Private Lessons

The Dynamic Music! ~ Kennedy Studio, LLC offers private piano lessons for all ages and skill levels from ages 3 to adult. Students can opt to either take lessons at the Kennedy Piano Studio or lessons may be given in their home for a small additional fee. We also offer lessons on-line if you live out of town!

Students come to 45-minute or hour long lessons each week during the school year (August-May), with holiday breaks in the Winter and in the Spring. Students must take a minimum of 4 lessons each summer in order to return to lessons in the Fall. (Summer music camps are also offered.) A calendar of holiday breaks and activities are sent out at the beginning of the school year.

While taking private piano lessons, beginning through intermediate students learn how to read music notation, learn about theory, do rhythm skills, and learn about all the interpretive nuances of music. A variety of music method books are utilized, including Piano Marvel. Young children aged 3 to 5 normally use the Music for Little Mozart Series. Apps and music games and rhythm instruments and rhythm activities are utilized to help reinforce music concepts in a fun atmosphere. Students also do movement activities to help “absorb” the music into their whole being. Advanced students work on a wide variety of classic repertoire, popular, and American music and still do technical skills and learn theory and music history and appreciation.

Performance opportunities include performing in two recitals per year, as well as playing in the Ensemble Olympics (sponsored by the North DeKalb Music Teachers’ Association), playing at Piano Parties (two per year), and participating in non-competitive auditions such as the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival each Spring. Competitive auditions are also offered, if the student desires, such as the North DeKalb Music Teachers’ Association Bach Competition and Sonata Competition. The North Fulton Music Teachers’ Association has a Fall Festival each year and for December, they sponsor Celebrate With Music at Northpoint Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Two times per year the students are put into small groups and come for “MATFors” (Music Appreciation and Theory Forums) on a weekend day. This and the Piano Parties are given in lieu of taking the usual private lesson the following week. No makeups are given for this and there are no exceptions except in dire emergencies.

In addition to private piano lessons, we offer private guitar lessons to beginners through intermediate students each week for 30 minutes. All guitar lessons are online, too, at the moment due to the pandemic.

Guitar students are also invited to perform in the recitals, Ensemble Olympics, and Celebrate with Music. Guitar students are most welcome at the summer music games (except for piano camp). We use the same calendar of events the studio provides at the beginning of the school year, too.

Beginning guitar students learn about the parts of the guitar, how to hold the guitar and pluck and strum the strings. They also learn to read music notation, tablature and chords. We play student/teacher duets and use some backing tracks to enhance the experience of a song. Students learn proper strumming and picking technique. Eventually, they learn how to tune the guitar.

Some guitar students are also guitar students and vice versa! All lessons are charged with energy and excitement by doing so many activities! We have light-hearted banter in our lessons but are also serious when we need to be. All-in-all, private lessons are important, and at the same time fun!