PAYMENT
- You can pay monthly, every two months, or quarterly on or before the 5th of each month.
- Quarterly students pay (January, April, July, October)
- Every Two months (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov)
- Late fee of 15$ per week after the 5th.
- Checks with insufficient funds pay 25$ fee my bank charges.
- If you decide to discontinue lessons give at least a 2 week notice, no refunds if you quit in the middle of a month
CANCELLATIONS – ATTENDANCE – SCHEDULING
- Same day cancellations with less than 24 hour notice will be credited up to two times per calendar year. (Credited means that the following tuition billing you may deduct paying for that missed lesson)
- This is for sickness or emergencies (explanations aren’t necessary)
- Lessons that need to be missed can be deducted at the time of payment.
- Students may miss up to 12 lessons per calendar year. Students who take off more than 3 months during the summer or on average one week each month may be dropped.
- If you need to take off the first week of a month, please still pay by the 5th. This may mean paying the last week of a month for the next month.
- If you are gone an entire month I may ask for a month deposit in order to hold your time slot.
- Lessons cancelled after payment has been received and with at least 24 hour notice can be fully refunded up to 2 times per year. After that, they can either do a make-up lesson option, or will have to pay in full for the missed lesson.
- Lessons will begin promptly at the time I arrive. (My schedule is set up so that I should never be more than 15 minutes late). If students are late I will wait up to 1/3 of the lesson time and then leave. (30 min = 10 min 45 min = 15 min 60 min = 20 min) These lessons will not be credited.
- Extended Vacations: please notify a month in advance of extended vacations. A one month deposit will be asked for in order to keep your time reserved.
- Once a lesson time is set, do not ask to change times for at least 6 months. Now that my teaching schedule is at maximum capacity I am no longer flexible with changing a lesson time. Also I ask everyone to have at least 2 or 3 days available they can do a lesson in case I need to arrange a make-up. Since I am driving to the student’s home the only thing the parents have to do is be home (versus driving to and from the teacher’s location and waiting).
- During the summer my hours may change. Last year I taught 4 days a week and two of those days I taught daytime hours. This may or may not be the case this summer though.
MAKE UPS
- If for some reason you have to miss a lesson after it has been paid for and you give me at least 24 hours’ notice, you can receive a make-up lesson.
- I will keep a list of students needing a make-up lesson and when an opening is available I will contact them through email and let them know a time opened up. I don’t teach 2 days a week (Fri and Sat) and will teach on those days if available and at least 3 hours of make-ups can be made.
BEHAVIOR
- Lesson time begins the minute I am seated near the piano. Students who are busy doing other things after I am seated will not receive extra lesson time at the end.
- Please make every effort to not be too tired, hungry, or “wound up” during the lesson.
- Students are expected to try hard, answer questions promptly, be respectful (no arguing, refusing to do things, rolling eyes and twirling hair, asking how much time is left, playing while I’m talking etc.)
- When young children start lessons, I try and figure out what level of talent, maturity, and interest is there. In my experience young beginners may be strong in two of these qualities but lacking in one examples:
- extremely talented, but no interest
- talented, but cries, can’t sit still, bad attitude
- doesn’t grasp the concepts easily, but very patient and tries hard
- doesn’t grasp concepts easily, but really loves listening to music
For me the #1 quality I look for that fits my teaching style is maturity. If a child is not mature enough to sit still and concentrate for the full lesson time I will talk to the parents and suggest they find a more appropriate teacher for them.
ENVIRONMENT/PARENT PARTICIPATION
- Piano lesson locations should be secluded from other loud activity (television, cooking dinner, younger siblings playing, conversations that can be easily heard). If I feel like the location of the piano is in a distracting place I will let the parent know immediately.
- Parents who choose to participate in young children’s lessons (Preschool-1st grade) may actively participate in the lesson. Actively participating means helping them physically play after I demonstrate. (ex. holding up their wrists to show a good hand position, counting out loud with them etc.) Positive reinforcement (like “Good Job”) is ok. Any questions or comments about my teaching style should be done at the end of the lesson. Parents of children over age 7 should passively watch (not interrupt) and save all questions, comments or concerns to the end, or send in an email.
STUDENT’S PRACTICING EXPECTATIONS
- The first 6 months-1 year, a beginning young child (preschool-kindergarten) will be expected to practice 10 minutes minimum 4 days a week.
- After the first 6 months-1 year, an expected amount of practicing is at least 4 days a week for about the same amount of time their lesson is. For example, a student who takes a
- 30 minute lesson = 2 hours/week
- 45 minute lesson = 3hours/week
- 60 minute lesson = 4 hours/week
Students whose schedules are too busy to come even close to this expectation are asked to find a different teacher with more lenient expectations. When I worked for music schools for beginners the teaching philosophy was that if students don’t practice that’s ok, we were there to be supportive and make money.
- Students who fall below expectations continuously will be put on a 1 month probation period, where they will need to practice the minimum requirement stated above or be dropped at the end of the month. A piano practice log with parent signatures will be given out for 4 consecutive weeks and will need to be filled out.
- Usually peer pressure (family/school friends in your social circle) will be a motivator. If you are having a hard time getting a child to practice, having a social network of friends with children who take lessons is very helpful. If this isn’t possible, then going to watch musical performances of any type is the next best thing. If that’s not possible, have music playing around the house, watch pianists online, listen to music in the car. When adults show kids that they value music and music education, they will adopt those same values.
RECITALS/ETIQUETTE
- There will be one recital each season (FALL, WINTER, SPRING, and SUMMER). Students are expected to participate in 3 a year.
- Sometimes I split the students up into two separate 45 minute recitals, other times it is one long one. It depends on how many minutes of playing there will be. Students who participate in the recitals should stay and hear every student perform. The purpose of the recitals is 50% performing, and 50% listening to others (students and parents). I will keep recitals under 90 minutes and provide 15 minutes breaks at the longer recitals.
- I will let every student know at least 6 weeks in advance when the next recital is by email. Students who participate in these will play in the order I select. Don’t request to go towards the beginning or the end.
- Arrive 10 minutes early. Showing up the time the recital starts is considered late, I prefer to not start until I see everyone participating is present. When a student arrives late and has to perform right when they walk in the door it’s not fair to them or the other people.
- Turn of all cell phones, noisy toddlers should be in the back. Adults please turn off phones and don’t text during recitals. If a younger brother or sister begins to run around or shout during a performance take them outside until they are ready to be quiet. I may create a designated play area for younger siblings if there is enough interest.
EXPECTATIONS OF THE TEACHER
- I will notify parents and students via phone call or text if I will be more than 10 minutes late.
- If unable to teach on short notice (sick, car problems, emergency) I will fully credit all missed lessons or provide a day of make-up lessons when possible.
- I won’t cut a lesson short (if the lesson started at 4pm and a lesson is 30 minutes long, we will not end at 4:29 ). If requested I will stay around for up to 3 minutes to talk to a parent about questions or concerns. Long conversations will have to be over the phone or email. (BUT I won’t stay extra-long if a lesson starts late because a student is late or not ready.)
- I will respond to all emails within 1-3 days depending on how urgent they are.
- Will not waste time, keep focus on the lesson.
- Will not text or talk on the phone during the lesson.
- I will push all students to do their best at focusing during the lesson time, practicing during the week, and having a respectful attitude.
- Should be able to demonstrate all skills that I am teaching.
- Act in a professional way (appropriate clothing, language, boundaries etc.)
- Encourage parents to get involved when necessary
- Open door policy: parents are welcome to sit in
- Prices will remain the same the remainder of 2012 (60$=hr, 45$=45min, 30$= 30 min)
