Policies

Pricing

For lessons in Ms. Emily’s home:

30-minute lesson: $30
45-minute lesson: $40
60-minute lesson: $60

For lessons in your home:

30-minute lesson: 0-5 miles, $40; 5-10 miles, $45; 10-15 miles, $50; 15+ miles, $55+
45-minute lesson: 0-5 miles, $50; 5-10 miles, $55; 10-15 miles, $60; 15+ miles, $65
60-minute lesson: 0-5 miles, $75; 5-10 miles, $85; 10-15 miles, $95; 15+miles, $105+
Pricing in this category depends on your location/distance from the studio.

For either type of lesson, the initial trial lesson is free of charge.

The cost of lessons does not include books/materials.

A $5-per-lesson discount will be applied to each additional family member enrolled.

Payments

Payment is currently accepted via cash and personal check, or PayPal, Venmo, and credit/debit card via the Student Portal. However, due to processing fees for electronic methods, please use cash or check whenever possible.

Payment is due in full at each lesson or at the first lesson of each month depending on the desired payment schedule.

Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the cancellation/make-up policy to see what is andis not refundable.

Scheduling

Lessons are 30, 45, or 60 minutes in length depending on the level and needs of the student.

Once a day and time has been agreed upon by the student and teacher, the lesson will be held on the same day at the same time each week unless otherwise negotiated.

Please reach out to Ms. Emily for current availability.

Lessons will not be held on federal holidays and as such will not be billed. This is also true for any other days that Ms. Emily is unavailable. Click here for a list of observed holidays/studio closures.

Cancellations/Make-Ups

If the student knows they will be absent and needs to cancel a lesson, they must contact Ms. Emily at least 24 hours in advance. If 24-hour notice is given, students may schedule a make-up lesson at an alternate time, or opt for a credit. One make-up lesson per month is allowed.

Same-day cancellations are not eligible to be rescheduled. If Ms. Emily is notified of the cancellation 6 or more hours before the lesson’s scheduled start time, the lesson will not be billed (but will be billed if notified less than 6 hours in advance).

No-shows are not eligible for rescheduling or refunds/credits and will be billed. In-home lessons are considered a no-show if Ms. Emily arrives at the student’s home and was not notified in advance that the student was not home or otherwise unavailable.

If Ms. Emily cancels a lesson due to illness, weather, etc., students will be notified promptly via email and/or text and make-ups will be scheduled when possible. Make-ups scheduled in this way do not count towards the once-a-month limit stated above. Students may also apply a credit towards the next month’s tuition in lieu of a make-up lesson.

Students who are ill or who have ill family members should not attend lessons. Ms. Emily reserves the right to refuse an obviously-ill student as she has a compromised immune system.

Student/Parent Portal & Facebook Page

Parents are strongly encouraged to sign up for the studio’s Student Portal. Parent accounts are able to view schedules, invoices, make payments, uploaded resources or repertoire, and lesson notes/assignments each week.

Students with their own email address are able to create a Student account where they can view their schedule, lesson notes, repertoire, etc. but will not have access to invoices or payments. Any direct communication between a student and teacher account is visible to parents.

The Portal is a valuable tool for students and parents alike to keep track of their progress and assignments. It is also a place for Ms. Emily to quickly share important news/updates, etc. with everyone.

If you did not receive an email to create your account, please let Ms. Emily know.

The studio also has a Facebook page!

In-Home Lessons

Ms. Emily is able to come to you for your lesson depending on where you live. Pricing starts at $40 for 30 minutes and depends on your distance from 80951.
Please note that in-home lessons are not available on military installations.
For voice students, in-home lessons are only available if the student has a in-tune piano in their home.

Availability for in-home lessons is currently extremely limited, to please reach out for which times are currently open!

Online Lessons

Online lessons are currently only offered as a way to make up a lesson that cannot be attended in-person due to weather, illness, etc. and not as a regular lesson option. This applies only to piano students; no voice lessons will be held online.

Online lessons are usually completed via Skype Meetings.

Student Expectations

It is expected that piano students have access to a piano, either electric or acoustic, outside of the studio, and will spend time practicing on their own at home in between lessons.

