NewArt Private Lesson Handbook
The NewArt School is the educational programming arm of the Newton-Conover Civic and Performance Place. Its mission is to cultivate creativity and enrich our community by offering visual, performing and cultural arts education for all ages and abilities.
The NewArt School is located at 60 W. 6th Street in the old Newton High School in historic downtown Newton.
NewArt School Policies
General Policies
- NewArt School does not have child care facilities available. Parents, please arrange for the prompt drop-off and pick-up of students before and after lessons.
- If you have questions or reservations about your instruction, we encourage you to discuss them with your teacher. If you have an issue which requires the attention of the NewArt Administration, please call 828-464-8100.
Enrollment
- Registration is confirmed with a $50 non-refundable deposit accompanying submission of the NewArt School Private Lesson Registration Form. This will be credited toward the first tuition payment.
- Students enrolling in private lessons are expected to sign a contract and attend lessons from the date of enrollment until the end of the instruction year in May.
- Students are expected to keep their assigned lesson time for the entire school year. Teachers may choose to provide students with their schedule so that lesson time exchanges can be made.
NewArt Calendar
- The NewArt School generally follows the Newton-Conover City School Calendar. We do, however, hold lessons on teacher workdays and government holidays.
Inclement Weather
- In the event of inclement weather, the NewArt School follows the cancellation/dismissal schedule of the Newton-Conover City School system.
Cancellations/Make-up Lessons
- There are no make-up lessons for student absences in any group music lesson.
- Students may make-up one lesson per semester provided the student has contacted the teacher in advance. “No shows” may not be made up. Two make-up weeks are provided at the end of the teaching year. Teachers will provide a schedule of their availability for those weeks.
- If a class or lesson is canceled due to inclement weather, teacher illness or emergency, the teacher will contact students to reschedule the lesson.
- All make-up lessons should be arranged between the student and the teacher. Please do not call the NewArt offices to schedule a make-up lesson.
Summer Enrollment
- NewArt private lesson students are required to take a minimum of three hours of lessons during the summer months in order to hold their place for the upcoming school year. Sign-up sheets listing the available weeks for each instructor will be provided in April for the upcoming summer. The three-hour block may be divided into 30, 45, or 60-minute lessons. There are no exceptions to this policy.
- Summer lessons must be paid in full by June 1, 2008.
Finance Policies
- Students enrolling at the beginning of the instruction year will be charged for 33 weeks of instruction Students registering after the school year begins will be charged from the date of their first lesson.
- Should lessons be discontinued before the end of the instruction year, all fees are due immediately for the remainder of the year.
- Tuition may be paid in full at the time of enrollment, or divided into two or four equal payments.
- Lessons will not begin until the first payment is paid in full.
- Divided payment dates are September 1, November 1, February 1, and April 1. Other plans are available if hardship is demonstrated.
- There is a $50 discount per family for students paying tuition in one lump sum.
- There is a $50 discount per family when multiple family members take private lessons through the NewArt School.
- Materials are not included in the tuition for private lessons. Please discuss the purchase of books, instruments and materials with your instructor.
- Group instruction is not included in the regular tuition fee.
- Checks may be mailed to the NewArt School or given to your teacher. We also accept Visa or Mastercard. Please note that there is a $3 service charge on each credit card transaction.
- There is a $25 service charge for returned checks.
2007/2008 Tuition Rates
Individual Lesson Tuition Rates:
30 minute lessons - $690 annually
1 payment of $665
2 payments of $ 345
4 payments of $172.50
45 minute lessons - $930 annually
1 payment of $905
2 payments of $465
4 payments of $232.50
60 minute lessons - $1250 annually
1 payment of $1225
2 payments of $625
4 payments of $312.50
Suzuki Group Lesson Tuition - $40 per semester.
Preparing for Lessons
Practice sheets will be available at each lesson. Students and/or parents may also want to bring a 3-ring notebook with a pocket for writing down additional information and storing practice sheets.
Lessons are successful when students are prepared. Please make sure your student has ample time each day for practice.
Suzuki students: Listen to your CD regularly!
Practice charts are a great way to keep track of days practiced. Work with your teachers to create a chart that records the number of days that you practice.
Meet the Instructors:
Melissa Alderman—Suzuki violin; Celtic fiddle
Melissa Alderman studied violin from a young age while growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. By the time she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance from Appalachian State University, she had taught for seven years, played in a Celtic band, and performed with the Asheville Symphony, for whom she continued to play for three seasons. Presently, she enjoys teaching at the NewArt School and occasionally playing with the Western Piedmont Symphony while raising a family in Hickory.
