Piano Persona Studio Policies

Expectations/Philosophy

      Music is slow but highly rewarding art form. It takes continuous effort and discipline. Thus it is expected that the student will practice every day and depending on their level each will have a different length of practice session. It is also expected that the student will follow the teacher’s instructions on how to practice because there is a difference between playing and practicing. As I work hard to explain a concept with different methods, I expect my students do their part to make this collaboration work.

 

Performance Opportunities

      Performance is the reward for all the hard work. While a student is not obligated to play in a recital because of reasons such as other urgent commitments, etc., I still recommend my students to perform because it is a great opportunity for them to show their work and to gain more confidence by performing in front of others.

 

Certificate of Merit (CM) Examinations

      Certificate of Merit (CM) is an annually held state examination which evaluates students’ level based on their Technique, Theory, Sight-Reading, and Repertoire in four main Musical periods: Baroque, Classical, 19th Century and Contemporary. CM examinations are great examples of extracurricular activities to mention in students’ resumes when they are applying to college. It is especially helpful when the student wants to pursue a career in the field of music. In addition, the CM examinations may qualify a student to participate in recitals and competitions. Parents who are interested in this program should be aware that there is more work involved during the lesson, and there are state examination fees.

 

Materials

      It is the student’s and/or parent’s responsibilities to purchase any materials needed for the lesson. However, there may be times when the teacher may volunteer to get certain materials for reasons such as the student/parent not being able to find a music store nearby. In that case the parent will reimburse the teacher for the costs involved. The teacher will provide a receipt to the parent for proof of purchase price.

 

Lesson Tuition

One-time registration fee of $30 will be required for reserving a time slot in the teacher’s schedule. This fee also covers the first recital fee. There are 3 lesson plans, 30 min., 45 min., and 60 min., to sign up, which depends on student’s level and age. Studio also offers 10% for families who have more than one child taking piano lessons.  Payment for one whole month must be made during the first week of the month. A late fee of $15 will be charged if the payment is not made on time and/or in full. Accepted forms of payment are checks, cash, and money orders.

 Lesson Cancellations

  • It is important to notify the teacher at least 24 hours in advance of cancellations. Exemptions to this rule include cases of unpredictable emergencies, accidents for which the absence is excused.
  • School activities, or being sick are not considered excused absences, therefore, make-up lessons need to be done upon the availability of the instructor’s schedule/time slots. Make-up lessons may be delayed until a time slot becomes available.
  • If the opportunity for make-up lesson is abused and frequently requested for [example, within 3 months of lessons student misses 3 lessons] reasons mentioned above then instructor reserves the right to discuss this matter with parent and/or student, and even terminate lessons upon disagreement.
  • Why do make-up lessons? Because it is the nature of this art. Meeting once a week is already a limited length of lesson time. Therefore, when a student misses one lesson she/he gets behind from improving. Lesson attendance is key to successful playing. Another important reason is to respect the teacher’s time as there will be another student who will attend to lessons consistently.