Studio Policy and Handbook
(As of August 6, 2024)
Welcome (or welcome back) to the studio! I look forward to working with you!
PLEASE NOTE:
There are NO REFUNDS, SO BEFORE YOU PAY YOUR TUITION, read the Studio Policy and Handbook below THOROUGHLY, and let me know if you have any questions. (…or see any typos…ha ha.)
FOR EVERYONE (current students AND anyone helping the student with lessons and/or practice):
The studio policies have been created:
to help students become independent musicians as quickly as possible, 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
Termination of lessons will be considered for anyone not adhering to the policies.
Please share this Studio Policy and Handbook, as well as the CURRENT STUDENTS section of the website, with everyone who will be helping with your/your child’s lessons, so they are also aware of the terms.
GOT QUESTIONS?
Find answers here FIRST before inquiring with me:
1 - The STUDIO POLICY AND HANDBOOK (you’re already here)
AND
2 - The CURRENT STUDENTS section of the website (with password access)
STUDENTS MUST HAVE DAILY ACCESS TO A GOOD-QUALITY PIANO
All students must have DAILY access to a good-quality piano. If the student lives in two (or more) homes on a regular basis, a good-quality piano must be available in each home.
ALL PIANOS MUST HAVE:
A music stand attached to the piano (or an unattached one that can be set up behind it)
No stickers on the keys – including no stickers that show the note and/or note name
88 WEIGHTED keys
All piano keys working properly
A piano with an attached solid base stand that includes 2-3 pedals integrated into it.
A piano bench that belongs to the piano (or one specifically designed to be used with a piano)
If using an acoustic piano, the piano strings must be in-tune
Don’t have a good-quality piano yet?
For students who have previously had lessons (or have learned through an app for a few months), you must have a piano that meets the above criteria within one month after starting lessons.
For beginners, any piano/keyboard that does not have the items listed above is acceptable only for the first 3 months of lessons, however it must still have:
a music stand attached to the piano (or one that can be set up behind it)
no stickers on or near the keys
What kind of piano should you have?
An acoustic piano or a digital (electric) piano. (I teach on a digital piano and most of my students use a digital piano at home.)
I am happy to help you find a good-quality new or used piano within your price range if you aren’t sure what to get. Just let me know. (Some are even low cost or free!)
Where to buy a piano?
Knapp’s Music in Bangor, Facebook Marketplace, Uncle Henry’s
STUDENTS MUST HAVE A HIGH-SPEED, RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTION
With online lessons, the video load is very heavy on the internet bandwidth, so students must have a high-speed, reliable internet connection. And if you can hard-wire into it, that’s even better.
MUST HAVE ZOOM
Students must be able to access and use Zoom on any laptops, tablets, or phones they’ll be using for lessons. I can help you if you need it.
ALL CHILD BEGINNER STUDENTS MUST HAVE A PARENT ATTEND LESSONS WITH THEM FOR THE FIRST YEAR (OR LONGER, IF NEEDED)
All child beginner students must start lessons with a parent present during the entire first year of lessons (or longer, if needed):
to write down the assignment each week
so the parent and student understand the assignment and what needs to be done at the lesson and practice
to function as the at-home practice coach during the week
to help with technology set up, operate devices, and Zoom
to help with anything else
PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS
Private 1:1 lessons at Play! Piano Studio are an accelerated program designed to help students progress thoroughly - and as quickly as possible – and this can only be accomplished with correct and efficient daily practice each week. Students enrolled in private 1:1 lessons are expected to practice 30 minutes each day, on 5-7 days per week. They are also expected to keep track their practice time each day and keep running totals for the week and semester. Again, this provides everyone with the greatest return on their/your respective investment of time and money. (It’s okay to take a break from practicing during studio vacation times and illnesses if the student does not have an upcoming performance.)
Beginner students will start at about 5-10 minutes DAILY and increase their time as they get more material.
ADVANCED students, and ADULT students, enrolled in private 1:1 lessons, may be allowed lighter practice requirements, but this must be approved by the teacher.
The 30 minutes (or shorter practice times) may also be broken up into smaller chunks of time. Some examples of breaking up a 30-minute practice time are:
10 minutes x 3 times per day
15 minutes x 2 times per day
20 minutes + 10 minutes
(Or whatever 30-minute total time combination that works best for the student)
Beginners will also have written homework to do during the week and this should be done the same day as (or the day after) their lesson. Then a clear, well-lit picture of each entire page (including the page number) will need to be emailed to me by Sunday evening. Transfer students may also have homework to do, depending on the level they are at when they transfer into the studio.
PLEASE NOTE:
PARENTS/GUARDIANS - YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE YOUR CHILD COMPLETES THEIR DAILY PRACTICE (AND WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF IT) AND WRITTEN WORK EACH WEEK until your child begins to do so on their own.
Once students get into the habit of daily practice and doing homework AND see the benefit of their hard work, they usually begin to do it on their own and external help will no longer be needed.
