Horn Lessons
Private and Group Lessons, and Day Clinics
Every student who has the desire to learn and work hard should have access to the education and teacher to reach their fullest potential. My goal is to teach students a new skill, encourage them to form their own creative identities, and to ultimately make them lifelong appreciators of music by studying music theory, aural skills, and music performance. The focused and individualized lessons allow for a safe learning environment for musical experimentation and growth to help young musicians reach their goals. Lessons focus on creative problem solving techniques to encourage critical thinking while in the practice room.
Lessons move at the pace students want to move at; the more students practice, the more in depth we are able to go into music and the horn. I believe that music is one part of who we are as people; students should try new things, activities, sports, and theater while they participate in lessons, and I am happy to work with these schedules the best I can.
Comments About Lessons
Working to meet your goals.
"[Student] just came in [for his audition] and was SPECTACULAR! Like, flawless. Seriously impressive stuff coming from that young man. You should be exceptionally proud - excellent teaching!"
Director of GL Bands
"Lessons are very informative but fun at the same time. I learned a lot of new and useful techniques that I've continued to use through the school year. I never feel like I've been judged or held to an impossible standard."
"The lessons are really well done and obviously well thought out. I have fun with them and look forward to them every week!"
Private Lessons Students
"I have appreciated your terrific communication, the newsletters, how well you have worked with [my child], and all the positive things he says about his lessons. Your positive influence on him was evident from the very first lesson."
"I appreciate you being willing to work with us on our every changing schedule. It was very helpful to meet at the locations that suited us on a particular day. [My child] said your teaching style, compared to her other two private instructors, was the best match for her."
Parents of Horn Students
Student Accomplishments
Practice Makes Habit
Music Performance Major and Studio Scholarship at Michigan State University.
Second place winner of the Sigma Alpha Iota Paving the Way for Young Musicians Solo Competition - Featuring a solo performance at the festival and scholarship prize money.
Interlochen Fine Arts School Summer Horn Institute Camp Attendant
Western Michigan University's Summer SEMINAR Attendant
Michigan Youth Arts Festival Orchestra Participant.
Audition winners for the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony
Regular participants in the MIchigan High School All State Band and the Michigan Middle School All State Band.
Participants in the District 8 Honors Band
Participant in the Jackson All County Band
Blue Lake Summer Camp scholarship awards
Student Performances
Pamela Marshall's Isolde's Garden
The Grand Ledge Horn Studio performs Pamela Marshall's Isolde's Garden for the 2019 Spring Private Lessons Recital.
Featuring Nicole Minney on first horn, Kelly M. on second horn, Devin W. on third horn, and Andrew W. on fourth horn.
Lessons Policies
By taking a private lesson you are agreeing to the following policies.
Private Lessons:
During the school year, horn lessons are currently offered at Grand Ledge High School, Haslett High School, Okemos' Kinawa 5-6 Building, The Michigan State University Community Music School, and at my home in Lansing's Historic Westside Neighborhood. During the summer, all lessons are at my home.
Students Will Need:
A working, well maintenance double horn
Valve Oil
Slide Grease
Tonal Energy Tuning App, or a metronome/tuner of equal capacity.
(For more information see link towards the bottom of the page.)
Payment and Absentee Policies:
Lessons will be scheduled for a recurring, consistent time each week. Teacher absences will be made up later the same week, typically on Wednesdays or Fridays. Planned student absences will be made up as time and availability allows. No call no show lessons, defined later, will not be refunded, made up, nor rescheduled.
Lesson payments are due before the start of each lesson. It is highly encouraged that you pay for lessons at the beginning of the month for the full month. You may pay with cash, a check made out to “Nicole Minney”, or with the PayPal Venmo App to the username @nicoleminney.
Lessons are priced:
· 30 Minutes: $25
· 60 Minutes: $50
Notice: When you sign up for a “30 minute lesson” you are signing up for a 30 minute time block. For example, if your lesson is from 3:00-3:30, you have reserved a 30 minute time block. Your lesson will begin at 3:00 and end at 3:30. In order to preserve the schedules of other students, if you are late and arrive at 3:05, your lesson will still end at 3:30.
Please notify me with a 24 hour notice if you are going to miss your lesson to avoid a no call no show label. If you are feeling ill, do not come to your lesson and let me know as soon as possible. I have a baby at home, you will not be penalized for calling in sick before your lesson is scheduled to start.
Lessons will not occur on school holidays. Lessons scheduled to occur on a school holiday will only be made up by request of the student.
I will notify you when scheduling for a semester begins. Claiming a lesson time will be based on lesson attendance records and on a first come, first serve. We haven’t had any problems with this method so far, but please let me know if you have any concerns. Consistent cancellations may result in me moving your lesson to later in the evenings to allow for other students to have the more desirable time.
No Call No Show Lessons:
A no call no show lesson is defined as the following:
· Being over ten minutes late to your lesson.
· Not notifying me of your absence 24 hours in advance.
· Sickness, with proper notification, will not be considered a no call no show lesson.
In the event of a no call no show lesson, I will email parents and the band teacher, when applicable, ten minutes into the scheduled lesson time to make sure everything is alright and to notify you about the missed lesson. Once this email is sent, the lesson is over and it will not be rescheduled, made up, or refunded.
If you accrue three no call no show lesson in a semester (roughly a four month period), we will reevaluate scheduling regularly recurring lessons.
Please note: The no call no show policy is designed to protect your time and mine. A few minutes notice is not enough time and will still count as a no call no show. I create my entire schedule around lessons and if you simply do not show up, that’s time I could have, for example, spent having dinner, being home taking care of the baby, and sometimes I even have a babysitter at home for while I work. Each case of no call no shows will be taken into consideration individually.
Practice Habits:
Lessons will move at the student’s pace and they will always meet you with where you are. However, a horn lesson is not practicing, it is a check-in with how your practicing is going in order to continue to help you grow. In order to be the most successful on an instrument, you will need to practice regularly. I recommend practicing five days a week for the length of your lesson time: If you are enrolled in a 30 minute lesson, please plan to practice 30 minutes a day. Only practicing for hours the day before your lesson, will not help you become the best musician you can be. You will not be "in trouble" for not practicing; however, the amount of subjects we will be able to get through in each lesson.
Performance Opportunities:
To become a well-rounded musician, it is important to seek out regular performance opportunities and participate in events like solo and ensemble, solo competitions, community performances, and studio recitals. Each solo performance will require a piano accompaniment, unless otherwise notified, and parents should be prepared to spend $50 to hire a pianist for every solo performance. The $50 will cover one performance and one rehearsal that I can help you schedule; every subsiquent rehearsal will be $20. If you have trouble finding a pianist, I will recommend one to you.
Lesson Materials
Recommended Materials for the Best Quality Practice Sessions:
Lessons can be successful without all of these materials; however, it is highly recommended that you invest in these tools so you can be successful in the practice room. Your playing level will determine what you need to succeed!
Horn Lesson Guides
Seven levels of lessons designed and laid out to take a student from a beginner to a college performance major.