friends.
As a result, you can expose others to the program in an innovative, no
pressure atmosphere that helps to build your business. Even if you don’t get
new student recruits from the recital, you will get exposure and publicity.
Moreover, you will educate and win over the parent that isn’t attending
class. This alone is the simplest form of retaining the students you have
already recruited.
Some things to take into account when preparing your recital:
1. Encourage your students to bring their friends, family and grandparents to
the recital by sending home a recital invitation.
2. Make sure the venue is large enough to hold a sizeable crowd.
3. Take pictures of the event and submit them to your local newspaper.
4. Post your recital on your blog and send a link to your students so they can
watch it. Encourage them to send the link to their friends, neighbors and
family.
5. It is recommended that you have a recital rehearsal so the program runs
smoothly and your students can put their best foot forward.
Updated: February 1, 2013
Communication is the key to dropout prevention. It is vital for the teacher to
communicate with the parent throughout the teaching process. Sending home
a note or email each week will help you make this most important parent –
teacher connection! Be consistent with your communication. Consistency
is a significant way of displaying professionalism.
When working with your personal circle of friends, neighbors and community
members, having a list of expectations or “studio policies” will help to formalize
your business interactions with each other.
Studio policies work best if they are in written form and then verbally articulated
and explained in more detail to all parents attending your studio. This is best
done at the parent orientation meeting typically held in early fall before class
begins.
There are several options of where to display your studio policies. You can
print them on the back of your registration form. You can create a registration
receipt and have a list of your policies on the receipt. Another idea is to print
up a small policy list and put it in the student booklets for easy reference.
Whatever you do, make sure the parents read and understand your studio
policies. This approach is a professional way to start everyone on the same
page. Should any issues arise in the year, they will easily be resolved by
referring back to your studio policies.
The policies should list your expectations of how you want the business side of
your studio/classes to run. The following ideas are examples of content in a
typical studio policy and do not have to be used. Please create your own
official studio policy based on your personality and what will work best for your
area and circumstances.
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Studio Standards
1. You may drop off your child NO earlier than 5 minutes before class. I work
hard to stay on time because many parents (including me) have full
schedules. I also work hard to end ON TIME, so please be here to
pick up your child within 5 minutes of the end of class. Be safe and watch
for other children when you drop-off or pick-up.
2. No gum, candy or food allowed in class. Shoes need to be slipped off just
inside the front door.
3. Siblings and friends may not attend class. (This includes parent days.)
Please arrange babysitting for parent days. Parent days are every
other week for 1st year classes, and once a month for 2nd and 3rd year
classes.
4. I don’t answer the phone while teaching, so please plan accordingly. I will
return messages ASAP.
5. I work hard to maintain a safe teaching environment and have never had a
problem with accidents. However, the Let’s Play Music program does
involve physical movement. By registering in the program, you, the parent
or legal guardian, accept full financial liability for any accidents or injury
that could possibly happen to your child, yourself or any guest
accompanying you, while in my home or yard, and release (your name)
and all their heirs and connections from all liability.
6. I agree to read the parent materials, attend class and assist my child in
practicing at home in an effort to maximize the benefits of the program.
Financial Considerations
1. Tuition is as follows, per student: 8 payments of $45 or $360 (state
appropriate amounts) for the full year, due on lessons 1,5, 9 and 13.
2. If tuition isn’t paid on the due date, please add an additional $5 to your
payment. (Omit if you prefer not to charge a late fee.)
3. Your tuition purchases a spot in the class and will not be refunded if you
have to miss class.
4. The student materials fee is non-refundable once materials have been
ordered (state date). Materials may be transferable until classes begin, if a
new student is found to take your place.
5. The $15 registration fee is non-refundable.
6. There is a $60 cancellation fee (or the cost of tuition for the rest of the
year, whichever amount is less) if you choose to discontinue once classes
have started. (Omit if you prefer.)
