Abby Salmon’s Music Studio Policy 2019-2020 (Updated August 2019)

Greetings students and families! I am excited to begin another season of music making with you all. Please look over the information below so you are familiar with what to expect as a part of my studio. Included are my promises to you as well as your responsibilities as a student / parent.

Schedule: Our regular school year lessons will begin on September 9th (First FULL week of the public school calendar) and conclude on May 13th. (Total 36 weeks) During this time every student will be offered at least 30 lessons. There may be up to 3 additional lessons canceled without makeup during the school year to accommodate potential holidays, personal conflicts, or “sick days”) If school is canceled for holidays, half days, or weather, piano lessons WILL still proceed as scheduled unless you hear otherwise from me. If you can’t make it we will attempt to reschedule.

No Lessons:

November 18th-29th (2 weeks)

December 23rd-27th (Regular lessons the week of 12/30)

Missed Lessons / Schedule Changes: Your monthly tuition reserves your specific 30 minute time slot. If you need to miss a lesson I will make every effort to help facilitate a trade with another student. Due to the number of students on my schedule I cannot offer make up lessons for most situations. With advanced notice we can many times work out an alternate time or a trade, but this is not guaranteed.

Tuition: Tuition is $90 monthly. Tuition is due at the first lesson of each month, September through May. Accepted forms of payment are check, cash, or credit card via Google Wallet (no fee) or PayPal (add 3% for credit card transactions via PayPal). (A late fee of $10 may be assessed 10 days after the first lesson of the month.) If any financial concerns arise I will do my best to work with you.

*2 weeks notice is required to discontinue lessons. Tuition is always charged as a full month.

**Please note May tuition must be paid in full prior to the spring recital in order for students to perform.

Materials:

Instrument: All students will need a piano to practice on at home. A keyboard may get a student through their first year, but this is not a good long-term substitute for a proper instrument and will hold your child back in his or her playing.

• Method Books: I use the Faber Piano Adventures (or accelerated piano adventures for older beginners) method book set with most students. Students will need the Lesson, Technique, Performance, and Theory books for their level. I am always happy to order and bill for method books, or if you prefer to shop for yourself that is also perfectly acceptable. (I will provide supplemental recital and seasonal pieces for student use throughout the year).
• Notebook to keep track of practice goals and assignments

Performances:

We will have recitals at least twice a year (winter and spring). All students are highly encouraged to participate in both performances! Interested students will also have the opportunity to compete in MMTA contest.

Tips for Success:

Parents: The younger your student, the more help they will need from you at home with time management and establishing a good practice routine. You may need to help them make sure they are getting through the list in their notebook. Lessons are where students are taught the techniques and given the tools to do the work. In order to make good progress and get the most out of lessons the work (practice) needs to be done at home in between lessons.

Students: In order to be successful and have the most fun playing you will need to plan some time for practice at home, ideally every day! For a first year student you may only need 5-15 minutes of practice time per day. As you progress and your assignments get longer and more challenging you may find you need to increase that time. Students should not try to practice everything listed in their notebook every day. Pick one or two things to work on for your practice session. Older students with longer pieces may only have a goal of working on one small section of a piece. This method of practicing in small chunks of time several times per week is much more effective and enjoyable than practicing once or twice a week for a longer amount of time.

Other Considerations:

Parents are welcome to observe during lessons or drop off students per the student’s comfort level. Families with two students are welcome to drop off both for the hour.

My studio space is located in the lower level of my home. When you come for lessons you can come right in - you do not need to knock or ring the bell. If the student scheduled before you is still working, please wait in the entry. As soon as the previous student is finished you may come down.

Since I give lessons at home my family will also often be home, in another area of the house, during lesson times. If you ever have concerns about the quality of your instruction or feel your time has been compromised for any reason please do not hesitate to bring this up as soon as possible. I will make sure we arrange for extra time or will credit appropriately. I am committed to ensuring you receive quality instruction!

(In case of any allergy concerns please be aware I have a house cat!)