Policies and Responsibilities

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My Responsibilities

  • I will do my best to treat every student as an individual, providing a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere for learning.

Adult Student Responsibilities

  • Whether you are a beginner, picking the piano back up after a hiatus, or a professional pianist just wanting a new perspective, I understand the complicated lives of my adult students. Sometimes life gets in the way of daily practicing; I know this well! So please don’t worry if you have not lived up to that lofty goal. We can always enjoy and benefit from our lessons anyway.

Commitment

  • When you enroll, you are reserving your place in the studio for the entire semester. The enrollment is a firm commitment and guarantees your place in the studio. Registration is ongoing throughout the year, however. For students beginning in the middle of a semester, the tuition will be prorated appropriately.

Tuition

Tuition covers not only the actual lesson time spent with the student, but the time preparing for each student as well. This includes:

  1. An individualized plan for each student’s course of study

  2. Training and experience

  3. Professional organization memberships

  4. Continuing education

  5. Music lending library

Tuition is charged by the semester, consisting of 18 weeks and is non-refundable.

  • The 1st payment, due the first lesson of the Fall semester includes:

  1. Tuition

  2. Registration fee

  3. Materials and Audition fee

  • The 2nd payment, due the first lesson of Spring semester includes:

  1. Tuition

  2. Materials and Audition fee if necessary

(Summer Lessons are available upon request!)

Materials Fee

Each student pays a Materials Fee, possibly each semester. It pays for music and materials used during the entire course of the semester. This includes:

• Music books
• Sheet music
• Theory materials and books

If and when the Fee is depleted, you will make another Fee deposit. Any unused funds will be refunded when you leave the studio.

Registration Fee

Each student pays a yearly registration fee in September. This pays for the cost of running a music studio as well as the time spent doing things besides actual teaching:

• Book-keeping
• Scheduling
• Website cost, maintenance and technology
• Time spent on email and phone calls

Cancellation Policy

  • Any lesson that I have to cancel will be made up or a credit will be given.

  • No payment credit or makeup lessons will be provided for students who miss lessons for any reason.

  • Try to choose a lesson time in which you feel confident. Please understand that the tuition you pay reserves an exclusive weekly time in my schedule for you. Unlike a doctor or a hairdresser, I cannot resell that time nor can I create extra teaching time in which to give lessons.

To help accommodate an occasional unavoidable change in your schedule, you may choose to be part of the email Swap List. (Please let me know if you want to be included in the list.) Most people receive only a few requests a year from someone who’d like to switch lesson times. Please let me know if you have made a swap so I can plan accordingly. It’s easiest to just cc me on the final email between the two of you confirming that a switch will be happening.