If you need help getting your child to practice, let me know so I can help.
Why so much at-home practice?
Playing the piano is a PHYSICAL SKILL and CANNOT be learned only through the KNOWLEDGE obtained during the lesson time. It requires the DAILY PRACTICE of the PHYSICAL SKILL on the piano at home during the week.
Daily at-home practice is where students make the most progress (rather than at the lesson). (This has nothing to do with the intelligence of the student, it is simply how the human brain works with learning any physical skill.) And this helps create good players regardless of level.
Can only practice 4 days or less each week?
Students who only have the time, desire, or ability to commit to 4 days or less of practicing each week will be enrolled in LAB-STYLE LESSONS.
Lab-Style Lessons are when 2 or more students meet at the same lesson time and you each have your own Zoom room where I will work with each student individually off and on throughout the call.
Students who consistently practice 4 days or less each week make significantly slower progress. As a result, their lessons become supervised practice sessions of previous assignments (rather than learning new material), so private 1:1 lessons are not needed. Lab-Style Lessons work much better.
Lab-Style Lessons can also have a fun performance option (that private lessons don’t have) where students can perform in front of each other on the call if they’d like. This can help increase the students’ overall motivation to practice more.
Beginners are not permitted to start in Lab-Style Lessons.
YEARLY SCHEDULE AND BREAKS
YEARLY SCHEDULE
Lessons are offered and priced in three single-semester ‘packages’ listed below, all of which can vary depending on school schedules.
FALL SEMESTER: September – late December (16 weeks)
SPRING SEMESTER: January – mid-June (up to 23 weeks)
SUMMER SEMESTER: Mid-June – end of August (10 weeks)
The Fall and Spring semesters are very structured, and we’ll meet every week except for the breaks listed below.
PLEASE NOTE: The Spring semester is more expensive because it is about 7 weeks longer than the fall.
The summer term is more flexible. You choose how many lessons you would like to take, which could be anywhere from 1 to 10 lessons. You can schedule around camps, vacations, or even a simple day trip to enjoy the nice weather. Please note: Beginners must practice 5-7 days per week if starting in the summer.
STUDIO BREAKS
Christmas vacation
February vacation
April vacation
July 4th Week
All lessons during Thanksgiving week will be on Monday and Tuesday.
FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE LESSONS SCHEDULED ON MONDAY HOLIDAYS:
For those who have lessons scheduled on these Mondays:
Labor Day/September
Indigenous Peoples Day/October
Veterans Day/November
Martin Luther King Day/January
Memorial Day/May
…you may have the Monday holiday off using one of these options:
move your lesson to a different time and/or day that week
send a video of what the student has worked on during the week and I will provide feedback through email, text, or video
cancel your lesson
COST ESTIMATE FOR LESSONS,
TUITION and PAYMENTS,
COSTS FOR BOOKS/MATERIALS
The cost for lessons is charged up front by the semester (as tuition) and varies a bit depending on which type of lesson and your start date. For estimation purposes, rates generally fall between $28-$56 per week. You’ll know your tuition amount before you commit to lessons.
Tuition covers MUCH more than just the time I spend with the student in lessons. Tuition also covers the time and expense of any/all of the following done outside your lesson time:
Answering questions received through phone calls, texts, & emails
Researching teaching materials, online apps, music literature, and pianos for students; and the cost of applicable materials
Recital expenses (hall rental, recital preparation time, programs, certificates, etc.)
Administrative work, grading homework
Lesson planning and unfillable missed lesson time
Website and social media maintenance and advertising
Software costs and Venmo fees
Professional development, continuing education, and professional association meetings
Insurance
Instrument maintenance
Any other related time and expenses
TUITION…AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
Payment of tuition for the entire semester is due upfront about one month before each semester begins (you will receive an email with the total amount and when it’s due).
PAYMENT OPTIONS: You may pay by cash, check, Venmo, or ACH.
Coverage of any bank fees, as well as the amount of the check, is expected on any returned checks.
Tuition may increase a bit each year.
PLEASE NOTE: **THERE ARE NO REFUNDS OF TUITION PAYMENTS**
COST OF BOOKS AND MATERIALS
The cost of music books and/or other materials is separate from tuition, and you will receive an email with the exact items you’ll need to buy. Your purchases may be made anywhere you’d like.
If I purchase any items for you, payment is due when materials are received, using one of the payment methods above.
Your initial set of books and materials usually cost between $30-$50 and will be used for several months, at least. Physical metronomes cost about $40, but you may use the Simply Metronome app (for iPhones/iPads), or Google Metronome, for free.
Future purchases of the next level of lesson books (usually 1-2 books) are usually around $10-$30. Sheet music (as wanted) can be about $4-$10.
LESSONS CHANGES, CANCELLATIONS, RESCHEDULING
**EACH STUDENT WILL HAVE ONLY ONE LESSON PER WEEK**
No lessons will be carried over into a new week or into a new semester.
