Studio Policy

Contact Information
Up-to-date contact information and prompt response to any communication is vital to a good educational experience. I promise to respond to any email or phone messages within 24 hours, and I need the same commitment from my students.

Lesson Times and Punctuality
Lesson times are scheduled at the mutual agreement of teacher and client, subject to the availability of open lesson times. Due to other lessons scheduled after yours, individual lessons will not be extended due to late arrival. Individual lessons are considered canceled and forfeit if the client arrives more than 20 minutes late for a scheduled lesson. Please be prompt in picking up your child at the scheduled time. Because of other scheduled lessons and family responsibilities, we are unable to provide supervision or daycare services. We have instituted a late pick-up fee for extreme cases. After a 10 minute grace period, a $5 fee is assessed, with an additional $5 for each additional 5 minutes late.

Make-up Lessons
Make-up lessons will be given at no additional charge, provided that 24 hours advance notice is given that a lesson will be missed. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given, makeup lessons will only be done at the discretion of the teacher and only with an acceptable excuse from the client (e.g. medical emergency or illness). All make-ups must be completed within a month of the date on which the missed lessons occurred; i.e. there is no continuing obligation on the part of the teacher. Make-up lessons will be given only at times and dates within the teacher's normal teaching schedule. In the event that the student misses the scheduled make-up lesson for any reason, the lesson is considered to have been given. There are no refunds for missed lessons, ever.

Withdrawal/Cancelation
Cancelation of lessons should be requested at least 30 days in advance. Reasons for cancelation (instead of rescheduling individual lessons) could include prolonged vacation trips or family/school issues where makeup lessons are not feasible. While refunds for lessons paid are not available, tuition for lessons that are canceled with appropriate notice will be credited to the next month’s payment. Permanent withdrawal from the studio should also be initiated at least 30 days in advance. Tuition refunds are not given for withdrawal mid-month.

Tuition and Fees
Tuition for the 2014-2015 school year includes 32 weeks of instruction. A non-refundable enrollment/materials fee is included in the tuition. This fee covers the cost of student notebooks and folders, group materials, studio lending books and technology, and studio recitals.
Students will need to purchase method books and music on occasion throughout the year. Additional event fees may be required for festivals, competitions and other performance events. Students should plan to commit to lessons for the full school year. If unforeseen circumstances require a student to terminate lessons mid-year, one month’s paid notice is required to end lessons.

Billing Policy
Tuition is paid in equal monthly installments, before the first lesson of the month. Payments may be made in cash or check, but must cover the entire monthly tuition. Tuition for weekly, 30-minute private lessons is divided into 10 monthly payments (August through May). Summer lessons (June and July) are paid per lesson, at a rate of $20 per lesson.
Outside Lesson Time at the Studio
In the event that a student will be staying at the studio during the lesson of their sibling, appropriate behavior is expected. Several games are available to the children, and parents are encouraged to send their children with books and/or homework.

Teacher-Initiated Cancelations
Lessons may also be canceled or re-scheduled at our request. Notification of cancelation or schedule changes will be by phone and email. Possible reasons for such changes include illness, vacation, family issues, etc. We will make every effort to provide you with the same advance notice that we expect from our students.

Amendments to this Policy
Periodic changes and updates to this policy may be made. These changes will be announced in written form in a note delivered to the student as well as by email.