7. OR you can use dropout policy:
Enrollment in the Let’s Play Music program purchases a spot in the first
year class, which means you are responsible for the payment of the full
year even if you miss lessons, take weeks off, or quit in the middle of the
year. If you drop out at any time during the year, you agree to pay the
remaining tuition installments. (Exceptions: loss of job, severe illness,
moving.)
Updated: February 1, 2013
We want to make it very clear that we do not own our students. They are their
own free agents and our customers, and we need to treat them with respect
and understanding. Please be very clear that they can be released from the
listed expectation or policy, without penalty, if they have legitimate grounds
(i.e. moving, medical exemption, change in financial situation, etc.).
Professional Communications
If you have a student that simply quits coming to class, here are some
suggestions to tactfully remind them of their commitment to your studio.
1. Send an email stating their tuition is past due and they will need to get a
payment to you as soon as possible. (Mention the late fee policy, if
applicable.)
2. Send an email with a copy of your studio policy reminding them of their
commitment. State that you haven’t heard from them and are hoping that
they are all right. Encourage them to contact you so you can discuss
options that would help their situation.
3. Send a bill or invoice in the mail for the amount they owe and put a due
date. You will also want to send a hard copy of your studio policies with a
note that says, “I haven’t heard from you, I hope things are okay. I realize
things inevitably come up and life can sometimes take a turn that we don’t
expect. I’d love to help in any way I can. If you need to discontinue
coming to class there is a cancellation fee, but I’m willing to work with you
if you want to contact me.”
4. If you still don’t hear from them, consider it a loss and professionally move
forward.
9.3
Parent evaluations
Parent evaluations are a wonderful way to understand how your class
management, teaching methods and ability are being portrayed and received
by your parents. If you take the feedback professionally and not personally, it
can really enrich your life and better your studio.
Parent evaluation forms can be found in your teaching manuals or on the
DownLow under ‘Parent Stuff’. The evaluations are typically handed out on
lesson 15 of each semester. There is a 1st, 2nd or 3rd year evaluation and then
an End of Year parent evaluation.
All feedback relating to corporate will need to be emailed to your Advisor.
10.
TEACHING PROCEDURES
10.1
Age considerations
Let’s Play Music takes advantage of the early learning window. Our first
year curriculum is geared to the 4-5 year old. Students who are 6 when
classes begin are eligible to enroll for first year. If a student is 7 by the
time class starts, you will need to contact your Advisor for permission to enroll.
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Three year olds are not eligible to begin Let’s Play Music, but can participate in
our Sound Beginnings program.
The problem occurs when you have a capable older sibling and a typical
younger sibling developing in class together. As the class progresses the older
sibling can play the bells independently and masters anything introduced very
quickly. The older child answers all the questions and “knows all the answers!”
The younger sibling quickly sees that their brother/sister is much smarter than
he, and either starts to misbehave or becomes somewhat introverted.
Accepting students that are older than 6 years into the first year of Let’s Play
Music has been shown to be ineffective in some cases but negative in others.
For instance, consider the appropriate reaction of the wide-eyed 4 year old
reaching for a sought after balloon, or the sneaky student plotting to scare his
mom with a “BOO” at just the right time, and the giggling over five fat turkeys
sleeping in a SOL SOL DO. Now, consider the feeble reaction of a 7-9 year
old child to the exact scenarios. You clearly lose the magic of playful
eagerness and energetic glee in their response, but more importantly, the
learning curve of the 7 year old is fairly decelerated to match that of a 4 year
olds level. Over the months of the first year curriculum having an older child in
a 1st year class can become quite counterproductive and may invite a myriad of
problems into the classroom.
As the children continue together into second year, the parent starts to see the
older sibling progressing rapidly and somewhat independently. Yet, slowly and
almost subconsciously, the parent becomes somewhat frustrated with the
sluggish progression and dependency of the younger sibling. The parent’s
perception of the how the program is really supposed to work becomes
distorted.
