FAQ's

Any student attending private music and art lessons in our building must be "registered" through STUDIO HELPER, the REGISTER tab of our website has a digital form that you fill out and submit.  This creates a family account with a parent contact for billing and emergency communications.  Registering is FREE.  Our teachers use this tool to organize their schedules and take attendance which is linked to your invoices.

NEW!! Students attending Summer Camps ONLY no longer need to "register" as a member of our school - just be sure to provide ALL the necessary emergency contact information when you make your reservation for camp on TICKET TAILOR.  Do NOT SKIP BOXES - you MUST list a secondary emergency contact for all campers.

Once you are "registered" through our school website you will gain access to STUDIO HELPER.  When you login to Studio Helper using the username and password we create for you, you can access our full calendar of classes (FALL 2025 AND WINTER-SPRING 2026 SEMESTERS) and "ENROLL" in the activities your student wants to join.  Enrollment is time-stamped and class size is limited.  The FALL 2025 class directory will be available on our website mid-July and sign ups will begin on August 1st, 2025. 

You can fill out the form for each student you want to register, be sure to select "add parent information" at least one time so an adult is listed on the account for billing and emergency contact purposes. OR you can list your students separated by backslashes ie. John/Jacob/Jill/ and Stew.  When you get to the birthday section on the form you would then list their birthdays in the same order ie. 6.2.2012/4.2.2013/1.7.2015/ and 4.4.2016.

ENROLLMENT for Fall 2025 Group Classes begins at 10am on August 1, 2025.  You can now see the entire Fall Schedule of Classes under the FALL 2025 tab of this website.  If you are interested in private music lessons only, you should indicate that on your registration form and then we will call you to get you set up with the right teacher. You can "register" anytime if your family is not yet a member of our school.  Note, if you register after noon on a Friday your registration will not be processed until the following Monday.   

Yes! In fact, our schedule is built to encourage your student to try a few different classes on the same day.  We do have a couple of popular class sessions that are duplicates happening on both Wednesday and Thursday, for example you will not want to register your elementary student for both sessions of "Color Me Happy" as the course content will repeat.  We do not allow duplicate enrollments as this limits the opportunity for other students to enjoy the class.  You can however, sign your student up for both "Color Me Happy" and "Drawing Club".

Step 1- Enroll in the class.  On or after August 1st at 8am you can enroll in orchestra and band through Studio Helper.  

Step 2- Once you are enrolled in the class you will immediately email esofa@emmanuel-sa.org and provide your student's name and the instrument you need to borrow.  If you are requesting a violin or viola you MUST include your child's measurement.  HOW TO MEASURE FOR A VIOLIN We will take these time stamped emails and process them in the order they are received to distribute the instruments we have on hand.  We will call you to tell you whether or not we have an instrument in the correct size for your student.  

**If you do not have an instrument and we cannot provide one, please come to the Band and Orchestra Parent meetings where you can talk to Tarpley Music about their rentals and rent-to-own options. 

**Loan instruments need to be returned when your student is no longer enrolled in group classes or private lessons. 

[Instruments we have available: acoustic guitars, electronic keyboards, trombones, trumpets, cornets, flutes, violins in all sizes, violins that can be strung as a viola, 1 x 1/4 size cello, recorders.]

Step 1- Report the damage to the instrument so we can find out if it is fixable by our chosen professional.  Several of our teachers are equipped to make simple repairs and change out strings when needed.

Step 2- You will be expected to pay the replacement fee if it cannot be repaired, or the repair fee if someone can fix it.

Step 3- If you broke your violin bow, you will need to purchase a new one on your own and when you return the instrument you will need to provide us with a new bow in the correct size.  Bows can usually be replaced for less than the cost of repairing the bow.

We make every effort to provide basic instruments with no rental fee.   This allows your student to try out an instrument before you invest in one.  Once you are certain that your child is interested in music lessons and classes, it would be best for you to invest in a quality student-grade instrument and the accessories for that instrument.   When you borrow something from our loan library it is the parent's responsibility to purchase the following: music books for home study suggested by the group class instructor or private lesson instructor, mouthpiece for the instrument if not provided, cleaning kit for the instrument if needed (brass and woodwinds), a should rest for your child's violin if not provided, and any valve oil, slide grease, or rosin for string instruments.  

We work hard to attain grant funding for our programs which helps to offset the cost to our families.  In most cases, grant funding pays for the physical supplies every classroom needs to be successful, but the grant funding never pays for the teacher who pours their time and energy into creating engaging curriculum for our students.   In places like Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, orchestra, band, music and art classes would cost hundreds of dollars for just one class per semester.  In comparison, Gymnastics in San Angelo will run you $70/4 weeks, Local Ballet Classes start at $105/month.  A 16 week semester of a fine-arts subject at our school will cost $2.50/class and $40 each semester.  Your $40 enrichment fee helps our ministry grow!  It helps us pay our teachers, maintain our instruments in the loan library, and cover the unexpected costs incurred by supporting 57 different classes.  

