Studio Policy and Information

(As of August 1, 2021)

1)  INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE

A)  LOOK HERE FIRST

For both current and prospective students, and parents/guardians: this policy and information handbook, and this website, is designed to answer the majority of your questions.  To help save both of us time, kindly look here and on the website to find answers FIRST before inquiring with me.

B)  GENERAL

The terms in this Studio Policy and Information Handbook have been created:

  • to help students become independent musicians as quickly as possible and with a solid foundation of musical skills and knowledge

  • to help provide you with the greatest return on your respective investment of time and money

  • to keep everything clean and keep everyone healthy and safe

Termination of lessons will be considered for any student or parent/guardian (or attending adult) who does not respect and adhere to these terms.  Please distribute this Studio Policy/Information Handbook to others who may bring you/your child to lessons so they are aware of the terms.

C)  COVID INFORMATION

AS OF 8/27/2021:  UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, ALL LESSONS WILL BE HELD ONLINE WHETHER A STUDENT IS VACCINATED OR NOT. The covid situation continues to get worse (again) and I just want to make sure that everyone is EXTRA safe. Please check back here for updates. 

PLEASE NOTE:  FOR ANY IN-PERSON LESSONS THAT MAY OCCUR IN THE FUTURE, PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE PROVIDED AND MASKS ARE REQUIRED.

D)  ACCESS TO A PIANO

All students must have DAILY access to a piano.  Acoustic pianos (with 3 pedals) are best, but an electric/digital piano with 88 WEIGHTED keys, 3 pedals, and a solid base is an equally good substitute.  Any piano/keyboard that does not meet these criteria is acceptable only for the first few months of lessons.  (Where to buy a piano?  Knapp’s Music in Bangor, Uncle Henry’s, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace ads)

E)  FOR ALL LESSONS (whether online or in person)

  • Make sure fingernails are cut short every week.  Fingernails must be kept short at all times (during lessons AND during at-home practicing) in order to maintain the correct hand position while playing; and to prevent nails from getting ripped off in between the keys.

  • Bring ALL CURRENT books, music, assignment book, and materials to every lesson. 

F)  FOR ONLINE LESSONS

Please have your camera angle set up so that I can see the student sitting at the piano and also includes a view of their hands on the keyboard.  (A general side-view set up works well for this.)

G)  FOR IN-PERSON LESSONS

 AT THE ‘STUDIO’ 
(this pertains to students AND attendees/parents/guardians)

  • PROOF OF COVID VACCINATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND LESSONS IN PERSON.

  • MASKS ARE REQUIRED.

  • Hands must be clean (washed with soap and water, or thoroughly sanitized) prior to entering.

  • The bathroom is not available for use.

  • No food or drinks allowed (including gum and candy). 

  • No bare feet allowed.

  • Always leave shoes on during lessons, unless they are very wet from heavy rain or snow.  (The laminate flooring cannot get/stay wet; the carpets can.)  When shoes must be removed, please wear reasonably clean socks. 

  • Limit attendees at the lesson to the student and only one adult.  Please leave siblings at home or wait with them in your vehicle.  (It’s okay to bring them in for pick up and drop off.)

  • Please keep all books and materials clean.

BEFORE ARRIVING AT EACH WEEKLY LESSON

  •  Make sure hands *and fingernails* are CLEAN (washed/sanitized) before arriving.  Please use a nail brush with soap and water to clean under fingernails when they are dirty. *This is especially important while the delta variant of the covid virus is still an issue.

  • Make sure fingernails are cut short every week.  Fingernails must be kept short at all times (during lessons AND during at-home practicing) in order to maintain the correct hand position while playing; and to prevent nails from getting ripped off in between the keys.

  • Make sure your child is not hungry or thirsty AND has already used the bathroom BEFORE arriving at lessons.  This helps their concentration/focus greatly.  (Please note that for a variety of safety and privacy reasons my bathroom is not available for use.)

  • Remind your child to keep his/her hands on the piano keys or on their lap…not in his/her mouth and/or not touching his/her feet while at the piano. 

