Service: Instruction will be on the piano. My teaching studio is equipped with a Steinway B, one of the finest pianos in the world. I require one lesson per week. At this time, lessons are only in-person for all new students (beginner or transfer students).
Tuition: Books are included in the monthly tuition (students check out books from my library). Monthly tuition is a flat-rate and will remain the same regardless of how many weeks there are in the month or if there are cancellations (by students or parents). There won’t be lessons during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years (tuition will be the same).
Payment: Payment is required for a full month of lessons and is due by the first lesson of each month. Please make arrangements to pay on time. I will add a late fee of $5.00 to payments received after the second lesson of the month. If I need to cancel a lesson, which is not scheduled in advance (rarely happens), I will give a credit for the following month for that cancelled lesson.
Practicing: A piano or an appropriate keyboard to practice on is required of all my students (a piano is greatly favored over a keyboard). Daily practice of lesson material is essential for musical growth. Before practicing review the practice sheet I will provide and focus on that material during your practice session. Students should complete all the assigned work given at a lesson during the week. Students will have frequent performance opportunities and performance assignments, which means it is even more important that practice is done daily. Practice translates into having success and having success builds confidence and makes learning enjoyable.
Make-Up Lessons: It is very important to make arrangements to be at your scheduled lesson. I do not reimburse for lessons cancelled by the student or the parent. Though I offer make-up lessons please understand that they take time away from my family and should be reserved for rare occurrences or emergencies and are based on my availability during the week of the missed lesson. I will not consider offering a make-up without at least a 24-hour notice. Every make-up lesson is a half-hour in length and each student is only allowed two make-up lessons per semester (September-December and January-May) after which a fee of $15 per make-up lesson will be charged if a make-up is requested.
Responsibility of the Students: Students need to be on time to piano lessons and have a good attitude, be prepared to learn and should have practiced daily for the amount of time designated on their weekly practice sheet. Being prepared makes a good lesson, which makes a good practice and so on. I will email detailed instructions for practice during the week, which should be printed out or accessible to a student for every practice.
Responsibility of the Parents: Parents are encouraged to attend lessons. It is helpful if the parents know what their child is learning so they can help monitor practice sessions during the week. It is very important to make arrangements to be online on time for every lesson. It is equally important that parents help/encourage their child to practice on a daily basis to make progress. Parents should help their child make up a practice schedule and help them stick to it. Lastly, provide your child with a good instrument that will allow proper musical growth.