If a student cannot attend their regular lesson time, they have three options:
1 - move the lesson (using Acuity Scheduling) to any open time in the schedule within that same Monday-Friday
week. (There will not be two lessons in one week.)
(For example, if you have a Wednesday lesson, you may move your lesson earlier in the same week to Monday or Tuesday, but not to any other week.)
OR
2 - make a video recording* of the piano work they’ve completed for the week and send it (and pictures of any written work) to me for feedback and a new assignment. (This is called an ‘Asynchronous Lesson’ – which is a lesson where the student and teacher do not meet at the same time.)
OR
3 - skip the lesson completely (with no make up lesson)
*Video recordings and submissions of them (and written homework) should be done within 24 hours of the missed lesson time and day to maintain the consistency of weekly lessons and feedback. I will provide feedback and a new assignment through email, text, or video, as deemed suitable.
REMEMBER THIS: It’s a common belief that the time spent with the teacher is what’s most important. It’s not. What’s most important is the overall long-term progress and improvement of the student’s skills and knowledge, and THAT happens during the consistent and correct DAILY practice at home (not in the lesson). Therefore, rest assured that missing an occasional lesson, or doing a video/feedback exchange (Asynchronous Lesson) from time to time (or even several in a row), is of no concern and will not derail the student’s overall progress.
I am genuinely interested in helping each student excel quickly and that can happen regardless of whether we meet at the same time or not.
TO CANCEL, RESCHEDULE, or SCHEDULE ANY LESSON
All lesson changes are done by you through Acuity Scheduling and MUST BE DONE AT LEAST 6 HOURS IN ADVANCE of the earliest lesson time you currently have or are moving to.
If you want to move your lesson to another time open during the week, use the “Reschedule” button.
If you do not see a certain lesson time open, that means it is not available. (You do not have to contact me to see if there is anything else available.)
Acuity sends me a notice whenever you cancel, reschedule, or schedule a lesson time so you do not have to send me an email letting me know that you’ve made a change.
If you do need to cancel your lesson, please do actually cancel it on Acuity to free up that time slot for someone else to use.
Once Acuity Scheduling is set up, it is fairly easy to use, but for anyone who has difficulty using a computer and/or online software, please let me know.
SEASONAL SPORTS/ACTIVITIES CONFLICTS:
Students are welcome to change their regular lesson time when it conflicts with a seasonal sport or activity if a time before 5:00 pm is available.
If there are no times available before 5:00 pm, students can do a video/feedback exchange (asynchronous) lesson during that sport/activity. They will be able to go back to their regular lesson time once the sport/activity is done for the season.
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 DISCONTINUE LESSONS:
You may do so after the end of any semester.
VIDEO SET UP FOR ONLINE LESSONS
You only ‘need’ one camera for online lessons which needs to show an over-the-shoulder type of view of the student’s hands on the piano keyboard. With a single camera set up, this device also needs to have a large screen so the student can see the things I am showing on the video. Laptops tend to work the best for both viewing and getting the correct camera angle of the piano. (Some students use a two-camera set up, which provides a face-to-face view, as well.)
You may (or may not) also need to purchase additional equipment (each item usually runs in the $30-$50 range). We can talk further about that to decide what you might need (or want).
You can find more details in the CURRENT STUDENTS section of the website (with password access) about how to set everything up and what other equipment you may want to purchase, if needed. I can also help you with this.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
There will be several performance opportunities throughout the year. My studio will have two Student Showcase performances (recitals) during the year - usually held in mid-February and mid-June. Students are expected to perform, but no one is ever required.
Other performance opportunities include (but not limited to) 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.
COMMUNICATION
Please contact me at any time BY EMAIL (initially) with any concerns, or with any questions that have not been answered by the Studio Policy and Handbook and/or the CURRENT STUDENTS section of the website. If we need to talk more in-depth, we can schedule a phone or zoom call.
I’ll respond as quickly as possible on Mondays through Thursdays between 10:00am and 5:00pm, but emails that arrive outside of those times may not receive a response until the following day. Emails received on Fridays through Sundays may not receive a response until the following week.
I send as few group emails as possible to help minimize the overall number of emails you get.
PLEASE READ AND RESPOND QUICKLY (to emails/texts/calls) because sometimes there can be over 60 other people waiting for your response (especially when planning for the recitals/performances).
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FOR THE WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL
I’m always looking for photos and videos of happy students practicing and performing - to add to this website, post on the studio (and my personal) Facebook page, and to use for promotional material, so please send them to me throughout the year! They are fun for both current and prospective families to see and something that students can be proud of. I will always ask for your permission before using them.
STUDIO POLICY UPDATES
Policy updates are usually completed by August 1st - prior to your registration for Fall lessons. However, policy updates can occur at any time of the year, and I will notify you if there are any important changes.