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POLICY AND TUITION

STUDIO POLICY

MY RESPONSIBILITIES

To give you or your child the most comprehensive music education available. Students will be exposed to a whole range of music, technology, styles, and creative endeavors. All lessons are created to suit the individual goals, desires, and loves of each student.

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I encourage my students to be curious and creative. I show students how music is constructed and how they can make up their own. I help students learn music that they want to learn. I develop their reading and technique.

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Students will learn a large amount of repertoire and enjoy a holistic education that suits their level and goals for the future.

STUDENT/PARENT

RESPONSIBILITIES

Students are responsible for arriving at lessons on-time, with correct books and having completed their practice. Students should practice achieving goals, not to fill time and it is expected that all instructions are followed week-to-week.

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Late arrival times will not be made up as I often have other students or commitments immediately around lesson times.

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Students need to practice on a decent instrument. If playing an acoustic piano, please ensure it’s less than 50 years old and is regularly tuned. If using a digital piano, please ensure it has a solid wooden stand (not a cross brace), three pedals, adjustable padded bench, and a fully weighted action. Let me know if you need help choosing an instrument.

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At home be sure to:

  • create a quiet and comfortable space to practice

  • schedule a time for practice every day.

LESSON PROCEDURE

Please arrive at least a few minutes prior to your lesson. Mr.Mo will come to get you at the beginning of your lesson time. Students are expected to bring all materials (assignment folders, music books, pencils and otherwise) to every lesson.

 

Lesson time must remain as focused as possible — siblings are not allowed to observe the lesson. It is very difficult and tense to teach while a sibling is walking/running/jumping around and making various noises during a lesson.

 

All students are required to wash their hands before their lesson. Students and parents must also remove their shoes before entering the piano studio. (Bring an extra pair of clean shoes or socks if necessary). Food, gum and non-water drinks are prohibited in the house and the studio.

MEDIA RELEASE

Photos of students, video and audio recordings of student projects and performances may be posted online and used by the instructor for promotional and workshop materials. Identifying information will be excluded or limited to first names only. Parents wishing to exempt their students from any published media may do so by providing a written exclusion request.

REFERRALS

While my schedule is quite full, I always welcome new students. If you (a current student) refer a new student to me and he/she registers for piano lessons, make sure he/she mentions your name and you will receive a $50 discount on your next tuition for each referral.

MISSED LESSONS

When a spot is reserved for the semester, parents and students agree that this represents a mutual commitment as the spot is reserved for them only each week. Dances and sports classes do not offer reimbursement if you do not attend the rehearsal or sports game - music lessons are no different.  

  • Mr.Mo will offer make-up lessons if he must cancel for any reason. There are no make-up lessons if a student misses a lesson for location of material, etc.any reasons (including illness, vacation, sport, weather, etc.). I will use that time to plan for the student's progress,

  • Students who are ill should not attend the lesson.

  • With advance notice (one week minimum) and a serious excuse (required school activity or family emergency) private lessons only may be rescheduled if a mutually convenient time is available on the studio calendar. This option is only available up to a maximum of two times per semester.

LESSON TERMINATION

As a piano instructor, I support and care for all my students and their families in a very special way. One-to-one education is very concentrated, and the bond between teacher and student can grow quite strong. Nevertheless, the studio reserves the right to terminate a student's lessons for the following infractions:

  • Excess amount of absences.

  • Excess amount of unprepared lessons.

  • Inappropriate behavior toward Mr.Mo on the part of the student. This includes violent outbursts, swearing, defamation of character, unacceptable advances or any other displays, which fall outside the realm of common respect and decency.

  • Inappropriate behavior toward Mr.Mo on the part of a student's parent(s). This includes all of the above.

  • Attendance at lessons in any type of intoxicated state.

  • Failure to pay lessons in full.

If for any reasons a student decides to stop his/her piano lessons, Mr.Mo would like to discuss about it face to face (no email/phone/text). It is preferable to leave the studio at the end of the year. Discontinuation of lessons requires a 4-week notice – This will allow wrapping up any current projects and discussing how the student can continue to follow his/her music goal. This will also provide the necessary time to fill that empty lesson slot so that Mr.Mo can avoid a loss in income.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

TUITION

WHAT TUITION COVERS

Tuition covers not only the actual lesson time spent with the student, but time preparing for each student as well and my ongoing business costs, including:

  • An individualised plan for each student’s course of study

  • 20 years of professional experience

  • Professional organisation memberships

  • Emails and phone call time

  • My music lending library

  • Time to prepare for the lesson

  • Written reports for students and parents

  • Property taxes, self-employment taxes, insurance, business licenses, retirement. An independent music teacher has no corporation to help in providing health and life insurance by matching funds, so your tuition helps cover the increased living costs of your self-employed teacher.

PAYMENT

A variety of pricing options are offered based on lesson length, frequency, and level.

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$35/30 minutes

$52/45 minutes

$70/60 minutes

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The semester tuition is based on 4 installments over the academic calendar year (September—mid-May) for a total of 38 weeks of instruction, and not an hourly rate. Please keep in mind that during the year the number of lessons per month will change. Regardless of attendance, the monthly tuition is due in full on or by the first lesson of each month.

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A $35.00 fee will be added for any checks returned due to non-sufficient funds (NSF). Mr.Mo reserves the right to raise his fees at the beginning of each new academic year.

All tuition payments are non-refundable.

STUDENT MATERIAL/ACTIVITY ACCOUNT

To make sure that students get their music on time, Mr.Mo will order the music himself. Upon enrollment, you will be asked to make a yearly non-refundable deposit. This amount will:

  • Secure the student’s spot for the following semester

  • Purchase sheet music, method books and theory materials

  • Help with printing costs

Parents will be notified when the account gets low.

LATE PAYMENTS

A $25 late payment fee per student will be added when payments are made more than 2 days after the first lessons of the month. You can mail your check to Mr.Mo if you missed your payment.

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If payment is not received by the second lesson, no lesson will be given.

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Should something come up where you cannot financially fulfill your commitment to your lessons, advanced notice and open, ongoing communication is appreciated and encouraged!

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