This phenomenon has been the cause of some parents not continuing with the
younger sibling. Then they spread misinformation on how the program should
ideally work because their experience was slightly tainted.
Although the concepts we teach are fun, engaging and highly appealing to the
parents, there is a huge problem when you place a 4-5 year old in the same
classroom setting as a 7 year old. There is such a wide expansion of physical
and emotional maturity that it’s not conducive to an optimal experience for
either age group.
Because this is a reoccurring trend in Let’s Play Music we would offer solutions
on how to handle this.

A 7 year old that hasn’t had any musical training will need to accelerate his
education. His fine motor skills and ability to pay attention warrants private
piano lessons so he can progress at an accelerated pace. Our program is
very sequential and appropriately repetitive and can feel drawn out and slowly
paced to a 7 year old child. Remember, they only have two years left in the
learning window and they need some age appropriate skills and concepts
being taught to them.
There is occasion when a seven year old will be granted permission to go
through first year. These allowances are handled on a case by case basis
through your Advisor. Your Advisor can provide you with a letter to send to
parents who aren’t permitted to enroll their older students to help make it
easier on the teacher.
10.2
The older sibling
When the Let’s Play Music program is newly introduced into a community or
neighborhood, the parents can become very excited about this innovative way
of teaching music. You may market this program to their 4-5 year old child and
after seeing the benefits, parents may pressure you to enroll their older
children as well as the younger ones.
We have noticed a problematic trend that occurs when siblings enroll together
and we want to make our teachers aware of this trend so they can forewarn
and educate their parents about it.
Updated: February 1, 2013


Encourage the parent to only enroll the older sibling and have the younger
one wait a year.
Invite the parent to enroll their children at different class times.
Educate the parent on the trend and make them aware of ways to prevent
this from happening as they progress in the curriculum.
If the parent still enrolls both children and you start to see the dilemma arise,
pull the older sibling aside and tell him he is going to be your special secret
helper. Validate the fact that he is the smartest in the class, but it’s your little
secret and you both have to teach the other children to be as smart as he is.
Work closely with the parent as progress is made, and continually remind the
parent of appropriate norms for both children.
10.3
Adding a student after class has begun
Let’s face it, inevitably it will happen! You ordered all your materials and are
just starting to get into the swing of things, when an excited parent calls and
wants to jump in your class that is already in progress.
If you are a month or less into the semester, the only issue is ordering the
necessary materials for the student. You will be able to order student materials
at any time during the semester, but must remember that shipping charges will
be significantly higher if ordering only 1-2 sets. You will want to charge this late
comer an extra $5 to cover your extra shipping expense.
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If you are more than one month into the semester, there are a variety of factors
to ensure success if the child enrolls. Here are some guidelines to consider:



40
10.5
Does the child have a supportive musical parent that will help him get
caught up to the rest of the class?
Can he already naturally match pitch?
Is the child emotionally mature and confident enough to progress quickly?
(Children barely 4 year olds might struggle; no 3 yr. olds!)
Second year students – indicators they need to repeat
1. They can’t play the primary chords with the right and/or left hand.
2. They don’t recognize any of the melodic patterns and can’t sign them.
3. They can’t play any of the songs alone or with the class.
4. They don’t seem to understand the note relationships of skips, steps or
leaps and don’t play the sight reading in class without habitually guessing.
5. They act out in class and don’t want to be there.
Accelerated class policy
When deciding whether to accelerate a class, you need to consider your
specific audience. Accelerating first year is highly discouraged.
If the student is showing three or more of these signs it’s because, 1.) They are
simply too young and need more time to physically develop and mature, or 2.)
They haven’t had adequate practice/listening time supervision. The parent will
need to determine if it’s #1 or #2. If the parent hasn’t practiced enough with
their child, they could possibly work hard through the summer and get them
ready to move on to the next level. Or if they think it is simply their age and
possibly time will help, you should make the recommendation that they repeat.
