Classes will be offered Fridays, June 21 - July 26 (9:00-9:45am) at our Pleasantburg Drive location.

Call the office to register (232-5010) or register online in minutes!

Time: Thursday evenings @ 7:30pm

Place: Amphitheater at Furman University

Cost: FREE!

Contact Information: 864-294-2086

Musical Genres: Big Band, Bluegrass, Latin, Contemporary, Marches, Orchestral favorites

Concert Schedule

• May 23 “Spartanburg Jazz Ensemble” directed by Tom Wright

• May 30 “New York, New York” brought to you by the Carolina Youth Symphony

• June 6 “Marches from Around the World”  brought to you by the Lakeside Concert Band, directed by Leslie W. Hicken

• June 13 “Swing Shift Combo” directed by John Hoppe

• June 20 “Rhapsody in Blue” brought to you by the Lakeside Concert Band, directed by Leslie W. Hicken and featuring pianist Derek Parsons. This concert will be held in the McAllistair auditorium.

• June 27 “Above the Fruited Plain” A patriotic celebration, this program is brought to you by The Greenville Choral and the Lakeside Concert Band.

• July 11 “The Kings of Swing” brought to you by the Lakeside Concert Band, directed by Leslie W. Hicken and featuring clarinetist Robert Chesebro

• July 18 “Bluegrass Night” brought to you by the Andy Carlson Band. Prior to the concert, the South Carolina Suzuki Institute Fiddlers will bring you a pre-concert program starting at 7pm.

• July 25 “Matt Olson Jazz Quartet”

• August 1 “Circus Days” brought to you by the Lakeside Concert Band, directed by Leslie W. Hicken.

*In the event of inclement weather, the program is typically moved to the McAllistair auditorium located on the Furman University campus. In order to confirm the event venue, please call 864-294-2086.

1. Take lessons: By far the best way, continuing lessons through the summer will both maintain and improve your child’s skills over the break. PCS offers extremely flexible lessons packages which allow the family to enjoy all the freedom of summer break while still fitting in some regular lessons. As experienced PCS educators, we highly suggest a minimum of six lessons throughout the summer. Enroll now for summer lessons by CLICKING HERE.
2. Practice every day: Though a basic point, practice cannot be emphasized enough. Summer can easily become hectic, rushing here and there to different events. A great way to get some practice is just to do 5 minutes here and there throughout the day as the opportunity presents itself.
3. Schedule practice times: Depending on the situation, actually scheduling a practice time may be necessary. Perhaps not for everyday, but for unusually hectic you may want to pencil in a couple good times for quality practice time.
4. Stage mini-recitals for friends and families: During the summer when there are no recitals or festivals to prepare for, sometimes students become rather lax in their commitment to their music studies. In order to circumvent this, try setting a date for a private recital with family and friends. It will be a great excuse to get the family all together and it will be a great motivator for your child.
5. Read about composers: Music is not just about the notes! The history behind the music is just as important. Consider spending some time together researching composers this summer. A child who understands the background behind the music he or she plays will perform it better and have a greater appreciation for it.
6. Listen to a variety of music: Experiment with a variety of genres over the summer! Make this summer an exciting journey through the music of the world.
7. Take music with you when you travel: Summer tends to be a time of travel! Why not take this time to continue your experimentation with different genres? Surrounding your child with a variety of music will expand musical horizons and deepen music appreciation.
8. Attend local concerts: Help maintain your child’s interest in music by building a musical environment for your child. Attending concerts together will serve a dual purpose. One, it creates the musical environment and two, it demonstrates your personal commitment to music.
9. Write out one summer goal: Encourage your child to write out one goal for the summer. Whether it’s a specific piece or mastering a certain technique, having a goal gives a child something to works towards. In other words, it provides natural motivation!
10. Teach your family or friends: Not only great fun, “teaching” an instrument also forces your child to think through everything carefully, cementing basic concepts even more deeply into their mind. Prepare for a summer of wonderful memories for you and your child as you learn together!

