We want our students to get the most out of their private music lessons here at Mike Risko Music. We have put together some best practices for in-person students. Let’s get started. Below you will find valuable information that will help you as you take your musical journey with Mike Risko Music. Please take a minute to read this information and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Books: To start you will need books. We sell all the books we use right here at the Mike Risko Music Store. You can either come by before your lessons start to pick up your books or you can get them when you come for your first lesson. Not sure what books you need? Call us and set up a consultation! Make sure you also have a notebook so your teacher can write down your assignment. You can pick up a manuscript book here or you can grab a standard notebook. We have pencils in the lesson rooms, but it is always a good idea to have one with you.
Instrument: You need an instrument at home so you can practice. We sell and/or rent all instruments in our store. Even if you don’t see the instrument you want on display in the store, we have everything you need in stock, so be sure to ask. You can also visit our ecommerce site www.riskomusic.com. You will also need an instrument for your lesson. Unless you are playing piano or drums, you must bring your instrument to your lesson so it is important that you have one. Remember, there are many different types of instruments and we will make sure you have the right instrument for your needs. When you bring your instrument to your lesson, make sure it is tuned and/or ready to play so you can start your lesson in a timely manner. Also always make sure your instrument is in a case so that it is protected.
Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols: All customers and staff are required to wear a mask at Mike Risko Music. Please make sure you have a good mask that covers your nose and mouth. If your child is taking a lesson, make sure he or she knows how to wear the mask properly. We have installed the Merv-13 filters on our building so you can be rest assured our air is clean and fresh. You can find more info about our Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols here. Make sure you read it thoroughly. We require all students to use hand sanitizer upon entry so be sure to grab some on your way in. Our rooms are wiped down after each student and our space is disinfected regulary.
Waiting for your student: To keep our space as germ free as possible, temporarily, there is no waiting area available at Mike Risko Music. Please drop off your student and then proceed to your car to wait. We also have an outdoor waiting area set up on nice days. At the end of the lesson, you may come back in to get your child. Since the teacher will be writing out a clear and concise lesson plan for parents, you will find all the information you need to help your child practice in your child’s assignment book. While parents may not sit in on lessons or wait in the hallway outside the lessons at this time, if you wish to observe the lesson, we are happy to set up a link so you can observe remotely. Of course, we are all parents too and we realize this may not work for all students. Please let us know if that is the case so we can make special arrangements for you and your child. Please make sure not to congregate in the store, we are working very hard to keep a clean environment for our students and staff so help us to keep the air clear by keeping traffic to a minimum whenever possible. Please note, Mike or Miriam or any of the managerial staff is available to meet with you at anytime to help you navigate homework, practice, assignments and more. We can also explain content and make sure that you are on the right track. We are happy to do this in person, remotely or on the phone.
| Sick Days/Weather Days/Quarantine Days: If your child is ill, please keep your child home from the lesson. We will provide you with a link so you can take your lesson virtually. If your child has come in contact with anyone who has Covid-19 or contracts it, you must request a remote lessons (read all about that here). We also are so excited to announce that we will no longer be closed on snow days or bad weather days so you will get to take your lesson even if there is inclement weather. If we cancel in-person lessons due to inclement weather, you will receive an email notification that we will be going virtual for that day, followed by a link. If you need info about virtual lessons, you can visit the virtual lessons page on our website for info. If your child is quarantined, we will also provide you with a link. We will also be providing you with a link if a teacher is ill or quarantined. If this happens, if the music school is open, you will be able to take your lesson from here or take your lesson from home. If you cannot make it to your lesson and you wish to take a virtual lesson, we are happy to make that adjustment but we do need adequate notice to create a link and make sure we have virtual rooms available..
When the lesson is over: Make sure you have all your things and that you understand your assignment. If you have questions about the assignment or the lessons call 914-762-8757 anytime. The teachers do not do any scheduling so be sure to call the office if you need further assistance and one of our friendly administrative staff will be ready to assist.
Cancellations: We encourage you to take your regularly scheduled lesson each week and try not to change the lesson time. We do understand that sometimes you need to make a change so if you do need a makeup, please be sure to give us at least 24 hours notice. With adequate notice, we will schedule your makeup lesson. Makeup lesson times are based upon teacher availability and lesson room availability. If there are no in-person times available, we will offer you virtual lesson times. Please work with us to ensure that your child can take their makeup with whatever availability we have.
What happens next: Each week your lesson is scheduled at the regular time. We send weekly email reminders about your lesson and you will also be receiving emails from the music school, but please put us in your calendar so you remember, even if you miss an email. Please make sure that our email addresses are in your address book so we don’t go into your spam or promotions folders. This is especially important for Gmail users. We send really exciting emails with many different engaging musical opportunities for our students including showcases, shows, clinics and more and we don’t want you to miss a beat so be sure to check that you are getting our emails.
Recitals and Showcases: We have very unique programming at Mike Risko Music. We do not have a yearly recital, we have lots of shows and recitals throughout the year and they are free to all students. Participate in one or all. We encourage you to get involved. We also have a lot of opportunities for our students to be audience members, be sure to take advantage of all those opportunities and come see a show. We think that the more you perform and collaborate with other musicians, the better you will get at music. You and your family will be inspired by all we have to offer!
Clinics: We weren’t named The Music and Sound Retailer’s winner for Best Clinics in 2021 for nothing! We are so proud of our clinics. We offer all kinds, from virtual to in-person, from pedal workshops to ukulele meet ups. Find one that you love and join us. They are so much fun. Look for email updates and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
We love our community and look for ways to help whenever we can. We were humbled to win the Global NAMM Best Community Music Retail Store award in 2021 for all our community work! Ask us about our many drives, from hats and gloves to toys and pj's, there are plenty of ways you can contribute. Want to help musically? Participate in one of our many fundraisers for some awesome organizations. Be on the look out in our emails for these fun ways to help us give back to the community!
Have questions? Call us at 914-762-8757
You will find that we are quick to respond and we are always ready to answer all your musical questions. Enjoy your music lessons!
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