First year has many aural skills that require repeated long term exposure and
these skills are not acquired over night. It takes time and repetition to train the
ear. There is danger in accelerating the first year because Let’s Play Music’s
goal is to develop and produce musicians and this simply isn’t a process that
can be rushed.
The second year curriculum, on the other hand, is more about concepts that
can be learned immediately rather than skills to be acquired. This is a better
year to accelerate than first year.
If a student does end up repeating, please help the parents to understand that
the time their student spent in class has not been wasted time. All exposure
and participation in any way is beneficial and will help develop their inner
musician.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. If you have students that are older and would
benefit from quicker keyboard exposure you will need to ascertain if they come
from a musical family and already possess the skills of matching pitch and
keeping a steady beat. This way you will be more inclined to teach them an
accelerated first year and expect a favorable outcome.
If you are considering this idea, make sure to search on the forum
“accelerated” for other teachers’ input and personal experiences, in addition to
gaining insight from your Advisor.
Updated: February 1, 2013
There may be times when one of your students may need to repeat a
year in order to understand all the concepts and have the skill set to thrive in
the next level. Here are some guidelines to following when assessing
first and second year students.
First year students – indicators they need to repeat
1. They can’t sing and sign solfeg at the same time.
2. They don’t know the solfeg signs.
3. They don’t understand the concepts of a step, skip, or a leap.
4. They don’t conceptualize that their hand claps should match the syllables
of the bug names.
5. They have a hard time understanding any concept or skill when it’s
presented to them.
6. They have a hard time paying attention during the activities.
If you feel confident about the questions above, go ahead and enroll them.
(Remember to contact your Advisor and tell her you have another student. It’s
up to you if you want to charge the full year tuition or if you want to prorate it.
You will start paying royalties on the student the month they enroll.
It is important that you meet with the parent and make sure you go over your
studio policies and do a condensed parent orientation. You will need to
establish a strategy of how to get the child caught up. You could do private
lessons, home practice with in-class tests to monitor their progress or a
combination of both. You will want the parent to complete the previous
homework assignments and check them off.
10.4
Students needing to repeat a level
Third year students
Repeating a third year student is uncommon and should be up to the parents
and their specific goals. There is a lot of theory in third year and their skill level
should be at a level where they can play and recognize the primary chords
easily and sight-read through a simple melodic line.
10.6
Teaching Let’s Play Music in a school setting
Often times Let’s Play Music teachers get asked or volunteer to teach in a
school setting. Although the basic activities of Let’s Play Music lend
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themselves well to a classroom, the organization and business model of Let’s
Play Music does not work well there. For example, the fact that parents attend
class every other week might not go over well. Also, parents may not want to
purchase the student materials that are essential to learning the concepts and
skills that aid in home practice and study. The parents may also be unwilling to
pay the monthly tuition for this instruction. In addition, the second year’s
curriculum necessitates a keyboard for every child in the classroom and the
largest Let’s Play Music class size is eight students.
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11.2
You are welcome to use the following in a school setting:
1. Public domain folk songs like BINGO or Drunken Sailor
2. Solfeg hand signs
3. Autoharp and other instruments
11.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
11.1
Training audit
Auditing a teacher training is a wonderful way to reinforce and strengthen your
understanding of the Let’s Play Music curriculum. Plus, it counts towards
BOOST! If you want to audit a teacher training, you must register with your
Advisor by emailing or click the link in the applicable Newsletter when it comes.
We want the new trainees to have a genuine experience and have the time to
ask their questions and enjoy their experience there. They can’t do that if we
have veteran teachers sharing their experiences and asking their questions.
When auditing please abide by the following guidelines:




No talking or asking questions during the training session.
Write any questions down and ask your Advisor later.
Please avoid asking the trainers questions before/after the training as they
will need to be available to answer questions from the trainees.
