A Little About Me

Hi!  Welcome to The Vickery Music Studio blog.  My name is Christy Vickery and I teach private piano and flute lessons in the Richardson, Texas area.  I have been teaching private lessons since my college days at Oklahoma Baptist University and have just recently made the decision to leave my very loved position at All Saints Catholic School in Dallas where I have taught elementary music and band for 14 years to teach private lessons.  The decision was a hard one, but one that will allow me to homeschool my son and enjoy my baby daughter who is due September 20th!  

Here is just a little about me and how I got started in music education

I have been playing piano and flute for most of my life.  I started piano at 5 and flute at 10 years of age.  In college, I pursued a degree in music education and had the wonderful opportunity to perform with the University Band, in special concerts and in recitals.  I also earned a spot in the Concerto Aria Competition and Concert 3 times.

After graduation, I began teaching and in 1998 joined the staff at All Saints Catholic School in Dallas.  There I taught elementary music and band until 2012.  In 2005, I completed additional certification as a Kodaly Music Educator through the UNT/Plano ISD Kodaly program.

Throughout the years, I have played with community bands including the Richardson Communtiy Band and the Metroplex Wind Symphony.  Most recently, I was able to perform with the Brookhaven Flute Choir.  I have also been able to play with the church orchestras at FBC Carrollton and FBC Richardson.   

Resume

Education:       Bachelor of Music Education, Magna cum Laude,                                     1997

                                Oklahoma Baptist University

                                Shawnee, OK 74804

                                GPA: 3.79/4.00

                                Kodaly Institute of Texas

                                Organization of American Kodaly Educators-Certified Teacher               2005

Experience:     Music Teacher                                                                                                     2008-2012

                                All Saints Catholic School                                                                                 1998-2006

                                7777 Osage Plaza Parkway

                                Dallas, TX 75252

               

                                Developed and taught Kodaly based K-8 music program

                                Organized and directed 200+ students in the annual K-4 Christmas program

Began an award winning band program

                                Collaborated with other teachers on projects i.e. ArtFest, Send Off  With Love

Private Lesson Teacher                                                                                      2006-2010

                                1414 Albany Pl

                                Richardson, TX 75080

                                Started private music studio teaching

piano, guitar, and all level flute

                                Maintained a studio of 8-12 students during the school year

                               

                                Asst. High School Band Director                                                                      1997-1998

                                Cuero High School

                                405 Park Heights Dr.

                                Cuero TX, 77954

                                Directed the JH and HS concert bands

                                Team taught beginning band.

                                Assisted with marching band

Teaching Style and Philosophy

Children should enjoy music.  As a teacher, my job is to help students discover the joys of music.  As a piano and flute teacher, I want my students to discover their musical talents and the joy of being a musician.  Every musician needs a good foundation in music literacy to be able to have musical independence.  When a student learns to read music from the staff and has a solid understanding of beat and rhythm, the student will  be able to play music of his/her choosing without very much if any support from the teacher.  The student is in charge of the music that is made, and that is wonderfully exciting!

Beginning students will focus on learning to read music from the staff, developing technical skills such as proper playing posture and finger position, and basic music theory.  Intermediate and advanced students will be exposed to challenging literature and exercises selected to develop good tone, technical facility on his/her instrument and musical expression. Intermediate and advanced students will also be encouraged to participate in musical festivals and competitions to stretch their development as musicians.  And all students beginning to advanced will participate in studio recitals to develop public performance skills.

While I have high expectations for my students in terms of the efforts they put forth in practicing and preparing for lessons, I do understand that each child is a unique individual with unique gifts and talents.  With that in mind, I tailor my lessons to suit the child.  My goal is not to create a concert pianist or flutist out of every student, but instead to help the child enjoy music and the musical talents he/she possesses. 

Studio Information

Payment

The fee for lessons is $25 for a 30 minute private lesson and will be assessed monthly.  Monthly fees work like school tuition.  Just like for school, refunds will not be given for missed lessons (see missed lesson section).  Payment will be due by the first lesson of the month.   The teacher will send home a bill with your child so that you will know how much is owed.  Please check the bill before writing a check as the total due each month will change based on holidays.  

If for any reason you must terminate lessons, please let me know as soon as possible.  30 days will be considered minimum notice. 

Missed Lessons

From time to time students need to miss a lesson.  As this is part of the teacher’s income, refunds will not be given for missed lessons except in extreme situations i.e. extended illness, death in the family.  Consider working with another family taking lessons to swap times in order to avoid missing a lesson.   .  If the teacher cancels the lesson, a makeup lesson will be offered for that lesson or credit will be given towards tuition for the next month. 

Practice

Practicing is the single most important tool for your child’s success on the piano or flute.  Practice length and # of times per week will be set by the teacher according to the level of each student.   What time each day a child practices during the week will be determined by the parent and the child.  It is recommended that each student pick a specific time M-F to practice i.e. right before dinner, right after dinner.  Save the weekends for relaxation and makeup practicing.  While it is important that each student take personal responsibility for his/her practicing, ultimately, it is the parent who needs to make sure practicing happens throughout the week.  

In order to help students and parents keep track of practice, each student will be given a practice chart to fill in each week.  A parent must sign the chart, and the chart will be reviewed by the teacher.  Small rewards will be given at the end of each month to students who complete all their practicing for the month. 

Referrals:

Word of mouth and recommendations from current families is the best way for me to build my studio.  For each referred student who signs up for lessons, receive 1 lesson free!