Policies & Guidelines

 

Lesson Format

A to Z Music Studio offers:

• 30-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute individual lessons.

• Group class: a group class is a class given to multiple students. Group class is not given on a regular basis.

 

Attendance

• Your tuition guarantees that your lesson will be reserved each week. Regular attendance is required for the most ideal learning result. There will be no make-up lessons, and no refunds or credits are given for missed lessons. Missed lessons are inevitable and have been considered in the overall cost of tuition.

• In the case of family emergency, terminal illness, and inclement weather, we do our best to accommodate the needs of the students and will reschedule your lesson based on the teacher’s availability. Students should not attend lessons if they are sick. If a student is contagious or disable to travel but feels well enough for a lesson, the lesson via Zoom can be given. Please inform us at least 48 hours ahead of time to set it up.

• Studio will be closed for national holidays.

• If the teacher needs to cancel a lesson for various reasons including (but not limited to) personal emergencies or illness, inclement weather, and professional travel, the appointment will be rescheduled or may be saved for future use.

• Students who are late for their lessons will only be given the remainder of their time.  Please contact your teacher if you find you will be a little late. If no contact is made and a student has not arrived within 10 minutes (for 30 minutes lesson) or 15 minutes (for 45 minutes lesson) of the scheduled lesson time, it will be assumed that the student is absent. Please be on time for your own benefit.

• If students are dropped off for the lesson, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to pick up the student(s) after the lesson on time. Teachers are not responsible for the students outside of lesson time. 

 

Tuition and Fees

• Tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years (June 1-August 1 are excluded, please see Summer for details) include weekly private lessons, recitals, materials, and prints such as certificate of award. These activities are the instruction for that period. However, tuition and fees are paid on a monthly basis.

• Monthly Tuition Rates:

        30-minute lesson: $130

        45-minute lesson: $180

        60-minute lesson: $240

        *December, 2023 and January, 2024 will be combined as one month due to the winter break.

• Monthly payments are due on the first lesson of each month. There is a $20 late fee if payment is not received on time. If tuition is not received on time, lessons may be suspended until payment is received.

• Acceptable methods of payment include cash, check, or PayPal, and can be hand-delivered. If you wish to pay by mail, it should only be paid with check. Please also note that there will be an additional fee if the check is returned by the bank.

 

Enrollment

A free trial lesson will be given for prospective students, in which students will go through an initial evaluation. Students must complete and sign the enrollment/registration form after the consultation session (trial lesson) or at time of the first lesson. In addition, a deposit in the amount of the monthly tuition is due before the first lesson. This will serve as the final month’s tuition at the end of the study.

 

Withdrawal and Dismissal

• It is customary to give a 30-day notice if you wish to discontinue lessons. As a result, you will have one month of instruction after you give notice which is covered by the enrollment deposit. If this notice is not received or you decided not to take further instructions, the deposit will not be refunded.

• At the teacher’s discretion, a student may be dismissed from the studio for reasons including excessive absence or tardiness, frequently late payment of tuition, repeatedly ignorance of instruction, and lack of lesson preparation or practice. No refunds will be given if a dismissal has to be placed.

 

Student Responsibilities

• Required materials

   At home:  acoustic piano or weighted digital keyboard for daily practice, which is in good repair and tuned regularly, metronome. 

   At lesson: books, binders, and pencils. If a student does not bring these, an ideal lesson experience cannot be guaranteed. The teacher reserves the right to refuse to give a lesson if a student does not comply with this responsibility, and no refunds will be given. If lab sessions are requested upon discussions, students must bring their iPads to their lessons.

• Practice Expectations

   Students are expected to come to their lessons with all assignments completed. A regular daily practice schedule will ensure long-lasting learning habits and steady progress. However, the amount each student should practice depends upon the student's level and capabilities. If the student has questions about how much to practice, please ask the teacher.

• Performances/Recitals

Participation in student recitals is not mandatory. However, participation in recitals, music festivals, camps, competitions, and other public events are strongly encouraged for students' own benefit.

 

Summer

Due to several factors such as vacations and travel schedules of students and instructors, summer scheduling is flexible. Nevertheless, students are still encouraged to maintain a good practice and learning routine during the summer period, and students and teachers are responsible to discuss the scheduling and expectations of summer lessons. Tuition will be pro-rated during this period.

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