Please keep your whispering and visiting with the other teachers that are
auditing to a minimum.
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The Let’s Play Music Symposium is for all Let’s Play Music teachers and is a
wonderful way to enrich your life and enhance your teaching. It is an all day
event filled with classes, corporate announcements, curriculum addition
notifications, booths and PRIZE giveaways! You will be greatly enriched by
attending this event.
The Symposium is advertised through email. You will receive your official
invitation via email in April. You will need to respond to the email by clicking
the link that you would like to attend. When you respond, you are officially on
the list of attendees. You will also want to collaborate with your team so you
can divide up hotel room cost and/or transportation.
There are other curricula intentioned for large group classroom use. There are
also books with musical games and songs available. You are welcome to use
the things that aren't licensed by Let's Play Music in the school like, Bingo or
Frog in the Middle. You can also use solfeg hand signs and folk music. You
can't use any Let's Play Music songs, concepts, manipulatives and/or branded
materials.
Please do NOT use the following in a school setting:
1. Let’s Play Music name, logos or any branded looking items
2. Let’s Play Music teaching materials, visual aids, staff, posters or magnets
3. Let’s Play Music CD’s
Symposium
If you have registered for the Symposium but you can no longer attend, please
email your Advisor and she will take you off the attendee list.
Symposium attendance counts toward BOOST.
11.3
BOOST guidelines
The purpose of BOOST is to help your studio thrive, to recognize studios that
are already thriving, and to inspire excellent teachers with thriving studios to
achieve more. We strive to Build Optimal Outcomes and Superior Teachers!
We are happy to introduce 3 areas to achieve BOOST in your studio! You may
choose the area in which you’d like to qualify.
Areas of Qualification
Red Qualification is offered to new teachers needing to jump in and get
immersed in Let’s Play Music. It is considered entry level BOOST and can only
be repeated for 3 years. After that, the Yellow or Blue area must be used to
BOOST.
Yellow Qualification is offered to those teachers who desire to achieve and
excel in their studio through constant education and improvement.
Blue Qualification is offered to veteran teachers who have already achieved
optimal outcomes and superior teaching results.
Qualifications
Red BOOST: (model teaching)
1. Teach at least 1 year of LPM
2. Adhere to all Measure Up guidelines
3. Participate on the forum
4. Attend both team meetings
5. Observe and be observed during the year
6. Complete current certification level by designated deadline.
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Yellow BOOST: (achievement)
1. Teach 2+ years of LPM.
2. Observe and be observed during the year
3. Yearly attend a minimum of three continuing ed trainings.
(Symposium classes count.)
4. Complete five of the following BOOST experiences.
a. Attend both team meetings, February and August
(Conference calls or Skype counts.)
b. Enter students into the National Composition Contest.
c. Attend Let’s Play Music Symposium in Mesa, AZ.
d. Video one of your classes and turn in a self evaluation to your
Team Leader.
e. Submit a write-up/ picture to local newspaper about your LPM
classes.
f. Audit a training near you and get a refresher course.
g. Enroll and participate in a music skills course that will enhance
your musical abilities and improve your teaching. These would
include piano courses, theory courses and ear training courses
that include at least 12 hours coursework. (Class or home study
count toward the 12 hours.)
h. Enroll & participate in a methods course that will enhance your
foundational knowledge & improve your teaching. (i.e. Kodaly
courses, Orff courses or other methods courses that include at
least 12 hours coursework. Class or home study count toward the
12 hours.)
i. Take private lessons, vocal or instrumental. (Must attend at least
12 lessons.)
j. Coordinate or carry out a Let’s Play Music publicity event in your
area. (PPTC training, parades, children’s booths or youth arts
fairs, etc.)
k. Help with one or more Let’s Play Music publicity events. (To
equal a full option you must help with set-up, take-down and stay
for the full event OR help with set-up, take down and stay for half
of two events.)
l. Have a current college degree associates or higher.
m. Participate in a Teacher Education Conference by staffing a LPM
vendor booth. (Must be there at least ½ of the day.)
n. Read an approved book on subject matter pertaining to music
education or teaching.