Melissa accepts students ages 3 and up. Students should be 5 years old to participate in group lessons. A parent must be present in private and group lessons for ages 3-9. Parents are encouraged to be present for older children.
Phone: 828.228.8388
E-mail: alderman.melissa@gmail.com
Robert Steadman—guitar
Robert (Bobby) Mitchell Steadman, Jr. began guitar studies with his father at the age of 14. Robert was accepted to Brevard College for study as a Music Major in Guitar Performance under Roger A. Cope. Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts, Robert continued Graduate studies at Appalachian State University (ASU) with Dr. Douglas James. He has also been a performance student in master classes conducted by distinguished contemporary guitarists such as the Grammy winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Andrew York, Scott Tennant, Steven Walter, Benjamin Verdery, Stephen Robinson, Brad Richter, and Martha Masters.
Bobby accepts students ages 6 and up. Prior approval of instrument is required before registration is complete.
Phone: 828.297.5014 (h); 828.699.4437 (c)
Kim Gant—piano, voice
Kim received her BM and MA in music from Appalachian State University. She has been involved in church music ministries for 22 years, teaching adult and youth choral and hand bell programs. She has also taught music education at the secondary school and community college level. For the past 12 years, she has taught voice and piano to private students.
Kim accepts students ages 7 and up, or who are able to read. Teens and adults must sign up for 45 minute lessons.
Phone: 828.256.6378 (h); 828.310.8240 (c)
E-mail: clefnote@embarqmail.com
Sarah Haymore—flute, recorder, piccolo
Sarah is a native of North Carolina. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts where she earned a Bachelor's of Music in Flute Performance. Sarah has held principal flute and piccolo positions in the NC School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and the Fletcher Opera Institute. She was the principal piccolo for the North Carolina Ballet's performance of Tchaikovsky's, The Nutcracker. Since moving to the area, Sarah has performed with both the Western Piedmont Symphony and Western Piedmont Chamber Orchestra.
Sarah accepts students ages 7 and up for flute lessons (students younger than 7 may take recorder lessons).
Phone: 828.994.0788
E-mail: shaymore@charter.net
Michelle Hullett – piano
Michelle Hullett started playing piano at the age of 4. She started giving private lessons in 2000 through the Academy of the Arts at Winthrop University. She has also been a music director and substituted for piano players at various local churches in South Carolina. She continues to teach private lessons and play the piano for local churches in the area.
She also started playing the oboe at the age of 12. She chose the oboe and english horn as her instrument of study in college and has played for many productions in the Rock Hill area. Since returning to North Carolina, she teaches the oboe, english horn, and reed working.
Michelle earned her BA in Music Education from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC and a MA in Education from Columbia College in Columbia, SC.
Michelle teaches piano to students as young as 5 and up. She teaches oboe and english horn to students in beginner band through college level. She currently teaches at Oxford Elementary.
Phone: 828.312.0280 (h)
E-mail: michelle_hullett@catawba.k12.nc.us
Brian Mahnke—saxophone, clarinet
Brian, a Hickory native, studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he received a Bachelors of Music degree. Brian studied at the graduate level at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and has performed in a variety of ensembles from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Eastman wind ensembles, the North Carolina School of the Arts Jazz ensemble, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, and the Vintage Years Orchestra. He was a charter member of the saxophone quartet Los Saxophonistas! and is a professional member of the North American Saxophone Alliance.
Brian teaches students from 6th grade and up.
Phone: 336.575.7877 (c), 464.8100 (w)
E-mail: Brian@nccpp.org
Grace Wepner – Harp
As the harp instructor for The NewArt School, Grace Wepner offers private harp lessons to students of all ages, focusing on technique, musicality, and presentation.
Grace is an active solo, chamber, and orchestral musician and has performed on the stages of famous performance venues throughout the United States and Europe, including Carnegie Hall, Saint George's Church, Lincoln Cathedral, and Harlaxton Manor's Great Hall. As Principal Harpist of the Converse Symphony Orchestra, Grace performed with the Spartanburg Festival Chorus, Converse Opera Theatre, Converse Wind Ensemble, and Converse Chamber Singers.
She attended Converse College, Petrie School of Music in Spartanburg, South Carolina, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music with an emphasis in Harp Performance.
Phone: 704.462.0076 (h), 828.620.4042 (c)
E-mail: gwepner@yahoo.com
