Conway Institute of Music Monthly - May 2019 Voted 2017 National Music School of the Year! Thank you, for voting us one of the Best for Music Lessons! Our students and their parents are what makes us great! Important Dates May 27: Memorial Day - OPEN FOR LESSONS June 8: Spring Recital July 1-7: Summer Break - NO LESSONS September 2: Labor Day - OPEN FOR LESSONS November 27-30: Fall Break - NO LESSONS Winter Recital - DECEMBER TENTATIVE December 23-January 1, 2020: Winter Break - NO LESSONS An excerpt from Director Jim Skelton's book "The Ultimate Guide to Music Lessons" on the importance of recitals.     "First, it’s the best way to get an honest assessment of how a student is progressing. Many parents need to see the improvements their child is making from week-to-week. Unfortunately for eager parents, progress isn’t always consistent. If you were to reference any stock graph, you’d see that companies have performance peaks and valleys performance.     In much the same way, there are peaks and valleys in a student’s musical performance over time. Students will experience valleys during their practice sessions at home and peaks during their lessons at school. For this reason, recitals are important because you’ll be able to see how your child is able to perform a particular piece they have dedicated their time to learning and perfecting.     The second benefit of recitals is that it gives students the chance to perform in front of an audience. These performances can play a big role in their self-confidence later in life when they will need to make in-class presentations, perform speeches, lead a meeting, run a church gathering, or give a full-blown sales presentation or conference. A recital helps them understand the importance of preparing and practicing for a performance in front of a real audience.     Another benefit of a recital is that the unexpected can happen. Mistakes, unforeseen sound issues, or missed cues have happened to every professional musician. For example, Metallica and Lady Gaga played at the Grammys and the microphone went out.     Monumental sound issues have affected Super Bowl performances in front of millions of viewers. These professional artists were forced handle the situations tactfully and gracefully. Experiencing an unexpected mishap on stage will help the student learn how to react to problems, cope with stress, and improvise!     Recitals are great for boosting a child’s self-esteem. Students are encouraged to invite their family, friends, and neighbors to their performances. A child has a lot to gain from having a room full of people they love watch them perform. For many, the pride and feeling of accomplishment of playing in front of a supportive crowd cannot be beaten...     ... Our recitals are formal, and we encourage the students to dress up for the evening. The entire audience of families and friends acts as a supportive and positive network that uplifts and encourages the children on stage. Formal recitals are more beneficial than little showcases for children because they are given the opportunity to perform on a big stage with other performers in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd. It’s equally as important that you as a parent have an optimistic view of the recital. I am a very patient person, and I enjoy spending time with my three-year-old daughter and helping other children develop their own musical abilities. I understand that children are their own people and develop at their own rate, both in maturity and skill level.     It is with this mentality that I invite parents to be forgiving with their children during their recitals. Despite months of preparation and practice, many students are still quite nervous before a recital. If they truly aren’t ready and aren’t willing to go on stage, give them a hug, be supportive, and let them watch the other students perform.     Not being able to perform at a recital isn’t the end of the world. Parents should be happy that they’re investing in their children and giving them the opportunity to take lessons, perform, and grow. If a child doesn’t wish to perform, then it isn’t wise to force them to get on stage. They will always have another opportunity (often in six more months!) to prepare and perform on stage.     While I understand that parents want their children to be successful, I ask that parents allow their child’s passion for music to grow in a healthy and organic way. Parents shouldn’t push their child too hard because it could negatively impact their self-esteem. If your child makes a mistake on stage, it’s important to be supportive of them and remind them that they’ll have another opportunity soon.     My school is not a competitive environment, and we make sure that the students understand the importance of respecting and supporting each other. It’s about the love of art and the musical journey.     In my years as a music professional and educator, I have seen children grow from shy and introverted to outgoing, confident young adults. The ones who underwent this change stuck with the lessons and took every recital opportunity they could. The students were inspired by music and they were able to perform in front of a crowd, which in turn boosted their confidence. The progress didn’t happen after just four lessons, but from years of positive reinforcement by teachers and parents." Stop by the desk and get your copy today! Pet of the Month Guitar student, Matthew P, with all of his foster puppies! How sweet! One lucky winner every month will be spotlighted in our newsletter! CIM will also donate $100 to a local animal rescue organization! Stay tuned to meet our next Pet of the Month! Please email us a picture of your pet at info@conwayinstituteofmusic.com Ready To Walk The Red Carpet Hope everyone is ready for some sunny spring weather! It’s time to get ready for CIM’s Spring Recital. We encourage all of our students to join in the FUN! If you or your child would like to participate, let your teacher know that you want to play in the recital so during your lessons you can practice your chosen piece of music to perform, and if you like, have your teacher accompany you in the recital. Recitals play an important part in the development of any musician. I am a big believer that to be a really great performer, you have to have consistent and gradual performance experience. In addition to consistent performance experience, you need to have a positive performance experience! All the teachers at the Institute stress that recitals are optional and a lot of fun. If you would like to perform or would like your child to perform in our spring recital, here’s how it works: Talk to your teacher NOW if you would like to perform. May 11 will be the deadline to sign up for the recital. The Spring Recital is Saturday, June 8! Toad Suck Daze Toad Suck Daze is back in 2019! We have Rock Band classes performing some awesome songs and some great solo performers too! Come check them out! Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4! Celebrating Student Achievement  The Musical Ladder System® The Conway Institute of Music is the only music school in the Arkansas that gives their students the opportunity to earn special color wristband bracelets (kids and teens love them!), trophies AND certificates for passing musical tests with the Musical Ladder System®. Do other schools offer trophies and certificates? A few. But none of them inspire their students with smiling faces by giving them full color, really cool “Musical Ladder System®” wristbands that they can show off to their friends. More importantly when our students have a test coming up, they practice more, their parents are proud, their teachers are proud, and everybody wins! Pictured: Bass and Drum student William earned his Prodigy trophy! Pictured: Piano student Presley earned her Rockstar trophy! Pictured: Piano student Cameron earned his Prodigy trophy!  Pictured: Piano student Shelby earned her Songbird trophy!!  Pictured: Piano student Aaron earned his Songbird trophy! Pictured: Guitar student Lailah earned her Rockstar and Songbird trophy! Pictured: Drum student Wesley earned his Bravo trophy! Pictured: Piano student Alora earned her Songbird trophy! Pictured: Piano student Noah earned his Songbird trophy! Pictured: Drum and Vocal students Cecelia and Elleigh earned their Songbird trophies! Pictured: Drum student Ethan earned his Rockstar trophy! Pictured: Vocal student Zowie earned her Songbird trophy! Congratulations, everyone!! To learn more about how the system can help your child to get better grades, improved confidence, and self esteem and more, please email us at: info@conwayinstituteofmusic.com Refer Your Friends CHECK OUT our new Referral Program! We appreciate all of our students that refer their friends to CIM! Our students love their awards and so do we! Check out some photos from our last Hogwild Pizza Party! Refer your friends today and become a part of the fun! THANK YOU to ALL the families that refer their friends to CIM! Thank You Central Arkansas! Please welcome the 40 new students who enrolled this MONTH! Gigi M Perry Z Thomas G Harmony S Paxton J Elizabeth J Sam S Jacob G Larry M Stephen P Jacob B John M Maleah D Aubrey D Sydney P Marie L Logan C Kenisha H Landon J Alex U Matthew S Jake B Zeke Z Mason D Dakota B Lisa O Chris F Michael M Christina H Aliviah M Brandy K River S Prashanth G Zane B Alyssa H Grace P Alexis B Ethan M Nadia D Is Your Teacher Sold Out? We're all about dreaming big, playing music, and lots of smiles along the way! Piano student, Cara, with her teacher Haley! Many of our teachers are almost sold out and some teachers are sold out. If you need a schedule change or would like to be added to a waiting list for a particular teacher, day, or time, please contact our office staff team and they can add you to the waiting list. If you are not a student yet there is still limited lesson spots available.  To inquire about openings for May send an e-mail to info@conwayinstituteofmusic.com , or you can call the office at 501-450-2931 DRUMS: Evan • Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Mondays: SOLD OUT. Jeremy •  Mondays, Tuesdays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Thursdays: SOLD OUT Israel •  Mondays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Tuesdays, Fridays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Wednesdays, Thursdays: SOLD OUT GUITAR: Jeremy • Mondays, Tuesdays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Thursdays: SOLD OUT Israel •  Mondays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Tuesdays, Fridays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Wednesdays, Thursdays: SOLD OUT Tyler • ALL TIMES SOLD OUT Jim • Mondays: ONE SPOT LEFT, Tuesdays & Wednesdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Fridays: ONE SPOT LEFT. Mike •  Mondays: THREE SPOTS LEFT, Tuesdays, Fridays: TWO SPOTS LEFT, Wednesdays: ONE SPOT LEFT, Thursdays: ONE SPOT LEFT, Saturday: SOLD OUT VOICE/PIANO: Jeremy • Mondays, Tuesdays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Thursdays: SOLD OUT Haley • Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Thursdays & Saturdays: SOLD OUT Blake • Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Wednesday's, Saturdays: SOLD OUT Mark • Mondays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Tuesdays: THREE SPOTS LEFT., Wednesdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Thursdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Friday: OPEN Israel • Mondays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Tuesdays, Fridays: ONE SPOT LEFT., Wednesdays, Thursdays: SOLD OUT Celina • ALL TIMES SOLD OUT VIOLIN/VIOLA/CELLO: Jeremiah •  Mondays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Tuesdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Thursdays: THREE SPOTS LEFT Lisa •  Mondays, THREE SPOTS LEFT., Tuesdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Wednesdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT., Thursdays: TWO SPOTS LEFT. It's easy to take the next step: Lessons are first come, first serve  so contact us today to arrange your first lesson! (501) 450-2931 info@conwayinstituteofmusic.com 945 Carson Cove #103, Conway, Arkansas Offering quality Guitar, Vocal, Singing, Bass, Drums, Piano and Violin lessons in Conway, Greenbrier, Vilonia, Mayflower, and all of Central Arkansas.