High Achievers Program

Quick Summary

The High Achievers Program aims to cultivate lifelong musicians by equipping students and parents with essential tools for success. Participants benefit from enhanced commitment, rapid progress (such as reaching AMEB Grade 5 sooner), and the development of lasting musical skills.

The program is open to children of all ages and skill levels, with a minimum lesson duration of 30 minutes and has no additional fees. Families are expected to create and share a weekly practice schedule, practise five days a week, and participate in studio concerts. Parents play a key role by monitoring practice quality and duration, providing motivation, and staying updated through communications from the tutor.

Interested families who meet the practice requirements can apply below.

The Goal of the High Achievers Program

The goal of the High Achievers program is to cultivate competent, lifelong musicians who can fully realise their potential and maximise their musical education. We aim to equip both parents and students with the necessary tools for success, including comprehensive communication about:

  • Specific goals
  • Practice expectations
  • Upcoming performance opportunities

Motivational framework

The High Achievers program is designed to establish a motivational framework that fosters commitment from all team members: students, parents, and the tutor. This framework will ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of their roles.

Additionally, we want to provide participants with more opportunities for:

  • Performance & competition: The tutor can encourage and prepare students to compete in local eisteddfods, giving them additional performance experience and motivation. The tutor will also collaborate with families to choose appropriate sections to enter and will provide other necessary information to give families a smooth eisteddfod experience.
  • Feedback: The tutor will provide detailed insights into the student’s progress, suggestions for areas of improvement, and advice on how to optimise practice sessions for greater efficiency. This feedback will be communicated through regular progress reports, as well as verbally and in writing when appropriate.
  • Learning through AMEB exams: participating students will have the opportunity to take local AMEB exams if the tutor recommends them. Exams are an excellent opportunity to receive feedback from highly experienced musicians, as well as to provide the motivation and structure to cover all aspects of musical proficiency, including repertoire, scales, technical work, aural skills and music theory.

A tutor who understands which families are committed to musical excellence can offer targeted support, benefiting both the students and the entire studio. As a result, the motivation levels of students, parents, and the tutor all increase.

Benefits for participating children

  • Boost their personal scheduling and commitment levels to unlock their full potential.
  • Experience rapid progress and increased confidence. For example, a participating child may be able to reach an AMEB Grade 5 level in the same time that someone else remains at a beginner level.
  • Enhance their knowledge retention.
  • Develop musical skills that will last a lifetime.

Requirements for the High Achievers Program

A strong work ethic is the key to success in music, and our evaluation of students for this program will prioritise commitment to musical excellence over innate talent. As in any field, the more one puts into it, the more one takes out. Therefore, participating students will commit to meeting the practice requirements set by their tutor.

Eligibility

  • Age requirement: this program is suitable for children of all ages
  • Level of Proficiency: This program is suitable for all skill levels from beginner to advanced
  • Lesson duration: the minimum lesson duration for participants is 30 minutes
  • Fees: There are no additional lesson fees for participants

Practice requirements

Participating families are expected to:

  • Create a weekly practice schedule, share it with your tutor, and update it as needed. A basic schedule can be created using the application form.
  • Practise five days a week for the amount of daily time recommended by the tutor.
  • Make plans to perform in the twice yearly studio concerts.

Parents’ responsibilities

  • Parents monitor the duration and quality of practice, assisting their children when needed, especially for younger ones. They also provide ample motivation and praise.
  • Parents stay updated by reading informational emails and progress reports from the tutor.

Application process

If your tutor has recommended the High Achievers Program and you meet the practice requirements, you can complete the application form linked below. If you’re uncertain about any requirements, please contact Sam Blaxland.

Once your child is enrolled, they can remain in the program until the end of the semester. At that point, you can reapply upon the tutor’s recommendation. The tutor reserves the right to withdraw a student’s enrolment from the program if they are no longer meeting the program requirements.

Apply now