Lego Robotics is $250 for a semester (Either Fall 16 weeks, or spring 16 weeks) of the "beginner classes".  These classes are rich in science and math concepts and small in size, ensuring your student gets one-on-one specialized instruction.  These classes follow a curriculum and build from week-to-week.  As 2022 State Champions for Highschool Inventions, we are very proud of the curriculum we present to our beginner robotics engineers, preparing them to pursue much more difficult challenges as they age.  Lego Robotics Competitors are graduates of our beginner program and pay a reduced fee of $150 to help offset the cost of competition entry fees and the team t-shirt.  This reduced fee is because Lego Lab hours are student led.  These students spend a considerable amount of time working on their own with coaching and direction from our educators.  Our teachers are present and offer guidance and technological troubleshooting tips, but we do NOT give them solutions to the challenges they face!  Overall, robotics is expensive, the kits are vulnerable to breakage and often need replacement parts.  We provide iPad to use for coding and these also require maintenance, repair, and replacement.  Please let us know if your family or business would like to become a sponsor of this year's Lego Competition Squad!  

Private music lesson rates can be viewed on our TUITION page.  Our Directory of Fall 2024 Classes has details about each class fee, whether it is a Homeschool Enrichment or a specialty class.  All of our Homeschool Enrichment classes are now $40/student/semester.  Specialty classes with different rates include: Lego Robotics, Jazz Band on Monday evenings, Group Percussion classes with Jimmy Shanks, and Saxophone Choir.  Please refer to the DIRECTORY for details on each class. 

No, unfortunately the $40 enrichment fees cannot be covered by a scholarship.  When you commit to a semester of educational classes at ESOFA you are paying $2.50 per 55min class.  This is already a significant, unbeatable discount from our hourly rate of $40/hour for private lessons.  If you need to pay your invoice over a longer period of time, please speak to our office manager Andrew Gutierrez [andrew@emmanuel-sa.org].

We have resources to help lower the cost of private music lessons for students with demonstrable need and students who are dependents of Active Duty Military.  If your child is a military dependent or qualifies or would qualify for free or reduced lunch through the school system (chart attached below) please fill out an application for financial assistance with our office.

If your student is age 12 and above, NO, you do not need to stay in the building during your student's private lesson.  You can drop your child off at the door and they can sit on the benches in the hallway awaiting their lesson time.  We do ask that students do NOT wait for their ride in the parking lot, they should remain inside the locked building until you pull into the pick up zone. If you have a younger student, we ask you to come into the building to make sure they get where they need to be.  Unfortunately, there have been several instances of bathroom misuse that can be attributed to under-supervised children.  We do have a courtyard with a brand-new beautiful turf playground where you and your younger children can wait during lesson and class times.  

If your under-12 students are attending a group class you do NOT need to be present on campus while they are in class.  Your under-12 student should NOT be enrolled in two classes that have a gap between unless YOU plan to be on campus with them during that free time.  Again the courtyards and playgrounds are great meeting points for homeschooling families and many students bring some homework with them to accomplish between classes.

We have a drive through portico where you can drop off your student, they can access the key pad for the building and gain entrance.  During high traffic times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the front door will be unlocked and monitored by our staff.  Your student should always wait for you INSIDE the front doors.  We will not allow students to wait in the parking lot for you, they must see your vehicle before exiting the building.  For safety purposes please advise your student to never open the front door to a stranger.  All of our students and family members should have the keypad code, if they don't have the code please don't let them inside.

For private lessons, all estimates are posted at the beginning of the month in Studio Helper, giving you time to notify your instructor of cancellations you plan to make in advance at no charge.  The website is www.studiohelper.com and your username and password are emailed to you when you first register.  LOGIN to the website to see your invoices.  DO NOT SIGN UP FOR A NEW ACCOUNT!  We have already made an account for you through the REGISTER form on our website.  FOR PEOPLE TAKING PRIVATE LESSONS, YOUR ACTUAL PAYABLE BILL WILL COME TO YOU THROUGH QUICKBOOKS ON THE 1st OF EVERY MONTH.  PEOPLE TAKING GROUP CLASSES WILL BE INVOICED ONE TIME AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER AFTER YOU HAVE ENROLLED IN THE CLASSES OF YOUR CHOICE.

You will be billed through Quickbooks which will arrive in your email and offer you payment options of credit card, Google pay, Apple pay, bank draft, and online checking.  You always have the option to drop cash or check into a payment envelope clearly labeled with your student and teacher name and deposit the envelope into our locked drop box next to the Jones Choir Room. It does take up to 7 business days for those cash and check payments to get applied to your Studio Helper account.  Billing questions can be directed to Andrew@emmanuel-sa.org.

Email esofa@emmanuel-sa.org and let us know your student's name and your phone number along with what kind of instrument they are wanting to study.  We will contact the corresponding teacher who will call you directly to discuss their schedule and your options for lesson times and duration.  These lessons will then be added to a monthly invoice.

No, ESOFA is not accredited or recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a primary or secondary school.  We only offer "ENRICHMENT" opportunities related to music, visual arts, and STEAM-based specialty classes in robotics.  However, more than half of our staff members are active members of TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association), TCEA (Texas Computer Educators Association), TAEA (Texas Art Educators Association), NAEA (National Art Educators Association) and other local and nationally recognized associations involved in music and fine arts education.  We are also able to sponsor band and orchestra students for All-Region and All-City Music auditions throughout the school year.  If you require official documentation of your student's courses, please visit with Karyn in the office or email Karyn@emmanuel-sa.org to see if a transcript can be provided for your student's participation.