  • Remind your child to cough/sneeze into their arms/elbows and away from the piano and me.  

  • Check all bodies/clothes, etc. for ticks and remove them if you/your child has been outside in or near wooded areas prior to (even a day or two before) his/her lesson time.

  • Bring ALL CURRENT books, music, assignment book, and materials to every lesson.  Carrying everything in a tote bag helps keep all materials together and helps prevent damage from bad weather.

H)  LESSON SCHEDULE

YEARLY SCHEDULE:  School-year lessons will be held EVERY week from September through late June except for: Christmas vacation, February vacation, and April vacation.  Thanksgiving week lessons will be moved to earlier times on Monday and Tuesday of that week.  Summer lessons are optional.

MONDAY LESSONS THAT FALL ON HOLIDAYS – For those who have lessons scheduled on Mondays, unless you are notified otherwise, lessons will still be held on ALL Monday holidays (Labor Day/September, Indigenous Peoples Day/October, Veterans Day/November, Martin Luther King Day/January, Memorial Day/May).  However, you are welcome to move your lesson to a different time and/or day that week so you can have the Monday holiday off.  Please use Acuity Scheduling, the swap list, and/or Zoom lessons on those days for your convenience.

I)  TUITION, COSTS, AND PAYMENTS

1)  TUITION FOR PRIVATE LESSONS

Private lessons are offered, and priced, in three single-semester ‘packages’ listed below… **HOWEVER, THIS CAN VARY EACH SEMESTER DEPENDING ON HOW HOLIDAYS AND SCHOOL YEAR-ENDS FALL.**  Lessons typically follow the beginning and ending of the Bangor school system calendar.

  •  The FALL SEMESTER - September to late December (usually 16 weeks)

    • $400 for 30-minute lessons

    • $800 for 60-minute lessons

  • The SPRING SEMESTER - January to mid-June (usually 22-23 weeks)

    • $550 for 30-minute lessons

    • $1100 for 60-minute lessons 

  • The SUMMER SEMESTER - runs from late June through August (summer vacation)

    • You choose how many lessons you would like to take (from 1 to 10)

    • $25 - $250 for 30-minute lessons (depending on how many lessons you choose)

    • $50 - $500 for 60-minute lessons (depending on how many lessons you choose)

Although the cost of piano lessons breaks down to $25 per 30-minute lesson (and $50 per 60-minute lesson), please note that tuition covers much more than just the time spent in lessons.  It also goes toward the time and expense of any and all of the following:

  • Answering questions received through phone calls, texts, & emails

  • Researching teaching materials

  • Researching music literature for students

  • Lesson planning

  • Professional association meetings

  • Professional development

  • Recital hall rental

  • Recital preparation

  • Recital expenses

  • Unfillable missed lesson time

  • Instrument maintenance

  • Any other miscellaneous related time and expenses

 

2)  TUITION FOR GROUP LESSONS

Will be announced with each session


3)  PAYMENT

Payment of tuition for private lessons for the entire semester is due two weeks before the first lesson of each semester in which the student is enrolled.  If you need to make other arrangements, please let me know.  Payment for group lessons will be due at the time of enrollment.  You may pay by:

1) CASH 2) CHECK 3) VENMO:  @playpianostudio   (select “Business”)

Tuition payments are non-refundable.  Coverage of any bank fees, as well as the amount of the check, is expected on any returned checks.


COST OF BOOKS AND MATERIALS

The cost of music books and/or other materials that I purchase for you will be charged separately from tuition, and payment (through one of the payment methods above) is due when materials are received.  If you prefer, you may make purchases yourself from a music store (such as Knapp’s Music) or online. 

After a few months, a metronome is highly recommended.  You may purchase a simple handheld metronome, or use any metronome that is included in a digital piano, or use the Simply Metronome app (by Mango Future) that you can download into your phone or computer.  (I’ve found that a simple metronome provides much more flexibility and is much easier for students to use.)

