Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170016
SECTION: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PAGE: HGG-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The gift of lessons - art, music, dance, cooking, sports -- is something the recipient probably isn't going to do for themselves. With piano lessons, English pointed out "it can never be taken away from them. It is with them forever - it's priceless - and there's no amount of money that can replace this.''
English also said piano is an excellent stress reliever as well as good discipline.
She has taught children whose grandparents gave them lessons as a gift. Piano lessons help children develop fine motor development as well as how to take responsibility for studying.
"The child has to learn to discipline himself not only mentally, but physically,'' she said.
If a parent or grandparent is considering giving piano lessons, English advised making sure the child is interested in music.
"If you see the child is spending time around the piano, and is constantly drawn to it, trying to pick out tune,'' this is a good indicator, she said. The interest is just as important as the talent, and often makes up for a lack of talent.
English also said when interviewing prospective teachers, one should ask if they teach by a certain method, and whether the lesson is private or a group lesson. "I would not advise group lessons,'' she said. English teaches the old-fashioned, middle "C" method that teaches students all the basics, so that "if he sits down and tries to play out of another book, he can understand it,'' she said.
Another point to consider is the length of a lesson. For a beginner, particularly a child, English said a half-hour is plenty of time, and can always be increased if the need is there. Another question to ask is what kind of musical training a teacher has had, which won't make any difference for the first years of a student's training, but when they advance to theory and history, "you want to know you have someone that can teach that, too.''
But one of the most important factors is not something you can ask or really determine ahead of time - and that is how the student and teacher relate to one another. It's simply a matter of trying and seeing, said English. If they get along, the child takes great encouragement from the teacher and the teacher looks forward to the lesson, she said. She advised that parents should give the relationship a six-month chance, at least.
Another life-long learning experience through lessons is ballet, according to Terri Post, owner of the Post School of Ballet. Post has owned and run the school since 1986. The original studio is in Salem, and a second one opened a year ago on Grandin Road.
Post, who has been teaching ballet since 1979, said she offers mainly ballet and pointe. She follows a curriculum that offers 4- and 5-year-olds creative dance (pre-ballet) classes, with 6- and 7-year-olds' classes being an introduction to real ballet. From there, said Post, the levels progress from A to B to C.
"People do give classes as gifts. I've had grandparents give lessons to grandchildren because parents had other priorities,'' said Post. She said this could be done in the form of a gift certificate, or by calling her studio and arranging payments. In addition to year-round classes, she offers one and two-week summer camps which can be given as presents.
Dance is a tremendous advantage on several levels, Post said. "I've seen adults and children come in and have terrible posture, and in the course of a year and two years, their shoulders are back and down and their heads are up,'' she said. They gain confidence and poise from dance lessons, as well. "It's an awareness of your body. When ballet is taught correctly, you learn how to stand and hold yourself and you become comfortable that way. To this day, I can go into a place and recognize women who have studied dance by the way they hold themselves,'' she said.
Dance, she said, is a good outlet and provides an energy release, and for those reasons is a good thing for children to have after an intense day at school. Kids, said Post, tell her that they actually do better in school when they are taking ballet. It's not a matter of sacrificing studying time at home for ballet in her studio, but rather learning how to discipline themselves through dance, and transferring that training to their studies.
"It helps with their memory, and teaches them to make better use of their time,'' she said.
Post said she has taught adults beginners, and although she doesn't have a class currently, would certainly offer one if enough adults showed interest.
If you don't dance, perhaps you can learn - like Degas - to admire the art of movement from your palette. Art lessons are another holiday gift idea that, as with all lessons, is a gift which can last the recipient a lifetime.
Mark Scala, the Art Museum of Western Virginia's director of Education and Curator of Contemporary Art, said the museum mostly offers children's classes. They refer adult inquiries to area artists, although about once a year they hold an adult class.
The museum's classes are regularly offered in sections for ages 5 to 7, 8 to 10 or 11, and 9 to 12. Occasionally, he said, they'll have a class designed around a holiday theme. For instance, from Nov. 4-Dec.11 they are offering "Art Buffet," a class on Saturdays that explores two and three-dimensional media
During the summer the museum also offers one-week classes and a summer camp program, usually done in conjunction with another cultural organization such as the Science Museum of Western Virginia or Mill Mountain Zoo. Scala said that new this fall they are also offering art classes for home-schoolers.
Prices for the classes generally include the first day's supplies, but sometimes there will be a materials' fee attached to the lesson fee.
You don't dance, don't draw, don't make music. But how about cooking, another expressive outlet that can become pretty creative. You can find cooking lessons year round at Provisions Gourmet, a cookwares and gourmet provisions store. Owner Karen Hunter, who opened her store about two years ago, said cooking lessons are given by herself, a chef on staff, people in the community, guest chefs and cookbook authors. The classes can be either hands-on or demonstration.
"Cooking lessons are a good present for those who want to increase their skills, take up a new hobby, or are interested in cooking,'' said Hunter. Provisions Gourmet offers evening dinner classes as well as a Lunch and Learn class for about $14 (Hunter said her students never leave hungry). The evening classes include a full dinner, and occasionally a wine tasting and vary in price.
Hunter's classes are designed around what is current and entertaining in food. Michele Braden, author of a Fast & Fabulous series of cookbooks, is teaching two classes this month.
Hugh Carpenter, author of fusion and "hot" cooking books, has been invited for the spring. Hunter said although diet cooking is not popular, if it's billed as light or heart-healthy the classes draw more people. "We look at the requests and consider them,'' she said. They also get ideas from trade shows and the association they belong to, the International Association of Culinery Professionals.
The cooking classes are geared to all ages and both sexes, said Hunter. "We have some who don't like to cook, but like to eat," she said. For a gift of lessons, simply contact her store. Also, she advised to make sure you are on her mailing list to receive her newsletter.
by CNB