380 Music Studio Lesson and Class Policies

Welcome to Music Lessons! Thank you for enrolling! We look forward to a continued long-term relationship with your family. Please take a couple of minutes to read through the policies outlined below. Having clear-cut policies allows both parents and teachers to focus their time and effort on lessons, rather than attendance and billing. You will be given two copies of this policy sheet at your first lesson. Please sign the bottom of one of the copies and return it to the teacher. Keep the 2nd copy for your records. As always, let us know if you have any questions!

SCHEDULING LESSONS 

Lessons are held on the same day at the same time each week. Your lesson time starts at the scheduled lesson time. Be ready to play and learn when you arrive at lessons. 

We do not offer “every-other-week” lessons. Consistent weekly lessons are necessary for development and enjoyment, even if the student is “just taking lessons for fun.” 

LESSON PAYMENT PROCEDURES 

Payments are made directly to the teacher for the month in advance. Cash, check, Zelle, and Venmo are accepted. 

Payments are due before the 1st of each month. Any payments not received by the first lesson of the month will incur a $20 late fee. All payments, including late fees, must be current in order to receive a lesson. 

Students commit to one calendar month at a time, and there are no refunds for any unused lessons. If a decision is made to discontinue lessons in the middle of the month, the student may choose to take or forfeit the remaining lessons, but no refund will be given. 

$30 fee for bounced/returned/dishonored Checks/payments. Payment for tuition plus $30 fee must be paid before the student receives another lesson. 

Students are charged a flat-rate fee per month. Most months, the student will receive 4 lessons. Some months, because of the way the weeks fall, the student will receive 5 lessons: we do not charge extra for 5-lesson months. Occasionally, due to pre-scheduled vacations such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, the student will receive 3 lessons in a month. The 3-lesson months and the 5-lesson months balance out to an average of 4 lessons per month over the course of the year. Students will receive a list of pre scheduled vacations each semester. See “Pre-Scheduled Holidays/Vacations” on this page. No refunds or credits are given if a student discontinues lessons before their 3- and 5- week months balance out.

The only time we prorate tuition is during the first month of lessons and in extreme circumstances, which are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For example: we do not prorate tuition when a student decides to discontinue lessons or wants to take time off.

PRE-SCHEDULED HOLIDAYS/VACATIONS 

Specific dates for pre-scheduled vacations will be announced at the beginning of each semester. In general, we do not teach on normal school vacation days, including:
Spring Break
Memorial Day
July 4th Week
Labor Day
Halloween (Lessons starting after 5 pm.)
Thanksgiving Week
Christmas/New Years Vacation
* Tuition is not adjusted for pre-scheduled holidays/vacations, as the they balance out the 5-lesson months (see above).

MAKE-UPS & ABSENCES 

Lessons missed due to teacher absence will be made up. 

Lessons missed due to student absences will be made up if the teacher receives 48-hours notice.
The exception to the 48-hour cancellation policy is in the case of student illness or extreme emergency. Emergencies are determined by the teacher.

LONG TERM ABCENCES 

Long-term absences are detrimental to the student’s development and enjoyment of lessons. After returning from a long-term absence, the student will experience frustration as they will be reviewing things they knew a short time ago! Teachers are not able to hold spots for students who take a long-term absence from lessons. We ask all students to continue lessons throughout the summer. Students who continue through the summer will be given first priority when scheduling lessons for the fall. If the student must take a long-term absence, the only way to hold a spot with the current teacher is to pay for lessons throughout their absence.

DISCONTINUING LESSONS 

Student/Parent must inform their teacher in order to cancel lessons and discontinue billing. There are no refunds for un-used lessons due to student cancellations except in extreme situations at the discretion of the teacher. 

Tuition billing will continue until you notify the teacher of your discontinuation. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

It is the parent's responsibility to communicate absences, cancellations and to give payment. Important information and tasks should not be given to students. 

The teacher reserves the right to un-enroll or decline any student due to student behavior, parent behavior, lack of payment, or any other reason the teachers deem necessary. 

ENTERING/EXITING PROCEEDURES & PARENT PRESENCE 

Please enter about one minute before your lesson time so you can use the bathroom and be ready to go at your lesson time. 

Please do not come in prior to five minutes before your lesson time, except for urgent bathroom needs. 

Parents may watch the lesson (I have seating for you in the studio room), or may sit in their car. Any siblings that will be waiting should bring something quiet to do.

After our first lesson together, once I get to know the student, parents may leave during the lessons, provided I give approval and provided the parent:
-Returns at least 5 minutes before the lesson is scheduled to be finished.
-Confirms that they have their cell phone with them, turned on so they can hear it ring.
-Confirms that the teacher has an accurate/current cell phone number.
-Understands that I may not be first-aid certified and/or up to date on first-aid training.

 If your child appears to need medical attention, I will call 911. If appropriate and if you are waiting in the car, I will attempt to first communicate with you before calling 911. However, if it appears to me that it is an urgent medical need, 911 will be called first, and then you will be informed. It is understood that any and all costs associated with such call will be paid for by the parent/student, not the teacher/studio, regardless if medical professionals determine there to be no medical emergency. The parent/student understands that the teacher/studio is NOT a babysitter or childcare facility and agrees to hold the teacher/studio blameless for any inability to administer proper first aid care to the student. Parent/student assumes all risk when they, or any of their children/friends/relatives, are in the studio. 

Parents: Please do not leave until you see your child enter the house/building!

WAIVER
The student and parents acknowledge that there are risks in any activity, and agree that 380 Music Studio, its owners and/or teachers, will not be held liable for any personal injury, or damage to personal belongings that should occur to either the student or any observers they bring, during anytime they are in my home. Though the chances of injury or damage occurring are extremely low, students/parents agree to take any and all financial and personal risk associated with classes, and agree to hold 380 Music Studio, its teachers and owner blameless should such an issue occur, and indemnify the teacher/studio in such cases.

If a student or visitor willfully causes any property damage to the studio/teacher's home, or if damage is caused due to student or visitor's lack of following rules or instructions, the parent will be held financially liable for such damage.

LATE PICKUP
The teacher reserves the right to charge a late pick up fee of $1 per minute should a parent repeatedly pick up their child late from lessons.

ILLNESS/SICKNESS POLICY
We have a very generous make-up policy for illnesses. There is no reason to come to a lesson sick! Please do not come to lessons if you are ill. Because we work in close quarters, we often breathe the same air, and we touch the same keys and writing utensils. This means that its easy to spread germs in a piano or voice lesson. If the student missed school or work due to illness, he/she is likely not well enough to come to lessons. If a student comes to the lesson sick, the teacher reserves the right to cancel the lesson with no make up / reschedule provided. Please show courtesy, kindness and respect to the teacher and all the students coming to lessons after you: do not come to lessons while sick.

Students must be fever free for at least 24 hours before returning to lessons after an illness.

PHOTO RELEASE

Student and/or parent gives 380 Music Studio the right to publish images and/or videos on their website, Facebook page, and printed marketing materials for the purposes of marketing and social media use, with the student's first name and instrument he/she takes lessons on. If the parent/student does not want his/her image to be included in such materials, he/she must notify 380 Music Studio via email at info@380musicstudio.com .

REFERALS
Tell friends and neighbors about us and receive a $50 lesson credit once your referred family has completed two months of lessons.