Getting Started

Star City Music Studios offers flexible lesson options to meet your individual needs. Offerings include private instrumental instruction, group lessons, and musicianship classes. To begin, contact us and we’ll start you on your musical journey!

SCMS will work with you to find the instrument, instructor, and lesson format that best fits your goals.  Here are some questions to ask yourself as you plan your music studies:

      1. What are my personal goals?
        The more specific your goals are, the more specific we can be in helping you attain them!  Some examples may include:  personal enjoyment (“I just love music”), to play/sing in church, to further develop skills I already have, or even “because I always wanted to be able to play/sing ________ [a specific piece]!”
      2. Do I have regular access to an instrument (other than voice)?
        If you don’t already own your instrument, you’ll want to purchase or at least rent one.  It’s not necessary to have the “latest and greatest” instrument to begin with, but you will want regular access to a fully functional, full size instrument (unless you’re beginning on strings, which may use a smaller to-scale instrument).  Most instruments of reasonable quality can be purchased for very affordable prices, and if well-maintained, can be re-sold if necessary.
      3. How much time am I willing to commit?
        Learning an instrument requires a certain amount of time spent simply practicing the ideas, techniques, and repertoire that you’ll explore in lessons. A good rule of thumb for private lessons is to plan to spend the same amount of time practicing each day as the length of your lesson.  For example, if your lesson is 30 minutes long, alot 30 minutes 4-5 days a week to spend working on the things you and your teacher discussed.  If that seems like a lot, remember that private lessons move at your own pace, so if you practice less, that’s okay, but you may find that you spend more time in lessons reviewing pieces or ideas than you expected. And of course, there’s no “practice maximum” – the sky’s the limit!

        Alternatively, you may want to consider a group class for a more relaxed pace and social learning environment.  Enrichment classes are usually academic in nature and would generally involve “homework” assignments rather than instrument practice, so the time commitment will vary by the student.

Don’t worry if you don’t have answers to these questions right away – SCMS can help!  When you contact us, we’ll help you determine the perfect fit and schedule an assessment with one of our experienced, knowledgable instructors so you can be absolutely confident before you begin your first lesson.  We can’t wait to meet you!

Academic Calendar

SCMS’ Academic Calendar is the divided into three terms:  Fall, Spring, and Summer.  For more information on the start/end dates of each term and holidays observed, please visit the Academic Calendar page.

Tuition

To provide maximum flexibility in scheduling and affordability, tuition for private lessons and group classes varies by instructor.  For more information, contact us!