General Information: Weekly private lessons are offered in 30, 45, or 60-minute sessions, depending on the student’s age/level.
Tuition and Payment: Tution fees start at $80/month. Tuition reserves a weekly time slot for a private lesson. Tuition is due on the first lesson of each month unless other arrangements are made. Payments may be made by Cash, Check, Venmo, or Chase QuickPay. It is due no later than the 10 th day of every month. If received after the 10 th of the month, a $10.00 late fee will be added. There is a $30.00 fee for any returned checks.
Cancellation/Makeup Classes: Any lesson that is cancelled by the teacher will be made up or a credit will be given. No payment credit will be provided for students who miss lessons for any reason. With enough notice, the teacher will attempt to schedule a makeup lesson. However, if the makeup time slot given will not work with the student’s schedule, that lesson is forfeited. Understand, that I must reserve that time for the student’s lesson whether the student comes or not, in much the same way a tenant pays rent on a house whether he is at the home or on vacation that week. Lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours notice are forfeited.
Vacation Absences: If a student plans to be absent for more than 3 classes in a month, the following must occur, in order to “hold” the student’s lesson slot.
1. 7 days notice must be given in EMAIL to the instructor.
2. At least 1 class per month missed must be PAID. (Ex: Absent 2 months. 2 classes will be billed.)
3. Payments must be made in advance.
At The Studio: Students are expected to arrive for lessons on time with all their materials and music. Lessons will not be extended to accommodate student tardiness. This ensures that the remaining lessons for the day will be on time. Parents are to wait in their vehicle, or run errands so long as they return to pick up their student in a timely fashion. To discuss student progress, parents are welcome to talk with the teacher during the first five minutes of the student's lesson – but not afterwards, in order to respect the next student's time slot. Students may not be left more than 5 minutes after their lesson time. Any student who is not picked up within 5 minutes of the end of their lesson time will have their account charged $5 for every 5 minutes they remain. A one-time grace will be given.
Parent Participation: Parents are encouraged to be supportive and active participants in practice at home. Except for the very first lesson, it is strongly discouraged for parents to attend their child’s lesson, as it often alters the quality of the lesson. Parent/Teacher communication is encouraged through email, texts, phone calls, or in person during the first 5 minutes of your child’s lesson.
Practice, Instrument, and Books: Students are expected to practice daily on a well-maintained piano. Each student will be assigned either a set of method books or specific music book to work out of. It is the responsibility of the student/parent to provide these books. Books and music may be purchased from me at cover price or at any music store.
Whenever possible, I try to use any music the student may already own. A book bag or
plastic grocery sack helps to keep music together and dry.
Discontinuing Lessons or Dismissal: Every student stops taking lesson at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. For this reason, the teacher asks for one month’s notice prior to discontinuing lessons. Note: At the discretion of the teacher, students may be dismissed at any time if they have unpaid tuition, an excess amount of absences/unprepared lessons, or if they show a lack of interest.
Miscellaneous: Students must continue studying over the summer months in order to have a guaranteed time reserved for them during the school year. I have found that being away from the piano for three months seriously hinders the student’s progress and desire to continue lessons. I take a two-week vacation at Christmas, one week during spring break, and two to three weeks in the summer, along with your own family vacations and holidays, should give the student plenty of time off.