Creative Canton
Studio Policy for Piano Lessons
Students are required to have:
-suitable instrument for home practice (electronic keyboard is acceptable butmust have at least 60 or more full sized keys)
-spiral notebook for assignments and notes
-folder or 3 ring binder for copied music and worksheets
-lesson books (teacher will make recommendations for which books)
Students are recommended to have:
-a tote bag or book bag for piano books and materials
-a metronome (exception may be for beginners)
Payment
The rate is $15 per half hour lesson. Lessons can be paid weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or any other interval as long as payment is on time. Students will get a discount for paying for 10 lessons at a time: the rate is 10 lessons for $130. There will be a late fee of $5 per week that payment is late.
Acceptable methods of payment include cash (preferred), check, or Pay Pal. (Pay Pal may be used if you are paying for at least 10 lessons at a time). Please make checks payable to Courtney Pugh or Creative Canton Music Studio. Post-dated checks will not be accepted. If check is returned, a fee of $20 will be charged.
Attendance and Cancellations
No refunds are issued under any circumstance.
In the event that the teacher is unable to give a lesson for any reason, the teacher will try to schedule a make-up lesson. If the teacher cannot provide a make-up lesson, a credit will be given towards the next lesson.
In case of cancellation by the student, the teacher must be notified at least 24 hours in advance. If the teacher was not given at least 24 hours notice of cancellation, no credit or refund is given, and payment is still due for the missed lesson.
Students are allowed 7 cancellations per year (with at least 24 hours notice) where a credit will be given towards the following lesson. This allows weeks of leave for vacation, sickness, or other scheduling conflicts. When the student exceeds 7 absences from lessons during one year, the student will owe for all of the following lessons, no matter if they attend the lesson or not.
The 7 allowed cancellations will be reset on January 1st of each calendar year.
Students are expected to arrive on time. If the student arrives late, the teacher has no obligation to make up that time.
It is recommended that the parent does not leave the premises, but if the parent does choose to drop the child off and leave, the parent is expected to leave the child unattended for no longer than 5 minutes before or after the lesson so as not to interfere with another lesson or other work that the instructor must get done. In addition, the instructor cannot be held responsible for the safety of the student outside of their lesson time if they are left unattended.
The teacher reserves the right to terminate lessons either temporarily or permanently at any time.
Significant Notes About Music Lessons
It is extremely important that students show up every week for a lesson. Missing lessons makes it harder for the student to learn and is a waste of your money. Missing just one lesson means there were 13 days in between piano lessons, which is an obstruction to learning and improving musical skills. Students are also expected to bring lesson books and any other copied music to each lesson. Forgetting lesson books hinders progress on current songs used for learning new musical skills.
Please note that while playing the piano is fun, it also involves a lot of work. Music is not easy and can even become frustrating at times! It requires a serious commitment from the student as well as the parent. Only with regular, thoughtful practice can a student fully realize his/her potential at the piano; therefore, the student is asked to set up a daily practice time. Try to keep the practice time in your home free of distractions (such as TV or other noise in the background). If the student is young, remember that children are rarely self motivated and lack the maturity and self-discipline to practice on their own. Parental supervision and encouragement is necessary. In the end, consistent practice and determination results in a sense of accomplishment. Best of all, music is something that can be enjoyed for a lifetime!
I highly encourage students to listen to classical music at home whenever possible. Hearing it and being exposed to music helps develop an ear for music. Everyone knows how much children absorb everything around them (even the things you don’t want them to hear!) and music is no exception. Being exposed to great classical composers’ works may really benefit students in the future as they get more and more involved with piano.
