STARS Advanced
Optional 7th Year of LPM-format learning

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**Registration opens March 1st**

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Please read through this entire page prior to enrolling so that you understand the registration process and an overview of STARS Advanced.

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STARS Advanced

August 2025 to May 2026

Up to 9 children in class.

Classes are once per week for a total of 32 classes.
Prerequisites: Students must first complete the POP(STARS) program.

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STARS Advanced is such an exciting year for our students.  We will continue all the musical aspects that have been important in the studies of a well-rounded musician up to this point - sight-reading, improvisation, music form and structure, chord form and structure, music theory, composer history, learning to play in different keys, dictation and compose an original piece in the spring.  The concepts we will be reviewing and learning are truly college-level, but presented in a way that is easy to understand...all in the joyful company of peers that provide such a positive group learning experience.

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You will find that in STARS Advanced, the weekly practice load and assignments are both a little lighter than they were this past year during POP(STARS).  Your students have learned a LOT of concepts, skills and theory, and we want to give them some time to let everything take root (like those bamboo shoots we've discussed before!).  We will learn plenty of new concepts and songs, but will also take ample time to review and digest all of the amazing stuff we have covered up to this point.

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Weekly home workload will be 1 key signature and its correlating exercises (scales, chords, triads, arpeggios, etc) and 2-3 songs from their songbooks.  We will keep each song three to four weeks.  Theory will be 2 pages per week; music history will continue as well (but won't have history homework to complete at home every single week).  We will continue to utilize the Bridge flashcards, so please keep those handy!

STARS Advanced Overview

Class time for 2025-2026:

Tuesdays 4:00-5:00pm

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General calendar:
Mid August through early December – 16 Fall lessons
January through early May – 16 Spring lessons
Recital – mid May

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Class duration: 60 minutes a week

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Parental involvement:

Parents do not attend in STARS Advanced, but are always welcome to observe.  Parents assist as needed with keyboard/piano practice at home.  As in years prior, it will ultimately be the parent's responsibility to ensure practices happen.  Also, if you have a "real" piano (aka an acoustic piano), the piano must be professionally tuned once per year.

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Tuition: 

$640 for the entire STARS Advanced year.
 

--An $80 non-refundable deposit is required by March 31st to secure your child’s spot.  This will be put toward the tuition balance so that $560 will remain when classes start.  The remaining balance of $560 *can* be paid in four monthly installments of $140 ( due on Lessons 1, 5, 9 and 13 of the fall semester).  If you decide to pull your registration from STARS prior to classes starting, the $80 deposit will be retained.
 

--What happens beyond STARS Advanced?  STARS Advanced is currently my highest level.  But the good news is that STARS Advanced can continue for as many years as works for your student!  While students will be working as a group on deepening their knowledge of theory, dictation and sight-reading, each student will have books assigned to their own playing level.  So we can just keep growing individually through the method books and as a group in concepts and skills in such a positive peer environment.  Students tend to stick with their instrument far longer when in group classes.  It is exciting and encouraging to do learning together!

Registration for STARS Advanced opens on Saturday, March 1st.

Registration is a 3-step process:

1) Register your child for STARS Advanced here.
 

2) Pay $80 non-refundable deposit by March 31st.  Payable to Katie Shannon via cash, check, PayPal or Venmo.  Can be slipped into Katie's studio tuition dropbox or mailed to P.O. Box 796, La Porte, IN 43652.

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3) Purchase materials by July 15th.  I am finalizing my choices for the books we will need in STARS Advanced to ensure they meet the scope/sequence I am seeking, so I will get the list to you by May.

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