Students are encouraged to work with their parents to build their own practice schedule/habits, but are welcome to ask for advice. Students that show a severe lack of interest or a refusal/inability to practice may be placed on temporary probation.

The recommended minimum amount of practice suggested each week is 4-5 days per week, 20 minutes per practice session. This amount can be broken up into smaller amounts of time throughout the day if necessary. More is always better, but this is the minimum amount recommended to make good, steady progress.

Piano students are expected to attend lessons with clean hands and trimmed fingernails.

Students may not bring food or beverages into the studio with the exception of water in a resealable container. Voice students are encouraged to bring water to their lessons.

Students are expected to bring all necessary materials to each lesson, including method books, completed assignments, a pencil, etc.

If a student is waiting for their lesson inside the studio, they are expected to wait quietly, even if they are waiting for a sibling.

Students must be respectful of Ms. Emily’s home and property.

Parent/Guardian Expectations

Parents/Guardians need to take an active role in supporting their student by helping them practice if necessary, removing distractions (siblings, technology, etc.) from the practice area, and scheduling (and enforcing!) regular practice time. If there is not time for practice during the week, there is not time for lessons!

Parents/Guardians may wait quietly inside the studio and listen to their child’s lesson if they wish, but should avoid bringing siblings in whenever possible as they can be very distracting to the student. Additionally, cell phones should be set to silent or vibrate-only.

Students must be brought to their lessons on time - this means no more than 5 minutes before/after their scheduled lesson time. Additionally, parents/guardians who choose not to wait during their student’s lesson must arrive on time for pickup. Ms. Emily cannot watch additional children (including siblings) while she is giving lessons. If a parent/guardian suspects they will be late to pick up their student, they must call or text Ms. Emily with their ETA.

Parents/guardians are asked to refrain from bringing food or beverages into the studio, with the exception of bottled water.

Attendance

Students must attend their lesson each week at the agreed-upon time. Missing 3 or more consecutive lessons without notifying Ms. Emily may result in dismissal from the studio.

It is expected that students will be on time for their lessons. For in-studio lessons, this means arriving no more than 5 minutes before or after the scheduled start time. For online lessons, students should allow enough time to set up their equipment so that they are ready to begin at the scheduled start time.

If the student suspects that they will be late to a lesson (e.g. due to traffic or some other issue), they must contact Ms. Emily as soon as possible via email or text. If the student is 15 or more minutes late, the lesson will be cancelled and billed.

Materials

Materials will not be provided for the student. Ms. Emily will inform the student of the required/recommended materials as needed. For young beginning students (around ages 5-9), no books will be used for the first several lessons. The student is responsible for all material costs.

In general, the Faber Piano Adventures method book series will be used. These are available at local music stores, but they can also be purchased online or directly through the publisher if necessary. Other method book series may be used upon request. Vocal curriculum will vary by student.

If the student wishes to learn a piece or a song that is under copyright, Ms. Emily will inform the student of where to find the sheet music for purchase if there is not a copy in the library.

Recitals

Recitals are generally held twice per year: one in spring and one in autumn or early winter. For 2025, the first recital will likely be held mid-May, and the second mid-December. Final dates, times, locations, etc. will be communicated well in advance.

Some recitals are themed and some are not, but either way, students are encouraged to choose their own music, ideally at least 3-4 months before the recital. Music can be memorized, but this is not a requirement.

Participation in the recital is encouraged but never mandatory. There will only ever be a fee for the recital if the location is particularly expensive, but so far all recitals have been free of charge. Families are asked to bring a snack or treat to share afterwards when they are able to do so.

Semester Schedule And Studio Classes

New for 2025, the studio will be operating under a semester-based schedule as follows:

Winter/Spring Semester: January 6-May 16

Summer Semester: May 27-July 3

Fall Semester: August 11-December 19

Any changes to this schedule will be communicated promptly.

Also new for 2025 are studio classes. The goal is to hold these classes twice per semester (with the exception of the summer semester), once near the beginning and once near the end, for any interested student to attend. Dates and locations will be communicated via email. Studio classes give students the chance to come together outside of recitals for a more fun and casual way to learn and make music together!

These classes will be open to both piano and voice students. There will be a fee of $30 per student ($5 sibling discount will apply) to participate.