Wenjen Piano Studios
Torrance and Seal Beach
Torrance and Seal Beach, CA
msnoreen
Piano Studio Awards
Photos
Wenjen Piano Studios: Honor Achievement Award
Eligibility: Students from the advanced workshop who have already received the Achievement Award and must continue to show exceptional musical growth and development. Students should be active in piano events throughout the year. Winner receives a trophy, 1st honorable mention receives a medallion, and all Honorable mention winners receive a music pin.
Honor Achievement Award 2009 (All ages from Late Workshop)
Winner receives a trophy, 1st HM medal or keychain with CD, all other HM KEYCHAINS OR BOOKBAG
Winner: CARLY GAJEWSKI
1st HM: NONE
2nd HM:
Wenjen Piano Studios: Achievement Award
. Eligibility: Students from the late workshop who best fulfilled the above requirements. Winner receives a trophy, 1st, 2nd and 3rd honorable mentions receive medallions, and 4th honorable mention receives a music pin.
Achievement Award 2009 (All ages from Late Workshop)
Winner: Cindi Flynn
1st HM: NONE
2nd HM: NONE
3rd HM: NONE
4th HM: NONE
Wenjen Piano Studios: Junior Achievement Award
Eligibility: Students over 8 years old from the early workshop who best fulfilled the above requirements. Winner receives trophy, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd honorable mention winners receive medals. 4th honorable mention winner receives a ribbon.
Jr. Achievement Award 2009
Winner: Candace Hart, Zachary Hart, Jaclyn Gerschultz, Vejas Vasiliauskas, Clayton Clark, Ciaran Gilligan
1st HM: NONE
2nd HM: NONE
3rd HM: NONE
Wenjen Piano Studios: Young Achiever Award
. Eligibility: Youngest age group (students up to nine years old (for 2007) from the early workshop who has best fulfilled the requirements above. The age bracket may change from year to year. The winner(s) receive(s) a trophy, 1st, 2nd, 3rdhonorable mentions receive medals.
Young Achiever Award 2009-up to 9 years old in 2008
Winner: Petras Vasiliauskas, Zoe Ip, Irene Lee, Robert Gerschultz, Elizabeth Huffman, Chloe Clark, Michelle Lu, Canyon Clark
1st HM: Peter Lu, Alana Ikemoto
2nd HM: Danielle Jacobson, Bianca Jenkins,
3rd HM: Dominic Jenkins, Madelina Huffman, Andrew Morales
Wenjen Piano Studios: Outstanding Musician Award
Eligibility: Adult performer from the advanced workshop who best fulfilled the above requirements. Winner receives music memento or CD
Outstanding Musician Award 200
Winners: CANDICE HORIKAWA, DONALD WEBB, ROSE WENJEN
Honorable Mention Della Jenkins
The Wenjen Piano Studios achievement awards are meant to encourage growth, dedication, achievement, persistence, and hard work in the art
of learning to play the piano. My goal is not to try to create concert pianists, but to help students learn, play, and appreciate classical music
for the rest of their lives. I believe that most things that are worth doing take time to learn and can take a lifetime to achieve at an expert
level.
Therefore, my awards are based on progress and achievement over a long period of time. Unlike many youth team sports, I do not give out
trophies to each student every year. I think that there are many life lessons to be learned in conjunction with piano lessons, and I have crafted
my awards system to reflect a few of these thoughts: Not many people receive every job that they apply for. There is a process of application
and growth. Maybe you don’t get the job, but the important thing is that you don’t give up and keep trying to get that job, or a better job!
Learning music is not an instant-gratification hobby. It requires discipline, time, and daily effort to be successful. I consider all students in
my piano studio to be above average in some capacity. As a teacher, I feel that it is my job to help each student be the best that they can be,
and I find that many of the skills learned as a piano student carry over to their academic and personal lives. I would not be doing any favors
by rewarding students for just “showing up.” So please do not be disappointed if you or your child does not receive the top award. Be happy
for all that the student has achieved this year, and look forward future growth.
Please note that students do not have to perform at a competitive level to receive my “top” awards. Students are not competing against each
other. I do realize that each student has a different capacity for learning music.
I consider each student’s individual musical growth and overall achievement from when they started piano lessons at Wenjen Piano Studios.
All awards take the following into consideration:
PRACTICE:
Consistency practicing six days week, length of daily practice, completion of weekly lesson assignments, and recording practice times. Progress
in musical development, personal growth in repertoire, performance, announcing pieces, following directions, taking criticism during the
lesson, giving the best possible effort.
LESSONS:
The students’ positive attitude, desire to learn, good listening skills, enthusiasm, and willingness to try suggested pieces or new ideas during
the lessons, showing maturity by suggesting pieces they have heard to learn themselves.
Total length of piano study, with a minimum of six months at Wenjen Piano Studios, age is taken into consideration.
PERFORMANCE:
Participating monthly performance workshops, from September through May, missing no more than two workshops.
Participating in non-competitive events such as National Guild Auditions, Certificate of Merit, MTACLB branch recitals, and the WPS June
recitals. Participation in competitive events such as CAPMT Piano Auditions, Southwestern Youth Music Festival, Southern California Bach
Festival, and Sonatina/Sonata Competitions.
COMMUNITY:
Giving back to the community through performance in Music Student Service League or senior homes, school performances, church, parties,
or other outside performances. Interest and support for the other students in the studio, attending other students’ performances, displaying
courtesy while listening to others play and complimenting others for other enjoyable performances.
Log into http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3486473n for an interesting article on “The Millinnials Are Coming.” The Millennials
Are Coming! (CBS) This story was originally broadcast on Nov. 11, 2007. It was updated on May 23, 2008.
...It’s graduation time and once again we say “Stand back all bosses!” A new breed of American worker is about to attack everything you
hold sacred: from giving orders, to your starched white shirt and tie. They are called, among other things, “millennials.” There are about 80
million of them, born between 1980 and 1995, and they’re rapidly taking over from the baby boomers who are now pushing 60. They were
raised by doting parents who told them they are special, played in little leagues with no winners or losers, or all winners. They are laden with
trophies just for participating and they think your business-as-usual ethic is for the birds.
...“You have got a guy like Mister Rogers, Fred Rogers on TV. He was telling his preschoolers, ‘You’re special. You’re special.’ And he meant
well. But we, as parents, ran with it. And we said, ‘You, Junior, are special, and you’re special and you’re special and you’re special.’ And for
doing what? We didn’t really explain that,” Zaslow says. “But isn’t this generation, particularly of middle class kids, really quite special?
Aren’t they, in some ways, much better than your generation, certainly mine,” Safer remarks. “Well, except, when we were younger, you had
a piano teacher who expected you to practice your piano and work hard at it, and the parents expected it. And now, the parents say, ‘Have
fun, learn the piano, practice a little bit.’ So, there’s not the expectations that they will achieve and work hard,” Zaslow says. “It’s not the
same work ethic.”
I am happy to report that I AM the piano teacher who expects you to practice your piano and work hard at it, and YOU are the parents that
expect it. Your children are developing the same work ethic that we learned as children. Thank you for being part of Wenjen Piano Studios.
The success of the students is a reflection of your own expectations and e
Torrance and Seal Beach, CA
msnoreen