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o. Attend a workshop, training, or read a book on aspects of running
your business (i.e. classroom management, finances, child
development, communication, etc.)
p. Read the entire Policy and Procedure Handbook.
q. Participate in a local music association & participate in their
meetings.
Blue BOOST: (studio results)
1. Teach 5+ years of LPM
2. Corporate feedback form sent to parents, resulting in outstanding
feedback
3. Two teacher observations with outstanding feedback.
4. Dropouts less than 10% (10% doesn’t include moves, medical
emergencies)
5. Keep studio current, implementing all current plans and materials, policies
and practices
6. Adhere to all Measure Up guidelines.
Recognition
The first year you achieve BOOST, in any area, you will have the BOOST
star by your name on the website, receive the BOOST pin and the
BOOST sticker for your certificate.
The second year you achieve BOOST, in any area, you will have the
BOOST star on the website and receive a BOOST sticker for your
certificate.
The third year you achieve BOOST, in any area, you will have the
BOOST star on the website and receivea BOOST sticker for your
certificate.
On your fourth year of achieving Blue, you will have the star on the
website and receive a silver BOOST pin to wear on your shirt or lanyard.
On your fourth year of achieving Yellow, you will have the star on the
website and receive a gold BOOST pin.
Each year following your first gold or silver pin, you will have the star on
the website and earn an additional gold and/or silver BOOST pin.
All three areas merit a BOOST star on the website and a BOOST sticker on
your certificate. You must complete BOOST in any area each year to maintain
your BOOST status. You may earn BOOST in both Blue and Yellow areas
simultaneously.
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of these suggestions into your studio. Keep in mind there is a balance of
simplicity that comes in teaching an effective, uncluttered class. If you become
entwined in doing too much it could have a negative impact and disturb this
balance.
Outcomes of BOOST-ing
1. Easy/no recruiting
2. Full classes
3. High caliber students
4. Pleased parents
5. Students graduate high skill level
6. Teaching becomes easier because of mastered facets of teaching. (i.e.
classroom management, foundational philosophies, music theory.)
7. Self education translates to less prep, stress, and better teaching.
Keep the following forum procedures/etiquette in mind when participating.
1. Please keep your posts geared toward subjects pertaining to Let’s Play
Music.
2. Before you start a new thread, do a quick search to see if the topic has
already been discussed.
3. Refrain from posting “thank you” comments.
4. If a file is too large to attach, you will need to email it.
5. Please don’t post your email address in a forum topic. If you need to
contact another teacher use the envelope icon under the teacher’s picture
and send an email request this way.
Participation in BOOST
Participation in the BOOST program is optional, but is highly recommended. If
you choose to participate, you will need to print out a BOOST application, and
track your progress throughout the year.
BOOST Application Process
A BOOST application form can be located on our website by clicking on the
DownLow tab and then on Corporate Information. All applications and forms
must be turned into your Team Leader on or before May 15th. You must be
logged in to view the DownLow tab.
The Team Leader will be responsible for making sure each teacher on the
team has rightfully completed their specific BOOST requirements for their
specific area of qualification. Then the Team Leader will email the BOOST
Manager the following information: (No need to email applications, only the
following.)
1.
2.
3.
The names of the teachers who have officially qualified for the BOOST
The area of qualification (Red, Yellow, or Blue)
The number of years they have participated in BOOST. (3 years)
Please email all information to Mandy Mounteer at:
[email protected]
11.4
Teacher’s Forum
The forum is easily accessible by logging into the website. Once you login to
the website, you will see the additional Teacher’s Forum tab at the top after
you click the “home” tab.