J)  LESSONS CHANGES, CANCELLATIONS, AND RESCHEDULING

**THERE ARE NO MAKE UP LESSONS.**

No lessons will be carried over into a new week or into a new semester.  However, if you need to make a change to your lesson within any particular week or several weeks in advance, please feel free to do so through Acuity Scheduling (at acuityscheduling.com), or the Swap List, or a Zoom lesson, or a combination of all three (see below for more details).

If the student is unable to attend his/her regular lesson, and also cannot utilize swapping, a Zoom lesson, or finding another free time in the schedule within the same week as the missed lesson, the lesson will not be made up.

  • TO CANCEL, RESCHEDULE, or SCHEDULE ANY LESSON: Do so through ACUITY SCHEDULING (either through one of your confirmation emails, or directly on acuityscheduling.com account).  When you do need to cancel, please do actually cancel your lesson on Acuity so it will free up your time for someone else to use.

  •  TO SWAP LESSONS WITH SOMEONE ELSE: Use the SWAP LIST, and the SWAP LIST RULES (listed below).  (Swaps must be done within the same week.)  Do not cancel swap lessons on Acuity Scheduling so that a third student does not accidentally take that time slot.

  • IF YOU CAN DO THE LESSON AT YOUR REGULAR TIME BUT YOU CANNOT ATTEND IN PERSON: You may do a lesson through Zoom.  The link is in the “For Students” section of the website.  You will always use the same Zoom link for any video lesson. There’s not a new link each time.

  • For adults: If you have difficulty using a computer, please let me know. 


IF I HAVE TO CANCEL ANY LESSONS:
I will give you as much notice in advance as I can and I will make them up.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TERMINATE LESSONS: 
You may do so after the end of any semester.

K)  PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

RECITALS AND PERFORMANCES – There will be several performance opportunities throughout the year.  My studio recitals (called ‘Student Showcases’) will usually be held in mid-February and late June.  Students enrolled in the ‘Kids Private Lessons (Ages 7-18)’ are expected to perform in the studio performances.  No one is ever required to perform, though.

Other performance opportunities include the Penobscot Valley Music Teachers Association (PVMTA) recital in mid-November, the All-Souls Church recital in May, and the Monster Piano Concert held biennially.  Times and dates will be announced.

L)  COMMUNICATION

After you have become a student, EMAIL IS THE BEST WAY to reach me initially because it’s the most efficient and it allows us to have a record of our messages.  (We can then schedule a phone call if we need to talk more in-depth.)  I try to send as few group emails as possible (because I know you’re busy and our e-mailboxes are already full) so please read and respond as quickly as you can (to emails/texts/calls) because sometimes there can be up to 60 or more other folks waiting for your response.  Please contact me anytime with questions or concerns! 

2)   INFORMATION FOR: PRIVATE LESSONS FOR KIDS (Ages 7-18)

 AT HOME

 PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS

Learning to play the piano is one of the most difficult things that your child will ever do because s/he is learning to play the piano AND learning to read music all at the same time.  BOTH require CONSISTENT ACCURATE REPETITION until your child becomes proficient in the language (reading music) AND in the physical skill (playing the piano).  Therefore, practicing A MINIMUM OF 150 MINUTES PER WEEK…ON AT LEAST 5 DAYS PER WEEK is expected and necessary for basic progress each week.  150 minutes per week of practice can be broken down as follows:

5 days = 30 minutes per day
6 days = 25 minutes per day
7 days = 22 minutes per day

30-minute practice times may be broken down into even smaller sessions, too (for example: 2 sessions per day at 15 minutes each, or 3 sessions per day at 10 minutes each, or a mix of a 20-minute session and a 10-minute session…and actually, the more it is broken down, the better). 

Also, positive parental involvement is VITAL to your child’s continued musical development.  Be available to your child during his/her practice time (especially during the beginning months) to help with questions, to listen, and to give genuine encouragement.  Once your child gets into the habit of practicing on his/her own and starts seeing the results of his/her hard work, this should then help decrease the amount of time you need to attend to his/her practicing.

