Location of courses: 5116 W Garden Springs Rd, Spokane, WA 99224.
Courses Start: Monday, June 9th at 9:00 AM.
Sunday Service: There’s a church service planned for Sunday, June 15th at 12:00 PM, and all students are expected to participate.
What we expect from students: Please come only if you are genuinely committed to advancing your piano skills and are prepared to put in dedicated effort. Expect an intensive week here that requires focus and hard work which means hours of piano practice each day, plus preparing the songs at home before courses start. You must be self-motivated: the last 10+ years of piano courses have shown that it’s a waste of time to have students who are forced to attend by their parents or church.
Mature behavior is the standard; we don’t tolerate disrespect towards teachers or disruptive behavior that makes it hard for other students to learn. Being a church member is not necessary.
Attendance: Plan on being there the whole week. If you absolutely have to miss some time, you need to clear it with the course coordinator beforehand. Skipping half the week for a vacation/party/etc is not considered a valid reason and just wastes the teachers’ time.
Playing Experience: You’ll need about 5+ years of piano practice, there’s an entrance exam where we’ll assess your current level. Play at your church as much as possible prior to courses, this experience will help you a ton!
Age: 14 and up. Like last year, we might make exceptions for younger students who already play piano at an intermediate level – just text me, and we can chat about your situation individually.
Cost: The course fee is $250. It helps me out if you can pay right away with Cash App; the link will pop up after you register.
Questions about the piano courses? Call/text: Alex Vakulich: (509) 481-0681
Yura Pavlenko: (503) 805-5545
Need a place to stay overnight? You MUST let us know by June 2nd! After that date you’re on your own.
Also: If we arrange housing for you, but then your plans change and you find your own spot, PLEASE let us know! Unfortunately, every year some church members get rooms ready for students who don’t show up but can’t be bothered to give anyone a heads up.
Questions about housing? Call/text: Roman Obozny: (509) 954-5837
Entrance Exam
- Scales, chords, arpeggios (two hands, two octaves, in keys up to 3 sharps/flats).
- Sight-reading (from “Pianist’s Music Notebook II”).
- Harmonizing a melody (using standard church songbooks or songs from the “Morning of Life” collection).
- Any piece or accompaniment you already know how to play.
Heads up: This year, the entrance exam will be held over Zoom. We’ll post the details in the Viber group. Join here:
Check out examples of the exam material here: pianocourses.org/exam
If these options don’t work for you, give Alex a call: 509-481-0681