The Teacher’s Forum is a venue to share the ideas that have worked well in
your studio and seek for inspiration to improve your classroom and teaching.
This is an excellent way to gain knowledge on the best methods and
approaches on a myriad of topics.
Please do not let the ideas shared on the forum overwhelm you. There are
many great ideas and superb information, but you do not have to implement all
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12.
CURRICULUM
12.1
Curriculum selections
Folk Songs
Since Let’s Play Music is a Kodaly based curriculum, much of its repertoire is
taken from the American folk song. These songs are representative of the
American culture. Therefore, sea chanteys about drunken sailors, farm songs
about angry farmers, songs about Native Americans being referred to as
“Indians” and hunting songs are all an integral part of American culture.
The reason Let’s Play Music uses authentic folk songs is because they have
withstood the test of time. A song with poor melodic or rhythmic qualities will
not continue to be passed down from generation to generation. Authentic folk
song contains melodic patterns that children can easily sing and learn from.
They are almost always pentatonic, often contain the intervals of minor 3rds,
major 2nds, and perfect 4ths and rarely contain 1/2 steps (which are most
difficult to sing in tune.)
These songs also help transmit cultural heritage from generation to generation,
so personally researching and then explaining the origin of a song's lyrics can
also be very helpful as you educate and direct the content presented in your
Let’s Play Music classroom. For example, the song 3 Blind Mice isn’t actually
about mice. It’s about 3 noblemen who were convicted of plotting against the
Queen.
In the Let’s Play Music classroom, you have the charge of directing and
educating the parent’s mind-set toward folk music and why we use it as part of
our curriculum. For instance, a parent may make a negative comment in class
about singing about the drunken sailors. You would simply stop the class and
say to your students and parents, “Did you know in the olden days that our
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ancestors had to get on a big boat and come across the ocean and sometimes
the men who were driving the boat would drink alcohol and get drunk and the
people would wake up in the morning with a bunch of drunken sailors and they
would sing this sea chantey. When they drank too much alcohol they couldn’t
do their work very well.” Teach the principle behind the story.
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Statistics have shown that when these programs are instigated and carried out
at the team and individual levels, student numbers grow and the individual
Let’s Play Music studios flourish.
13.2
With Bill Grogan’s Goat, you would say, “It sounds like Bill Grogan has a bad
temper because he was hitting his goat.” Do any of you get mad sometimes?
When we are mad we shouldn’t hit people or animals, huh! I bet the goat
never ate any red shirts again. Do you? When you hear this song, I want you
to remember to not get mad like Bill Grogan and remember to make good
choices.”
Even though educating students about the culture and how we can become
more humane towards each other is important, it’s not our focal point. It is the
musical aspects we are focusing on.
Curriculum manuals
Manuals will be updated every three to five years. Corrections can be brought
to our attention by contacting the Director of Materials Development, Sanya
Fenn at [email protected]. The changes will be catalogued and corrected in
the next edition. Thank you for your observations and helping us improve.
When manuals or other materials are updated, it will be announced at
Symposium and the new version will be available for existing teachers at a
reduced ‘upgrade’ fee, or available in soft copy form from the DownLow.
13.
CONNECTIONS
13.1
Connections overview
The Connections program is designed to reach out to music educators. We
administer these courses on corporate, team, and individual levels. Our goal
with Connections is to partner with music teachers by educating them in the
philosophies and methods of the Let’s Play Music curriculum and build a
network of trained private piano teachers to then take the Let’s Play Music
graduates and build on the foundation the student already has in place.
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Music associations are a great place to make “Connections.” They have a
large pool of private piano teachers that are generally very qualified. Teachers
that pay dues to associations for membership are particularly motivated to
excel in their private studios and have a desire to continue their music
education. Those in this frame of mind tend to have studied some of the
methods and approaches Let’s Play Music embodies and will recognize the
philosophies as they either teach the Let’s Play Music graduates or as they are
exposed to our Private Piano Teacher Certification.
