Lessons and Payments:
Lessons are charged and invoiced by the month. Invoices are sent out before the first lesson of the month in question. Monthly payments must be made by the first lesson of each month. Payments can be made via CashApp, Paypal, Venmo, or check.
30-minute lessons are only offered to children 8 and younger, who sometimes have difficulty concentrating for longer periods of time. For everyone else, the minimum is 45 minutes. An hour is always recommended for older kids and adults. For kids younger than 5, we have a special early childhood music education curriculum that prepares them for regular piano lessons by the age of 5 or 6.
Every year, we review our policy and tuition rates. Due to inflation, rising costs, and shifting markets, we sometimes have to raise tuition rates and revise the policy. The studio reserves the right to do this when necessary. In the case we do have to increase tuition rates, we will always let parents/students know ahead of time.
Lesson Year and Terms:
We teach all year-round and split the piano year into three terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer. The Fall term runs from September to January. The Spring term runs from February to May. The Summer term runs from June to August. The student is committed to seeing each term through, completing their projects and goals, and preparing for the end-of-term recitals (winter and end of spring).
When first starting lessons, if the student wishes to continue after the free trial lesson and consultation, they commit to the first month of lessons as a trial month. Afterwards, the student is committed to complete the entire current term unless terminating lessons with the studio for good, with a two-week written notice beforehand. It is the responsibility of the student to take lessons regularly throughout the term to progress steadily. Planned absences, vacations, and holidays must be discussed with the teacher beforehand so that rescheduling or scheduling of make-up lessons can be arranged.
Summer term is typically 12 weeks of lessons. In consideration for families’ higher frequency of travel and likelihood of other personal plans during the summer season, two commitment plans are available for the summer:
Option 1: Commit to the entire term with its full number of lessons (12) just like any regular term and pay by the month. (There is usually an extra week or two, on top of the 12 during these months, that we can take off and gives students some leeway for travel plans.)
Option 2: (Partial Summer Term): Commit to a partial term with a specific number of lessons. (E.g. 6, 8, or 10 lessons, etc.) The specific days and times of the lessons must be agreed upon and committed to before the term begins. With this option, full payment of the term is not only preferred, but expected, unless we come to an alternate agreement of installments.
We have two recitals per year. Towards the end of the Fall term, the studio hosts a winter recital, usually mid to late December, where students showcase their pieces and the progress that they’ve made that term. We host the spring recital at the end of May or early June. Students are expected to prepare diligently for these events and are highly encouraged to perform, or at least attend the recitals. They are enriching opportunities that build confidence and allow us to share the fruits of our labor.
Instruments:
At minimum, a full-size digital keyboard (88 keys) with weighted keys and a pedal are required to take piano lessons and practice at home. Instruments exist in all price ranges and qualities and our teachers can assess and help students choose an instrument that fits their needs and budget. An acoustic piano that is in good shape and in tune is ideal, but they can be expensive and not everyone can fit one in their homes. A digital piano that emulates the sound and feel of an acoustic one works just as well and is a budget-friendly alternative. And as a plus, students can connect headphones so they can concentrate and not disturb others while practicing!
For beginners, starting with an unweighted smaller keyboard is OK for a brief period as they learn some fundamentals, but not ideal. They must eventually upgrade to a better instrument, sooner than later, or learning becomes impaired and bad habits are formed.
Our in-studio lessons are given on a Kawai GS-30 6’1 grand piano. The keys are heavier and the sound is different from that of an electric keyboard, so the better the instrument at home, the better the playing in the studio translates to the practice at home and vice-versa.
Practicing Expectations and Recommendations:
Daily practicing will produce steady progress and effective results! Weekly assignments will be given with instructions for practicing. Students must practice at least 4-5 days per week in order to see regular progress! 6-7 Days per week is ideal! Daily practice routines are recommended as follows:
| Beginner/Young Child | 15-30 minutes |
| Second and Third Year | 30-60 minutes |
| Intermediate | 1-2 hours |
| Advanced | 2-3 hours |
It is extremely important for parents to be involved in their child’s music education and development in order to provide encouragement and help the student maintain proper practice habits! Please sit with your child during practice, listen to them play, give positive feedback, and let them teach you what they’ve learned. It has been shown that this is one of the key elements to a child’s success when learning an instrument!
Students that aren’t practicing regularly, aren’t making steady progress, or are not engaged with and responsive to the teaching will be put on a two-week probation period to address the underlying causes. If no solution is found, the studio may kindly advise to stop piano lessons. We don’t want music lessons to be a waste of money or time for anyone.
Also, please don’t force your child to take lessons against their will; this is counterproductive, seldom shows results, and can be traumatic and make them hate music lessons in the future. The key ingredient to success in the arts is love; if the child wants to do it because they enjoy it, they will thrive with music!
Lastly, piano is a difficult art form to learn and master, and requires the same dedication, consistency, and discipline as any other technical, athletic, or intellectual endeavor. If a child’s schedule is full, with sports and/or other extra-curricular activities, and piano is at the bottom of their priority list, piano lessons may not be a good fit for them. Students who are very busy with other responsibilities and interests tend to get very little practice in, and progress becomes extremely slow. As stated earlier, a student needs to be able to make time for daily practice without burning out from exhaustion.
Studio Procedures:
Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the lesson. This precaution is taken to ensure the safety and integrity of the student, the teacher, the studio, and the teaching process.
Cancelation Policy and Make-up Lessons:
In case of illness, family emergency, planned traveling, or some other sudden change in schedule, please inform the teacher at least 24 hours prior to the lesson! All missed lessons must be rescheduled and made up when applicable. Students must cancel 24 hours in advance in order to receive a make-up lesson. Lessons canceled last minute will not be made up and payment will not be refunded or credited. Make-up lessons can be arranged according to the student’s and teacher’s availability. Lessons canceled by the teacher and lessons not given due to holidays will be made up or rescheduled on a case-by-case basis.
Termination of Lessons
If a student and/or parent should decide to terminate lessons at any given time during the year, the studio requires a two-week written notice. Regardless of when the notice is given, the student/parent is still responsible for the payment of the remaining weeks/lessons, whether the student/parent chooses to attend or not.
The studio reserves the right to terminate lessons with a client at any time, as in the case of:
- Inappropriate behavior toward the teacher on the part of a student, parent/guardian, or relative. This includes a violent outlashing, swearing, defamation of character, inappropriate advances, or any other displays which fall outside the realm of common respect and decency.
- Attendance at lessons in any type of intoxicated state.
- Violation of the studio policy or disrespect towards the studio or the teacher.
- Failure to pay for lessons in full, as agreed upon, in a timely manner. (Consideration can sometimes be given to special or extraordinary circumstances.)
Thank you for taking the time to review our studio policy! We take it very seriously as it helps us ensure that we offer the highest quality professional standards as music educators and that students are working towards their full potential as future pianists and musicians!