Policy and Rates

Below you will find policies and information pertinent to enjoying a smooth and effective piano education. Please read them carefully (as all policies are graciously enforced) and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

1. Lessons are offered year-round for students ages 2 and up. Summer lessons are optional. (See point #3)

2. Holidays: We take off 2 weeks for Christmas, 1 week for Thanksgiving, and 1 week at the teacher’s discretion. (4 holiday weeks.)

3. Summer (June-August): If continuing lessons through the summer, students may take off two vacation weeks of their choosing, without having to pay or reschedule! Students may take more than two weeks off, but without refund. (See rescheduling options under point #7.) Summer students automatically have a spot in the studio reserved for the fall AND are given early access to the fall scheduling calendar. Practice requirements are lowered for scholarship students to better accommodate summer plans.

4. Tuition is a monthly rate based on the lesson length and practice commitment [see chart below]. Tuition does not fluctuate during months with more or less than 4 lessons. (There are typically 4 months in the year with 5 lessons. This usually balances the 4 holiday weeks that the studio is closed. See “Holidays” above.) Tuition includes weekly private lessons and the Fall and Spring Recitals. Entry level materials cost $25.

5. Studio Events generally include (but are not limited to) the Fall Recital, Christmas Recital, Spring Recital, the Summer Festival, and group lessons (approximately 3 per year). Participation in the Fall Recital and Spring Recital is required for students 18 and under. The other events are optional. (Any registration fees related to the optional events will be posted on the studio website and in the studio newsletter approximately every quarter.)

6. Private and group lessons are held in my home studio or (depending on location and availability) at the student’s house. There is a $50 monthly travel fee for private lessons to be at the student’s home. Page on in house lessons available upon request. Students can apply to be a Group Lesson Host in exchange for a discounted lesson rate.

7. Reschedules and Cancellations: Students may cancel at any time (for weather/illness/sports/etc), but no refund is given. Students are paying a normal “school tuition.” Lessons missed may be rescheduled when possible if 24-notice was given. (In the case of sickness or emergency, 24-hour notice is not required.) A list of available lesson slots will be emailed or texted to the studio as frequently as possible (approximately monthly) and are offered on a “first come, first served” basis. Reschedules are offered, but not guaranteed. Students must reschedule the missed lesson within 3 months of the cancellation, otherwise they forgo the lesson. Max of 5 reschedules per school semester. Rescheduling is not offered in the case of “forgotten lessons”. Lessons missed by the teacher will be rescheduled or refunded. Reschedules cannot carry over into the next school year, as we start each school year with a “clean slate”. If canceling, 48-hour notice is greatly appreciated!

8. For the health of everyone, students who are sick must call to reschedule their lesson. “Sick” is anything more than a slight cough, runny nose, allergies, etc (and includes fever, stomach ailments, contagious cough/cold, etc). If other parents or family members are sick, please remain in your vehicle during the lesson. Thank you for helping us maintain as healthy of a studio as possible!

9. Payments are due by the first regularly scheduled lesson of each month, unless otherwise prearranged. A $10 late fee is automatically charged if tuition is received after the second scheduled lesson of the month.

10. Students are expected to practice faithfully, record their practice time in the chart provided, and come well-prepared for each lesson. Parents are responsible to make sure their child (under 18) fulfills his/her practice assignments, and when possible, parents are encouraged to attend lessons with their children. Minors must have a parent or adult guardian on location at all lessons.

11. As a courtesy, students are asked not to terminate lessons in the middle of a semester. However, lessons may be terminated as needed at any time and for any reason by parents/adult students/the teacher. Students must provide a 1-month notice for termination. No refunds are given for terminations with less than 1 month notice.

12. Because events are often photographed and included on the studio’s website and in studio brochures, all students registering in this studio hereby grant permission for photos/videos of themselves to be used indefinitely by the studio for purposes related only to the studio and will make no monetary or other claims for such use. ☺