Reaching out to music associations and educating them about our curriculum
will help Let’s Play Music become a more identifiable program and the
recognition will add merit to your growing studio.
Religious Songs
The Let’s Play Music curriculum contains several religiously themed songs,
particularly Christmas songs. The founder is Christian and has chosen to
include these songs. The Red and Purple semesters each have a Christmas
song, directly dealing with the birth of Christ. If you sense some religious
anxiety in a parent or student, it may be a good idea to forewarn the parent of
the existence of these songs in our curriculum and allow them the freedom to
refrain from participation.
12. 2
Connecting with music associations
On a team level you will petition local music chapters or state music
associations and ask to present a one hour training that illustrates many of the
activities and techniques we use to teach music to our students.
On the corporate level, national and state music teacher association
conventions are sought out for the purpose of operating a vendor booth
showcasing the Let’s Play Music curriculum.
13.3
Connections certification for private teachers
As students graduate from the Let’s Play Music three year program, qualified
and informed private piano teachers are essential to the student’s continued
musical progression. The Connections Certification is designed to educate
private piano teachers on the Let’s Play Music philosophies and methods and
clarifies the best way to transition our graduates into a private setting.
A private piano teacher can obtain endorsement status by completing four
simple requirements.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Complete Reading Packet and Worksheet
Attend a one hour training meeting put on by the local team
Observe a 3rd year class
Purchase a Connections Book and CD
On an individual level you will contact private piano teachers you feel exemplify
the principles taught in Let’s Play Music and invite them to go to the website
and request information to become an endorsed private piano teacher.
http://letsplaymusicsite.com/connections/request-info
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Once they register they will receive a reading packet, worksheet and a
certification brochure via email. They will simply follow the instructions and
work with you, the individual Let’s Play Music teacher, in completing these
requirements.
On a team level you will help the private piano teacher by helping your team
produce a one hour training meeting. The Team Leader will organize and
execute this meeting with the help of their team. If you are a cyber team, the
training meeting will be done by the use of video. Contact your Team Leader
for the details. Once a private piano teacher has completed the certification
process, they will report this back to you, the referring Let’s Play Music teacher.
You will then need to email the Director of Relations, Jenny Smith at
[email protected] to submit the completion of this teacher.
Once private piano teachers have completed their certification process, they
will receive a completion email with links that will direct them in creating a
website profile. Once they follow the instructions to complete this process
they will be listed on the Let’s Play Music website as an endorsed private piano
teacher. In the same email they will be given links to the webstore and be
permitted to purchase certain materials from Let’s Play Music for their private
piano studio.
13.4
Connections piano method
Let’s Play Music has a student Connections Songbook available for purchase.
It is full of transition songs, ear training activities, (using Do is Home & solfeg)
composition activities, theory assignments, plus about twenty repertoire songs.
The songs were all carefully selected and composed to provide the perfect
transition from Let’s Play Music to private piano lessons. This songbook uses
Let’s Play Music terminology to educate the teacher, and progressively guides
the student into regular musical terms.
In the early spring, when you are registering your first and second year
students, you will want to send a Connections Songbook order form around in
class. The payment for the songbook should be due in conjunction with your
registration deadline. Don’t wait to order these books with the rest of your
materials. You will want these books presented to your third year graduates no
later than the year end recital.
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14.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
14.1
Teacher Signature
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I acknowledge that I have received an electronic copy of the Let’s Play Music
Policy and Procedure Handbook. I understand that this handbook replaces any
and all prior verbal and written communications regarding Let’s Play Music
policies, procedures and practices.
I have read and understand the contents of this handbook and will act in
accord with these policies and procedures as a condition of my license with
Let’s Play Music. I understand that if I have questions or concerns at any time
about the Policies and Procedures Handbook, I will consult my Team Leader or
Advisor for clarification.
Signature: __________________________________ Date:_________
Updated: February 1, 2013
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