Studio Policies

Practicing:
  • Daily practice is a requirement for all students (5+ days/week). Good practice is more about setting and reaching progress goals than achieving a minimum time at the instrument. We will discuss your practice recommendation at your lesson.
  • Young students (ages 4-9) need parental assistance and supervision.
  • Students ages 10-12 will still require some parental support to maintain a daily practice routine and to apply feedback given in lessons. 
  • Students ages 13+ are typically quite independent but may need encouragement to schedule and implement their practice time.
  • Please read these helpful tips on effective practicing.

Required supplies (for home practice):
  • Acoustic or Digital piano
  • Metronome, or metronome app on phone that can be used at each practice session
  • Pedal extender for students who can't reach the floor while seated on the bech
  • Sheet music
    • I will inform you about the books we will be using and that you need to purchase
    • A set of Faber Piano Adventures (lesson, performance, theory) is about $24. Most students go through 2 levels per year.

​Lesson Materials and On-Time Policy
  • Please enter the studio quietly at your scheduled lesson time. 
  • Bring the music books that we are currently using and your assignment book (or notebook)​​
  • Please arrive on time. Lessons that start late due to student tardiness will end at the regularly scheduled time.​

Keeping the Studio Healthy
  • Wash/disinfect hands upon entering the building. You may use the sink down the hallway, or apply hand sanitizer provided within the studio.
  • If a student is ill (cough, sneezing, fever, etc.) please do not come to the studio. A virtual lesson may be scheduled at the student's original lesson time. 
  • If student/parent/sibling coming into the studio was sick within the past 3 days, please wear a mask upon entry and inform me so that I may do so as well.

Communication
  • It is the instructor's goal to provide personal, thorough, and quick-response times to communications. ​The instructor may be reached by email and phone (text messaging may be used for short inquiries) Monday through Friday, during teaching hours.
  • Please do not use Facebook and other messaging platforms - these accounts are not checked regularly enough to make them a viable form of communication, and will not be accepted for lesson cancellations.

Lesson Conflicts/Cancellations
  • ​When you register for lessons, you are reserving a specific weekly time for the duration of the lesson contract. There is a strict "no-makeup lessons" policy for this studio. 
  • If you have a conflict coming up you may use the swap list to exchange lesson times with other families in the studio OR you may submit a video recording of your assignments and the instructor will use your lesson to prepare and send you feedback and assignments for the next week (video must be received prior to your regularly scheduled lesson time). 
  • If a student is ill (cough, sneezing, fever, etc.) please do not bring him/her to the lesson. If the student is feeling up to it, a virtual lesson may be scheduled at the student's original lesson time. 
  • In the case of severe weather, we can easily move to an online lesson at the student's original lesson time, unless there are power outages. Please email/call/text to discuss.
  • In the event the instructor cancels a lesson due to professional reasons, health, or unforeseen circumstances, students will receive notification and the lesson will be rescheduled. ​I reserve the right to offer online lessons in place of studio lessons if circumstances require it. For any extended concert tours that result in my absence from teaching, I reserve the right to hire a competent substitute instructor so as to ensure lesson continuity for students.
  • I may add occasional small-group class sessions for students who have missed lessons
  • Please always provide notification of the cancellation (phone call, text message, or email). ​

Lesson Termination
  • If a student is showing continuous lack of preparation, disinterest, or an inability to focus during lessons (or misses more than 3 lessons), the instructor reserves the right to terminate the lesson contract.
  • If a student needs to terminate lessons during the school year, please provide a minimum of 2 weeks notice. ​

Financial Policies:
  • A late fee of $20 will be added to any payment 8+ days past due
  • A $125 early termination fee will be applied to the tuition refund of any student who discontinues lessons prior to the end the school year.
  • No refunds or credits will be issued due to missed or canceled lessons

Photo/Video Release:
  • Group photos of students may be posted online and used by the instructor for promotional materials (if an individual photo/video, you will be notified and asked for permission) on Piano Prodigies' website and YouTube channel.  The instructor may also post videos and audio recordings of student performances. 
  • If a parent wishes to exempt their students from any published media, they may do so by providing a written exclusion request.