1. Have a reading marathon
2. Write a story together (maybe picture book style?)
3. Paint/draw together on big sheets of paper
4. Go for a hike or nature walk
5. Make a fort in the living room with blankets
6. Make some musical instruments
7. Go on a picnic
8. Have a scavenger hunt with friends
9. Garden together
10. Decorate some pots for flowers
11. Bake cookies
12. Create a scrapbook
13. Finger paint outside
14. Trip to the library for special books
15. Fly kites
16. Go camping in the backyard
17. Have a water fight
18. Make popsicles
19. Make puppets and stage a play
20. Make paper airplanes and having a flying contest
21. Have a bubble party
22. Decorate your driveway with chalk
23. Make cards for grandparents and friends
24. Make masks and have a masquerade ball at home
25. Make a music video using your Kindermusik instruments to send to grandparents

(rising 2^nd to 5^th graders)  Begin your strings “career” and get a head start on private lessons when you sign up for this beginning class!  With this enjoyable introduction to the violin, students learn basic bow grip, hand position, and fingerings.  Game time and hands-on experience with a violin just your size also ensures a fun and successful introduction to the violin.

Five 1-hour classes / $89 (tuition and materials)

Call the office at 232-5010 or register online here.

Classes will be offered Tuesdays, June 18 - July 23 (6:00 – 6:45 pm) at our Woodruff Road location.

Call the office to register (232-5010) or register online in minutes!

(For rising 1^st to 2^nd graders) It’s the perfect start!! Blast-Off! gives beginning students a successful introduction to the piano and the small group setting makes it extra fun!  Learn keyboard geography and rhythm basics, enjoy fun sheets and games, and share in the joy of music together!  Each student learns on their own digital piano.  Special performances on the last day of class.

Five 1-hour classes / $89 (tuition and materials)

Call the office at 232-5010 to register, or register online here.

(For rising 1^st to 2^nd graders) It’s the perfect start!! Blast-Off! gives beginning students a successful introduction to the piano and the small group setting makes it extra fun!  Learn keyboard geography and rhythm basics, enjoy fun sheets and games, and share in the joy of music together!  Each student learns on their own digital piano.  Special performances on the last day of class.

Five 1-hour classes / $89 (tuition and materials)

Call the office at 232-5010 to register, or register online here.

Thursdays, 3:00 – 4:00 pm, June 13-July 11 at our Woodruff Road Location

Four 1-hour classes / $89 (tuition and materials)

Call the office to register (232-5010) or register online in minutes!

1. Visualize: Spend some time the week prior to the recital “visualizing” your piece in your head. Whether you will be playing your piece by memory or not, seeing your piece in your head can help fortify the connections between your brain and your hands. Practice visualizing your piece and enjoy performing with fewer mistakes due to nerves!
2. Audiation: In addition to seeing your piece in your head, trying to “hear” it can also be a great way to build your confidence. Away from your instrument, try to play through your piece hearing the sound that you want in your head. Again, forcing yourself to break away from simple muscle memory by including some audiation exercise will serve to greatly reinforce your playing!
3. Practice: Practice is important, but you can overpractice! Prepare well during the weeks before, but the week of, you may want to take a step back and only play your piece/s a few times. Playing the entire piece a couple hours before the recital and then leaving it alone is a good rule of thumb.
4. Fortify: Don’t skip a meal! If eating when you are nervous can leave you feeling uncomfortable, make plans to eat a couple hours before the recital. Doing so leaves you enough time to fully digest your food and yet leave you with the energy you need to give a stellar performance!
5. Strategize:  Have a game plan for your recital day! Plan your activities to allow your day to be as free from outside stress as possible. Additionally, make sure you know all the facts about your recital! Having all the details set beforehand will help keep the evening relaxed. Make sure you know the following things before the day of the recital:

• Time
• Place
• Dress Code
• Recital order/plan

Though simple points, taking the time to implement each of these 5 aspects into your recital preparations in the next couple weeks will go a long way to ensuring the overall success of your performance! However, no matter what, the most important things is to enjoy your opportunity to play for others—to truly love your music!