Sdoia-Satz Music Institute teaches all styles of music: pop, rock, jazz, reggae, hip hop, salsa, sacred, gospel, R & B, and classical, and has "specialists" in each style. It is important that the student learn the style of music that he/she  enjoys and wants to learn.  ♫
 

People often come to us with unrealistic goals. They expect to be Gloria Estefan, Barbara Streisand, or Wolfgang Mozart in a couple of months. It doesn't work that way. It takes a lot of time and hard work to learn to play an instrument or sing. Unfortunately, students often stop their lessons prematurely because they expect too much, too soon, and when they can't accomplish what they want as quickly as they want, they give up. ♫
 

We test the natural sense of pitch and rhythm, ability to concentrate, perseverance, and intensity. For vocal candidates, we determine the voice part, range, focus and quality. Often, parents ask, "Does my child have talent?" Talent is not the same thing as aptitude. Talent is achievement vs. time studied. Aptitude refers to 'potential". The SSMAT is designed to determine raw musical aptitude, not talent.  ♫
 

The candidate reveals a lot about his/her personality during the evaluation: fears, hopes, ideas, and feelings about music. This helps us select the teacher best suited to the needs of the student. We try to ensure success through careful bonding of teacher and student. Even expert teaching is often ineffective if the "chemistry" between student and teacher is not good. Since we have over 50 instructors, the opportunity for a good match is excellent.  ♫
 

SSMI seeks to determine the degree of emotional response to music in each prospective candidate. Music performance is self-expression and a projection of emotion. It makes the audience "feel something". People who don't react much to music (regardless of the style), or who don't like music generally, don't make good students.  ♫
 

Through the mini-lesson, we find out about the strengths and weaknesses of the student. We discover how the student learns: his/her speed of learning, concentration capability, attention span, perseverance and frustration threshold. The mini-lesson also demonstrates our unique methods of teaching. During it, in three to five minutes, the student learns all the white keys on the keyboard. In another three to five minutes, they learn either the lines or spaces of the bass or treble clef, totally automatically. In another three to five minutes, they learn to play a simple piece by notes. It's one thing to be told about the way in which we teach -- but another, to experience it. ♫  
 

The applicant receives a grade level assessment and a written report of the results immediately after the test. Students with significant prior training will be asked to play an audition as well. The audition includes repertoire, scales, arpeggios, chords, theory, sight-reading, ear training and music history. ♫