Schedule, Absence & Tardy Policies

The Music Studio offers lessons Mondays through Saturdays. Specific day and time arrangements for each student can be made once contact is established. Lessons can begin at any time during the course of the month or year.

It is optimal to schedule lessons once weekly. In this way, the student is given sufficient practice time between lessons to establish a regular daily/weekly routine and schedule for each individual family and home. Other scheduling arrangements can be made for special auditions, performances, and vacations. I am also available to teach lessons twice weekly, if that is desirable.

Please remember to notify me at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson in order to avoid financial responsibility. For sudden illnesses and emergencies in less than 24 hours, a courtesy call would be greatly appreciated. If a lesson should be missed for an emergency, the student will not be financially responsible (see Services & Payments).

If a student is tardy for the lesson, please note that there may not be the opportunity to have a full lesson and it may have to end at the normal time. If I am able, I will do my best to accommodate the situation at hand. It is my goal to be respectful of your time and end each lesson as scheduled.

Should the road conditions become severe, all lessons for that day would be cancelled or postponed at no charge.

Practice Policy

Each individual student will progress at his or her own rate. Consistent, disciplined practice is necessary for laying a solid foundation for assimilating music skills. It is very important to practice in an environment absent of all possible distractions such as television, radio and other music/noise-making devices. Some individuals can concentrate only in silence, while others can focus better with a little background noise -- whatever works best.

The student should practice in such a manner that he or she should be thoroughly prepared for the next lesson. Perfection is not expected or demanded, but preparation is essential. An excellent summation is, "Quality not quantity." It is better to be confident with one or two measures or lines than to have an entire page or song played with many mistakes. In this way, though progress may be slow, both teacher and student may be encouraged that the diligence will pay off in the end.

The amount of practice time will vary greatly on the skill level, concentration, desire, and free time of each student. For beginning students, 20 to 30 minutes a day for 5 or 6 days is adequate. For those students at a higher skill level, one hour a day may be the minimum.

The student is responsible for diligence in his or her practice habits. While the teacher is present to give instruction and aid in providing help, the responsibility is upon the individual efforts of each student for his or her success. In other words, it is almost impossible for the teacher, meeting once a week, to cause the musical success of a student who does not practice in his or her own time. The teacher is provided to help guide the student in his or her endeavors, much like the headlights on a vehicle. The student is the whole remaining parts of the car -- the engine, gas, etc. -- the teacher provides instruction and guidance for what the student already possesses, the ability to become a fine musician.

Literature & Materials

The required literature will depend on the specific goals of each individual student. General required materials will include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• Individual instrument in working order with all accompanying components,

• Instrumental maintenance materials,

• Notebook,

• Pencil,

• Metronome,

• Scale exercises,

• Instructional method book, and

• Level-appropriate repertoire.

Resource Information

Instrument Dealers

Atlanta Violins

387 South Atlanta Street, Roswell GA 30075

770.642.8111

Huthmaker Bowed String Instruments

3140 Main Street, Duluth GA 30096

770.476.9443

Music & Arts

1905 Scenic Hwy, Ste 610, Snellville GA 30078

770.982.0822

884 Buford Hwy, Ste 1000, Lawrenceville GA 30043

770.277.7300

PianoWorks

2805 Buford Highway, Duluth GA 30096

770.623.0683

Ronald Sachs Violins LLC

836 Pleasant Hill Road NW, Lilburn GA 30047

770.931.2440

Village Music

5775 Jimmy Carter Boulevard #220, Norcross GA 30071

770.300.3387

Sheet Music Suppliers

Hutchins & Rea

4016 Flowers Road, Suite 430, Atlanta GA 30360

1.800.753.BACH

J. W. Pepper

9053 Riverside Parkway, Lithia Springs GA 30122

770.941.9100

Music & Arts

1905 Scenic Hwy, Ste 610, Snellville GA 30078

770.982.0822

884 Buford Hwy, Ste 1000, Lawrenceville GA 30043

770.277.7300

Expectations for Parents & Students

The following are the responsibilities I expect each student to assume.