PARENT’S/GUARDIAN’S RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE CHILD’S PRACTICING

Children don’t usually go to the piano on their own to practice until it has become a habit for them or until they see the benefit of it.  You, as the parent/guardian, are responsible for making sure your child gets his/her practice done each week until they reach that point.  Schedule a daily practice time with them and put each daily practice time on the calendar just as you would put on a doctor’s appointment or a sports/dance practice.  Having it on your calendar each day will also create the expectation for your child that practice is going to occur (just like going to school does) rather than having to negotiate practice each day.  Find something to motivate/reward your child on a daily, weekly, monthly, and/or semester basis (for example:  no “screen time” until practice is done; or make practice part of what is required for them to receive their allowance each week, etc…be creative J), until it is no longer needed.

PARENT/GUARDIAN, PLEASE ALSO MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD:

  • Reads and understands his/her assignment (written in their white assignment book).

  • Keeps his/her fingernails cut short.  Again, fingernails must be kept short at all times (during lessons AND during at-home practicing) in order to maintain the correct hand position while playing.  (Based on average nail growth, they’ll probably need to be cut once per week.)

  • Has a pencil available to do any written work and for marking the music. (No pens/markers.) I am happy to provide a pencil if you need one.

  • Keeps track of practice time by writing it (in pencil) in the assignment book.

  • Keeps all music and materials clean, in good condition, and away from all pets/food/drinks.

  • Completes all Note Speller/Theory (in pencil) (best to work on this right after the lesson).

  • Works on Flashcards DAILY (when assigned)

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ASSIGNMENT BOOKS

When lessons are held in person, the assignment books I use are the main source of information for you, and your child, and me.  Not only is it the place where the student’s assignment is written, but it is also the place where students keep track of their practice time, and where I will document information pertaining to financial matters (the cost of a new book, confirmed payment for a book, confirmed payment for tuition, etc.).  Please look at these on a weekly basis to make sure your child understands his/her assignment, but also to see when new books/music are needed, confirmed tuition payment, some recital details, and other relevant information.

3)   INFORMATION FOR:

  • GROUP LESSONS FOR ADULTS (Ages 19-100+)

  • PRIVATE LESSONS FOR ADULTS (Ages 19-100+)

 

ANY STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GROUP LESSONS AND ANY ADULT STUDENTS ENROLLED IN PRIVATE LESSONS, do not have any practice requirements unless they want them.  If students would like to advance as much as possible during these types of lessons, I recommended practicing 5 days per week (for about 30 minutes each day).  For more guidance, please see the practice information under “Information for Kids’ Private Lessons (Ages 7-18)”.

4)   SWAP LIST RULES

PLEASE NOTE: PARTICIPATION IN THE SWAP LIST IS OPTIONAL.  However, if you do not participate in the swap list, you may not request a swap.

TO MAKE A SWAP:

  •  **Let me know BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER you do a swap and who is involved in the swap.**

  • Most lessons are 30-minutes long.  Some are 60-minutes long.  Both parties must confirm with each other that you are swapping the correct amount of time (swap 30 with 30; and 60 with 60).

  • A person with a 60-minute lesson may do a swap with two 30-minute lessons.

  • Don’t cancel and reschedule your respective lessons on Acuity.

 

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

  • When someone requests a swap from you, make every effort to swap your lesson if you can.

  •  If you both show up at the same time, I will teach the student whose time it was originally.

  •  No make up lessons will be given if any confusion from a swap arises.

  •  Treat people the way you’d like to be treated with the swaps…give folks adequate notice to do the swap. 

  •  ***As a courtesy, try to send a reminder email/text to the person you have swapped with, a day or two in advance of your respective lesson times to remind them of the swap.***  We are all busy and it’s easy to forget this kind of change.  Over-confirming will be better than under-confirming.

  • Don’t abuse the swap list…use the swap list only for swapping lesson times.  (Ex. Don’t use it to solicit business, etc.)  Anyone not using the swap list respectfully will be removed from the swap list.

  • Please email me if/when you’d like to be completely removed from the swap list.