The following policies cover most things that can come up in relation to piano lessons. If you have questions that are not covered in this policy, please talk to the teacher for clarification.
Make-Up Policy
Students are encouraged to attend all of their regularly scheduled lessons. However, I understand that life happens!
If a student is sick: Please notify me by noon on the day of the lesson. I do not encourage remote lessons in the event of sickness, and would prefer the student to rest and become healthy again. Make-up days are primarily intended to cover unexpected illness.
If the student is in isolation due to illness exposure: Let me know as soon as you can and we can have lessons remotely.
In the event of a snowstorm: Each family should use their judgement to decide whether they feel safe driving on snowy roads. If my driveway becomes impassible due to snow, I will also call a snow day. As long as both I and the student have electricity, we can hold lessons remotely. If the power goes out, we will try to arrange for another make-up option.
If a family is going to miss lessons, and notifies me a week early we can try to reschedule, but I can not guarantee the ability to re-schedule.
Payment
Payment is due at the beginning of the term, and includes tuition, books/materials, and recital fees.
Studio Hygiene
Students are allowed to wear their shoes, because they can make using the pedal more comfortable. If you’re going to keep your shoes on, please wipe them on the mat!
Students should wash their hands in the restroom before coming in for their lesson. This keeps the piano clean, and is also respectful of the fact that it is a shared instrument.
If students are coming from a sweaty outdoor activity, they are encouraged to bring clean clothes (shirts or socks, as necessary) to help keep odors down.
Recitals
Performing is a great way to share the progress they have made and to celebrate their accomplishments.
Students are encouraged to participate in recitals. If a student does not want to perform, they are not required to, but I hope they will attend as an audience member, instead. There is as much to learn from watching a performance as there is from giving a performance!
Practicing
Students should try to play every day, if possible. Length of time will vary by student, but a general guide is that beginners should play for about 20-minutes or more a day, and as students progress this should increase gradually towards an hour. Students looking towards a professional career in music benefit from up to 2 hours of practice a day. All students should keep in mind that practicing, especially larger amounts, can be broken up into smaller sessions.
At the beginner level, practicing is really just playing. By spending as much time as their interest allows playing a variety of pieces, students grow and progress.
Intermediate and Advanced Students should play through their pieces daily, and then choose a few smaller sections to focus on improving. Setting goals for the practice session helps pianists to use their time efficiently and make the most progress possible.