The student will:

• Arrive at each scheduled lesson on time with all of the required materials;

• Arrive at each lesson well prepared, having practiced the previously assigned passages;

• Arrive at each lesson ready to learn and ask questions with a positive attitude; and

• Perform in a public or semi-public venue at least once annually to celebrate his or her achievement;

• Notify Mrs. Anderson in the event that he or she will be absent for a scheduled lesson.

I understand that not all students will have an accompanying parent, given his or her age. However, in those cases, these are the obligations I assume each parent will willingly undertake.

The parent(s) will:

• Provide contact information;

• Provide any necessary timely transportation;

• Provide any necessary instrument and materials in a timely manner;

• Provide a conducive home environment for individual practice, i.e. remove as many distractions as possible;

• Provide positive, encouraging support;

• Freely address any concerns or questions for immediate resolution.

Biography

Having been born into a musical family, the presence of music always filled our house with my Dad playing guitar and Mom singing. As much as I heard them daily and my Grandfather, John Jackson, regularly perform in many public and private venues, I wasn't interested in playing anything until I saw my neighbor playing viola in the school assembly. I haven't parted from the violin since.

At ten years old, I began to learn through the public school strings program in the fifth grade. I enjoyed it and began to take consistent private lessons in seventh grade. At that point I began to compete for positions in audition-based orchestras: All-County, Regional and State Orchestras. In high school I had opportunities to play solos before my peers and in church worship services.

My skills continued to improve and I auditioned for college scholarships, one of which I was awarded at George Mason University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. I loved to play with the orchestras there and in the Woodbridge community, namely, The Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra.

During my time there, I felt an increasing desire and pressure to perform in a career setting, but strongly felt the need to continue my training and education. Having been brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ at 18, I followed, what I know now, to have been the Lord's will and pursued a Master's of Music degree in Solo Performance in the Church, at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

There I continued to focus on developing a professional quality of violin performance while minoring in piano and becoming vocally proficient, as required. When I concluded my studies at SBTS in 2006, I knew that I could not perform for a professional symphony orchestra as a career because of certain physical constraints, among other reasons, and I became content with that.

I have been teaching violin since 2000 to the present. What I have enjoyed most about teaching is the ability to watch and encourage students of all ages, from 6 even to 60, to grow in their skills. I prefer to teach privately because my teaching methods can be focused on the needs of each individual student. In this way, the student is able to better excel at his or her pace.

Norcross Welcome Center: Vicki Johnson Art Opening 2011

August 3rd, 2011 Vicki Johnson sat outside under a tent in the hot and humid Georgia heat to paint a portrait of the Welcome Center in the City of Norcross on Lawrenceville Street. She did a beautiful job. Inside were displayed just a few samples of her gallery of paintings. Most are acrylics or oils on canvas or wood mediums in the impressionist and romantic styles and all are lovely. There were hors d'oeuvres from The Blue House Cafe just around the corner on North Cemetery Street accompanied by solo violin music in the background provided by Meggan Anderson.

The following are written comments the guests graciously provided.

"Thank you Meggan. Great." - M. Sudderth

"Thank you Meggan for the beautiful music." - Grace

"Meggan,

The music is very beautiful and enchanting!

Keep up the good work.

Golden strings!" - Aleem & Chantez

"The music was DIVINE

. . . a rare treat . . .

your talent is amazing.

Thank you for sharing your 'gift'!" -Beth Gayle

"Meggan,

Your violin speaks to the heart.

Your talent is amazing." - Richard Gayle

"Music was really beautifully done! Thanks! :-D" - Anonymous

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If you are interested in providing your guests with solo violin music for your next event, large or small, comment on this post below or email me at andersonmusicstudio@ymail.com and I'll be glad to speak with you on the services I can offer.