Policies and Procedures

General Information:  I teach weekly 30 minute private lessons.  Please contact me for fees.

At The Studio: Students are expected to arrive for lessons on time with all their materials and music. Parents and siblings may wait in their vehicle in the driveway, 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. 

Practicing:  Daily practice is recommended.  It is not practical, however, to expect that a student will be able to practice every day of every week – but, I encourage the student to aim for five or six days a week   Please keep in mind that even if your child has occasionally not had a good practice week, coming to the lesson is still very valuable usage of our time, because there are so many things to learn and for which to prepare.

Instrument: Private students are expected to practice on a well-maintained acoustic piano with working piano keys and pedals. Acoustic pianos should be tuned twice a year (January and June are the best times). 

Now, do you need to have a real, acoustic piano to have lessons?  No, not really.  Of course, the ideal would be to have an acoustic piano at home before starting lessons, but if you don’t have a real piano, you can absolutely start lessons with me by using an electric keyboard initially. We recommend a keyboard that has regular sized keys and a touch sensitive response. A touch sensitive keyboard means that the harder you press a key, the louder it will play…consequently, the lighter you press a key, the softer it will play.  If possible, a keyboard with 88 keys (same like a real piano) is ideal, however, a keyboard with 64 or 76 keys can still work, although it will present minor challenges as the student progresses. 

So, in summary, to have the best success in piano lessons with us, look for the following things in a keyboard: 
1.  88 keys is preferable 
2.  Sustain Pedal (when you continue to hold it down, you continue to hear the sound) 
3.  Touch sensitive keys (when you press harder, it sounds louder; when you press lightly, it sounds quieter)

A full size keyboard will be permitted, but only for the first year.  After that time, a piano must be purchased or lessons can not be continued unless the situation is discussed first with me.  

Materials:  Students are recommended to use a canvas tote bag to carry books to and from lessons. The student will also need a good notebook at their first lesson, which will be used keep track of assigned pieces and practice suggestions/goals for each week. The teacher will obtain all needed books and materials, the cost of which is included on the monthly invoice.  

Missed Lessons:   Please understand that missing lessons, even if they are made up later, can't help but have a negative impact on your child's playing. Lessons are scheduled regularly for good reason and missing them is to be avoided, if at all possible. Due to my limited availability and because specific times are set aside for specific students, a student who does not attend a lesson will simply miss the benefit of that lesson.  There are no refunds, discounts or makeups given.

If I am unable to have the lesson, I will first make every attempt to reschedule the lesson.  If that is not possible, I will issue a credit on the next month's invoice.  However, if an absence arises due to unforeseen situations such as an accident or family emergency, the teacher will make an effort to accommodate a makeup if at all possible, but it is up to my discretion. Please be courteous to the teacher and fellow students by notifying the teacher at least 24 hours in advance regarding any known upcoming absences. 

Tuition and Payment: An invoice will be given or emailed at the end of each month which will include the monthly tuition and any books or materials purchased for the student.  Tuition is due at the first monthly scheduled lesson.   If unable to attend, please mail check to my home address.  If you are more than 3 days late, there will be a late  fee of $15.00.  There is a $25.00 fee for bounced checks, and payment must be paid in cash before the next lesson.

Summer Months:  The teacher feel strongly about the value of continuing the student's musical education throughout the summer months  For these reasons, if a student does not continue lessons through the summer, the student unfortunately cannot be guaranteed a spot in the schedule in the Fall especially if there is a waiting list. 

Discontinuing Lessons:  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.  Such student/parent shall be financially responsible for the following month of lessons (and any funds that are due for books and/or materials) whether the student/parent chooses to attend or be absent.  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 poor behavior or a lack of interest. 

Parent Participation:   Please understand that music lessons are only one part of a complete music learning process. Another very important facet to a child’s learning is the involvement of the parent during the student’s practice time at home. 

Therefore, it is expected that a parent(s) will assist their child with their studies, especially up to the age of seven (7), and hopefully beyond. However, the early formative years are most critical and is where the parent(s) must commit to working with their child for proper and age-related musical development.

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