Academy Studio Policies

NOTE: Adult lesson policies differ. For adult lesson policies, visit the Adult Piano page.

Tuition

Payment is due the first week of the month prior to or at the beginning of your lesson. School age students pay monthly tuition from September through May, and will receive 4 lessons per month. If the month contains a holiday week, then the lesson will be prorated minus the holiday.  The preferred method for tuition payment is online via credit or debit, and is offered via major secure platforms (PayPal, Venmo, Square). Autopay is available for some payment options.

5th Weeks and Holidays

If the month contains a holiday week on your lesson day, tuition will be prorated minus the holiday week. 5th weeks outside of holiday months are teacher workdays and there are no lessons.  

Summer Session

Tuition for the 2025 Summer Session is due the first week of June. Summer session runs June through August. Lesson packs of 6, 8, or 10 are available.

Lesson Times

Students must commit to a regular lesson time.  When you plan your lesson time, consider travel time and allow for some leeway so as not to arrive late. Occasional reschedules are allowed and understandable, but rescheduling your lesson time frequently is not acceptable. Make sure to find a time that you will be able to commit and stick to. 

Cancellations

Your monthly payment is to reserve a lesson spot for the month.  Missed classes are not refundable or discounted.  Students are expected to attend their lessons regularly and minimize their absences. 24 hours notice from the lesson time is required for cancellations. If 24 hours notice is given, I am happy to find a time to reschedule.

Termination/cancellation of lessons: Students may end their study at any time of the year. Students who choose to terminate lessons in the middle of a month will not be refunded for any remaining weeks in that month. Lesson spots are reserved by the month and are non-refundable. 

Expectations

Students are expected to maintain a regular and consistent practice schedule at home between their weekly lessons. Daily practice time should, at the very least, be enough to keep up with weekly assignments. For beginners this can range from 15 to 30 minutes, and for advance students, 1 hour or more.

Recitals

All school age students are expected to participate in yearly studio recitals. These are an excellent opportunity for performance and to meet and hear other students play. Students should observe proper recital etiquette as discussed in their lessons. Skipping a recital should be weighed and considered carefully, and if you must skip due to a previously scheduled event or trip, please discussed with me ahead of time.

Festivals and Competitions

Students are encouraged to participate in local and regional festivals and competitions. I will make students aware of opportunities, and students are also encouraged to seek out their own performance opportunities. Students will be responsible for any fees associated with festival and competition performances, including application and registration fees, travel expenses, and purchase of music scores for judges.

Teacher Absences

If I am unable to make a regularly scheduled lesson due to illness, an emergency, etc. I will offer the student an alternative makeup time or a virtual lesson. If no makeup or virtual lesson can be scheduled, the student will be credited price of the lesson at the next tuition payment. Missed lessons due to concerts or performances on my end will always be made up or credited.

Holidays/Summer Schedule

If a normal lesson day occurs on a major holiday (Christmas, New Years, 4th of July), lessons do not occur. Students will not be charged for these weeks.

During the Summer Session, students are responsible for scheduling their own lessons and ensuring their lesson packs are completed by August 31. There are no refunds or carryovers for Summer Packs. Please refer to the Summer Agreement during Summer Signups for more information.

Weather Cancellation

If a student is not able to make their lesson due to inclement weather, they have the option to do a Zoom lesson with me at their regular time. Because of the last minute nature of inclement weather, in-person makeup lessons are not generally offered due to scheduling difficulty.