Due to the new daily schedule next year, three options for music lessons will be available: a 35-minute block once a week, 35-minute blocks twice a week, or a 70-minute block once a week. Fees will be slightly higher or lower depending on the lesson’s length, but will be proportional to current rates per minute.
In addition, the weekly 35-minute lesson also gives students more freedom to experience the arts. In response, there may be more teachers required depending on the needs of the students and which instruments they decide to pick up.
Choate’s music lesson faculty currently consists of over 35 professional teachers. Upon the announcement of the new schedule, Ms. Carol Jones, coordinator of music lessons, sent a survey to each teacher to gain an idea of which arrangements would accommodate their schedules best as well as being the most beneficial to the students. She said, “Many of the teachers did like the idea of longer or shorter lessons as well as the idea of meeting with students more often than once a week.”
Following the survey, Ms. Alison Kegel, co-head of the music program, represented the opinions of music teachers when the schedule committee convened to discuss the new schedule. Although it is inconvenient for some music teachers to come to Choate for just 35-minute lessons, Ms. Kegel feels that the new schedule will not require music lesson teachers to come to the school more often, as they already go to Choate several times a week.
Students’ responses to the change vary but predominantly support the new schedule change and the options it provides. Arts concentration students as well as those who participate in the Orchestra or Chamber Chorus are required to choose from the 70-minute option or the 35-minute option twice a week. Se Ri Lee ’19, a violin player, is an advocate for the 70-minute lesson option. Anne Eyckeler ’18, cello player, also appreciates the longer blocks.
However, students who are brass players are often spokesmen for the 35-minute twice a week option. Katherine Chae ’18 said, “I play a wind instrument, and I get really exhausted because I have to hold my instrument up for a long time which causes me to lose focus.”
Ms. Jones said, “Over the past five years we have experienced a steady increase in students taking music lessons on our campus for multiple reasons. We hope that this shift will encourage even more students to continue with their music endeavors and present an opportunity to study an instrument they are interested in but didn’t have the time to explore.”
Ms. Kalya Yannatos, the Head of the Arts Department, said, “There are a lot of unknowns going into this next year, but we’re walking into it with our eyes wide open and just observing and learning from what we will see.”
