I.
NEW POLICY effective September 1, 2018
This year I have realized that I will no longer be able to
accommodate makeup lessons. I will now
be offering some reasonable alternatives if you cannot make your lesson (like
lesson swaps or Facetime/Skype lessons), but moving to a no makeup lesson policy
will allow me to give every child the energy and instruction they deserve since
I will be now able to spend appropriate time planning lessons instead of making
up lessons.
Please be assured that your tuition is always working for
your child as I spend a great deal of time outside of lessons choosing
repertoire, planning, strategizing, attending competitions, etc. So, even if
you have to miss a lesson and cannot use the alternatives offered, you don’t
have to worry about receiving less for your tuition. You’ll be receiving more
energy, enthusiasm and a more successful lesson each week since I will have the
appropriate time to give.
Private Piano Lessons:
My piano teaching year is based upon the school year with a Fall Semester (13
weeks) that runs September through December and a Spring Semester (17 weeks)
which runs January through May. Tuition
bills are sent out twice per semester.
Families have the option of paying monthly at the first lesson of the
month, paying 2 times a semester, or paying the entire amount in full at the
beginning of the semester.
Summer lessons are available for scheduling on a week to
week basis. I encourage all students to
study a minimum of 6 lessons in the summer.
Students who do not take any summer lessons are at risk of losing their
place in my studio when lessons begin in the Fall Semester.
Missed Lessons: Because
specific times are set aside for specific students, a student who does not
attend a lesson will simply miss the benefit of that lesson. I will then use that time or other times to
plan for the student’s progress, locate materials, etc. Please be assured that
your tuition pays for far more than the time spent with your child (see “What
Does My Tuition Cover?”). There are no refunds, discounts or makeups given
unless I am unable to teach the promised number of lessons.
Illness: Students who are ill should not come to piano
lessons. The extra performance class/piano
parties offered can be considered make-ups for absences due to illness. I reserve the right to send a student home
if they arrive sick. If students are
only mildly ill, please email me and we will do a Facetime or Skype lesson.
Skype and Facetime:
Skype and Facetime are becoming a very useful tool for teaching students who
cannot make it to lesson due to illness, weather, etc. If you have a computer with a camera close to
your piano or a laptop that you can move close to the piano, please create a
free Skype account and add my name to your contacts (or add my phone to your
Facetime). This will allow me to call
you and have a lesson with you over the internet if need be. My Skype user name is
christinaspianoprogram@gmail.com
Piano Parties:
Piano Parties can be viewed as a form of “makeup” lessons. These will be offered the week of Halloween
in the Fall Semester and the week of Piano Festival in the Spring Semester. Students have the opportunity to perform for
a small group of students. Music and
piano games as well as other educational activities will be planned. Piano parties are for students of all ages.
Swap Lessons: In
addition, families may trade their lesson time with another student to help
avoid absences. The swap list will be comprised of a parent’s name and contact
information along with my teaching schedule which will contain a parent’s name
and the number and type of lessons.
Use these rules to make sure swaps go smoothly:
1. I must be asked about a swap before making it. I must be informed about the swap
after arranging it.
- The parent who arranges the swap must email me with the details of the swap and cc the person with whom they are making the swap.
- No make-up lessons will be given if any confusion from a swap arises.
- Should 2 people arrive at once, I will teach the one whose lesson is normally at that time.
- Please inform me if you do not wish to have your name, number, and email included on the swap list.
- Don’t forget that phone, Skype or Facetime lessons during the student’s regular lesson time are also an option if you cannot make it to a lesson.
II.
Essentials
PIANO: In order to receive the full
benefits of piano lessons, a student must have a piano at home or access to a
piano for daily practicing. I highly recommend a tuned acoustic piano, although
a digital piano with 88 weighted and “touch sensitive” keys plus proper foot
pedals is acceptable for very early levels.
BOOKS: Students are required to purchase
their own piano books for lessons. I
will provide a list of required materials.
Students should also keep a simple notebook for weekly assignments and
intermediate students should also keep a 3 ring binder for supplemental
handouts. From time to time, I may loan out books. Students should handle these materials with
the utmost care. If the materials are
lost or damaged, they will need to be replaced by the student’s family.
METRONOME: There are many styles of metronome available for purchase, in today’s
world a metronome app for a smart device is acceptable and in most cases
free. I recommend the Pro Metronome app.
STUDIO ACCESS: Students can access my studio by dialing 102 on the front door
entry system. This will call my cell
phone and I will buzz them in. If the
front door entry system is not working, please text or call my cell phone at
605-351-7785.
PRACTICE: Students are expected to practice
the assigned materials on a daily basis at least 5 days a week. Parents or caregivers should be nearby to
encourage and supervise piano practice in the first years. It is important to develop practice habits
early, because these habits will sustain the student’s confidence when they
begin to study more challenging material.
If the assigned material does not take 20 minutes to practice, students
should be encouraged to take time to improvise at the piano. Here is a preliminary guideline of practice
expectations based on age.
·
Age
6-8: 20 minutes daily
·
Age
9-12: 30 minutes daily
·
Age
13 and up: 45 minutes daily or more
III.
STUDIO ETIQUITTE
- · Make sure your hands are clean for piano lessons.
- · During the winter months, leave your snow boots in the waiting area and bring an extra pair of slippers for lessons. The salt and other chemicals used to melt snow are messy and harmful to the integrity of the piano pedals. When playing sports before or after your lesson, please do not wear cleats to your piano lesson
- · Silence all smart devices during lesson time. If you need to take a call please do so in the hallway outside of my studio.
- · If you make a mess in the waiting area, clean it up. Snacks are OK for families on the go, but keep food smells to a minimum.
- · If students arrive early, wait quietly in the hallway outside my office until 5 minutes before your lesson.
- · Please pick up your children on time when their lesson has ended.
IV.
TERMINATION OF LESSONS
If for any
reason you must stop lessons, one month’s notice is required. At that time, I
will prorate the tuition for your final month to reflect the number of lessons
that you have received based on the last lesson date. You will be required to pay
this balance within 30 days. Regrettably,
I will have to dismiss a student if any of these circumstances occur:
• Failure
to pay tuition on time
•
Persistent absences
•
Uncooperative attitude
• Failure
to follow practice as instructed
• Lack of progress due to insufficient
practice or unfulfilled requirements
V.
COMMUNICATION
Please feel
free to email me or call me during my office hours from 12:00-2:00 weekdays. If
you
need to
miss a lesson, please notify me as soon as possible. Feel free to write me at
anytime
about what is happening with your child or to ask
questions
