Ages 8-12: Trial Songwriting Lesson
Storytelling and Character Development Through Music 🫅🏼
Service Description
Our one-on-one songwriting lessons for ages 8–12 deepen each student’s ability to craft songs with intention, creativity, and emotional depth. Building on early exploration in melody and lyric play, students now learn to construct full song structures—including verses, choruses, and bridges—while exploring themes that reflect their unique experiences and perspectives. Instruction includes tools for developing metaphor, imagery, wordplay, and cohesive storytelling across a variety of musical styles. Piano is taught as the primary compositional tool, helping students shape melodies, create chord progressions, and explore harmonic structure with increasing independence. With their MIDI keyboard and BandLab account, students also begin using music production software to arrange their compositions—experimenting with beat selection, layering, and guided demo creation in a digital audio workstation (DAW). These techniques are introduced through direct instruction, supporting creative choices while building technical fluency. All instruction is rooted in a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming approach that honors each student’s pace, needs, and communication style. Whether working on emotional expression, musical form, or collaborative thinking, students are guided with care and flexibility to build skills that reflect their individuality. Weekly assignments, session recordings, and monthly progress reports provide structure and track growth. Students also have access to their instructor via secure chat, offering support and encouragement between lessons. These lessons foster artistry and confidence in a safe, inclusive space—helping students grow as storytellers, composers, and collaborators while developing the tools to shape their musical voice with clarity and purpose.
Booking Policy
At Once Upon a Voice, we are committed to providing a smooth and supportive learning experience for all students and families. Our policies are designed with a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming approach to ensure fairness, consistency, and accessibility. Private students are limited to one lesson per week to ensure fair access to time slots for everyone. Additional lessons scheduled beyond this will be canceled unless they are makeup lessons. Consistent attendance is important for musical development, but we understand that life circumstances such as mental health challenges, sensory overload, or emergencies may occasionally prevent attendance. If you need to cancel a lesson, please do so through our website at least 48 hours in advance. Lessons canceled with at least 48 hours’ notice may be rescheduled, subject to availability. For cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice due to illness, emergencies, or personal overwhelm, we will provide a recorded lesson as a replacement if you notify us via text before the lesson begins. Makeup lessons must be scheduled before the next billing cycle. If a student is late to a scheduled lesson, the session will still end at the originally scheduled time to respect the instructor’s and other students’ schedules. We understand that unexpected challenges, such as difficulty transitioning, may occasionally cause delays. In these cases, please notify us so we can explore ways to support you while maintaining smooth studio operations. Parents or guardians of students under 18 must remain reachable during lessons or workshops. If technical difficulties arise, we may need your assistance troubleshooting the issue. Our team and Muzie, the platform we use for lessons and workshops, are available to minimize disruption. Students unable to continue lessons indefinitely due to long-term physical or mental health concerns may request prorated refunds, calculated from the date we receive medical documentation. Temporary absences do not qualify for refunds unless the instructor is unavailable, but students can access accommodations such as rescheduled or recorded sessions to remain engaged. Frequent cancellations, tardiness, or no-shows disrupt learning and the studio schedule. If these issues persist, they may result in limited scheduling options or dismissal. While we are open to discussing individual needs and finding solutions, we ask for consistent communication and a commitment to the agreed-upon schedule.
Contact Us
702-843-6489
info@onceuponavoicellc.com