Policies

Payment for lessons is a flat rate monthly membership fee. This set amount accounts for reasonable absences due to illness, vacations, periodic excused absences, and studio holidays. Rescheduling is strongly encouraged when conflicts arise, however make-up lessons are not guaranteed. Payment is due on the first of each month. To simplify this process, students/parents will receive a link to set up automated monthly payments.

What's Included in Your Monthly Membership

In addition to weekly lessons, any necessary recital rehearsals, and teacher prep and administrative time, your monthly tuition also includes the following:
  • All lesson books and sheet music at no cost to the student.
  • For guitar, mandolin, banjo, and pedal steel students, a complete restringing, full set-up, neck adjustment (if needed), and cleaning of your instrument, including the cost of high-quality strings (provided outside of the lesson time.)
  • Periodic progress videos of student 'mini performances' sent via a private YouTube link that can be shared with friends and family.
  • The Winter Recital held each December. This is the culmination of the student's work for the year and typically features wide ranging performances of students of all ages and on a number of instruments and voice. Students perform solo and often in small groups everything from the most challenging of Beethoven’s piano sonatas to K-Pop to Black Sabbath to Ella Fitzgerald. There is no additional fee for the recital.​​

Attendance

  • Online lessons are always an option, even with short notice, via Zoom, Forte, or other platforms.
  • If a student needs to miss a lesson, please provide as much advanced notice as possible (at least 24 hours notice), so that time slot can be offered as a make-up slot for other students.  If a student "forgets" about a lesson or does not provide 24-hr notification when possible, that student will forfeit the missed lesson.
  • If the instructor needs to miss a lesson, and a make-up lesson cannot be scheduled, the student's account will be refunded in the amount of the student's monthly rate divided by 4.
  • If a student needs to miss a lesson, there are slots available that students can sign up for via Fons here. Make-up lessons can be taken anytime within 4 weeks of the missed lesson. If a student is unable to attend any of the make-up slots that are offered, and we are unable to find any alternative times, the student forfeits the lesson.
  • Make-up lessons are not guaranteed, however, if a student misses a lesson, an asynchronous lesson is possible. The student can submit a video performance of their current song/piece, and the instructor will send a brief video lesson in response.
  • There will be no lessons offered during the AISD Thanksgiving break, Winter Break, or Spring Break. The studio will also take off 2 weeks in the summer. Monthly tuition remains the same for all months of the year and no make-up lessons will be offered for lessons missed during these holiday breaks.

Cancellation

Students can cancel their monthly membership at any time with written notification via text or email. However, no refunds or prorations will be given for any remaining lessons in a given month.

Practice

Consistent, daily playing is highly encouraged. Playing your instrument for just 5 minutes every day is better than playing for 30 minutes before the lesson. The use of the word "playing" versus "practicing" here is intentional. Finding the joy in your instrument is key to success!

Rates

Once-per-week, 30-min lessons: $210/mo
Once-per-week, 1-hour lessons: $420/mo

(These rates are the same whether there are 4 or 5 lessons in a given month.)