Studio Policies & Info

  1. Time: Most lessons are 45 minutes weekly. Time slots are set up in 45-minute blocks, but younger students may find that 30 minutes of concentration is a more realistic goal. Of course, older students gain more from the 45-minute lessons. All double (two-person) lessons are 45 minutes.

    You are free to choose your own lesson time based on availability, which will be visible on my studio calendar. Students will keep the same day/time throughout the semester, which will continue to the next semester if there are no issues.

    Please be on time to and from lessons.

  2. Make-up lessons: Please try to make attendance a priority, for everyone’s sake. I do understand that life happens; if you are unable to attend a lesson please let me know in advance, and you are welcome to choose a lesson from the available time slots on the calendar. I cannot schedule lessons outside of those slots. If there are none available, it will just have to be a missed lesson with a no-refund policy.

    If I have to miss a lesson due to illness, etc. I will call you and reschedule, or issue a refund for that week.

  3. Fons: Payments, scheduling calendar, and communication are all handled through Fons, a highly rated business software app that streamlines the business end of the studio for both you and me.

  4. Payment: Automated payments are processed at the first day of each month. Tuition is calculated on an average of four lessons per month. This means that there will be some months in which a students gets five lessons (for example, there are five Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays this October), and other months in which a student gets three lessons due to holidays. The calendar and payments reflect fourteen lessons per semester and two master classes.

  5. Performances: There are performance opportunities throughout the year. These are BMTA events that often involve a friendly competition followed by a winner’s recital, or Christmas performances at local assisted living facilities. These are optional, but I encourage participation in order to promote familiarity with playing in front of people.

    Performance is a key element of a musical education, and can be fun. Nervousness is completely natural, and comfort/confidence is either gained through repeatedly conquering those nerves, or with some students, not developing the stage fright that sometimes develops with age in the first place!

    I will hold informal master classes before competitions in my studio for any student who would like to practice playing their music for their peers in a comfortable and encouraging space.

  6. Location: my studio is in Nederland, near Doornbos Park. I will provide the address once we are ready to schedule the first lesson. My studio is the first room in the front of the house, and the restroom is the second door. You may park in the front driveway, in the street, or in the side driveway. You do not need to knock when you enter at your scheduled time; please just enter.

    Students: Please wash your hands in the restroom or use hand sanitizer (provided) before your lesson starts.

  7. Miscellaneous: I have two cats, one of whom loves music and will usually open the door to the studio room when she hears the piano, to sit nearby. Both cats are calm and friendly, but I will block them out if a student is uncomfortable or distracted by them, or has an allergy. I strive to keep the room clean and dusted.

  8. Studio policies are subject to change. Tuition rates change over time to reflect rising costs, but I will let you know in advance before I make any changes involving payment.