Lessons and Performances

- The year is divided into 4 terms, which for the 2011-2012 academic year are as follows:

Fall Term- Sep 1 thru Nov 30 (12 weeks, not including Thanksgiving Week)
Winter Term – Dec 1 thru Mar 2 (11 weeks, not including Christmas Vacation)
Spring Term – Mar 5 thru Jun 1 (12 weeks, not including Spring Break)
Summer Term – Jun 4 thru Aug 31 (12 weeks, not including my 2 weeks of vacation)

- Private Lessons are scheduled each week except Group Lesson weeks during the Fall, Winter and Spring Terms. There are only Private Lessons during the Summer Term.

- Group Lessons are held periodically, scheduled to coincide with Mon or Fri holidays. For the 2012-2013 school year Group Lessons will be held the weeks of Oct 16-18, Dec 18-20, Feb 19-21, and Apr 9-11.

- Beginners do not participate in Group Lessons until I think that they are ready, usually after a year of private study. On Group Lesson weeks, beginners have a Private Lesson.

- On Group Lesson weeks, the groups meet as follows:

Wed 5:30-6:30 and Thu 4:30-5:30 Elementary School (grades 1-5)
Tue 4:30-5:30 and Thu 5:30-6:30 Middle School (grades 6-9)
Tue 5:30-6:30 and Wed 4:30-5:30 High School (grades 9-12)

- Note that there are two Group Lesson times for each age group during the week and that grade 9 may attend up or down, although it is best if they stay with the same group. Students are expected to attend one class in their age group. They may attend both classes if they so choose, but there would be repetition in the activities.

- Group Lessons include student performances, activities to increase music skills i.e. note/rhythm reading, improvisation, music theory and history.

- Piano Recitals are held in the fall and spring. All students should plan to perform in both.

Vacations

- No lessons are scheduled during Thanksgiving Week, Christmas/Winter Vacation, Spring Break, and my 2-week summer job at the Durango Performing Arts Camp.

- I do teach on other holidays, parent conference days, and teacher work days.

Tuition

-Tuition will be charged by the term as follows:

For 30-min private lessons - $270 per term or $90 per month
For 45-min private lessons – $369 per term or $123 per month

- Tuition may be paid in full at the beginning of each term for a 5% discount. If tuition is paid monthly, it is due at the first lesson of each month unless other arrangements have been made.

- Tuition for additional students in the same immediate family are discounted by 5%.

- Yes, students may qualify for multiple discounts. Here is an example of 2 children in the same family:

Tuition for the first child (oldest child) in family is $270/term or $90/month for 30 min lessons. If they choose to pay by the term, it would be less 5% or $256.50. Tuition for a second child (younger child) is less 5% no matter how they pay, $256.50/term or $85.50/month for 30 min lessons. If they choose to pay by the term, it would be less an additional 5% or $243.67. Therefore, for 2 children in the same family tuition would be $500.17/term or $175.50/month.

- Payments may be made by cash, check, via Paypal or automatic deductions.

- Since the amount due each month is the same, I will not send out monthly statements unless there is a past due balance or money owed for books.

- A $20/month surcharge will be added to tuition balances carried over into the next month or for checks returned for insufficient funds.

- Tuition is due as long as a student is enrolled whether or not that student attends lessons because as long as the student is enrolled I cannot give that time slot to anybody else.

- Tuition covers:
All private and group lessons
Development of teaching materials and trips to the music store
Recitals including room rental, preparation of programs and refreshments
Music lending library
Professional organization memberships to enhance teaching skills
Tuning and care of pianos
Time spent in communicating with parents
Continuing education
My expertise and experience

- Students commit to piano lessons for an entire term unless they move out of town. I will assume continual enrollment unless I am notified otherwise. Should a student choose to not take piano lessons during a particular term he is not guaranteed a time slot when he is ready to resume.

Attendance and Cancellations

- Because regular attendance is essential to musical growth, a commitment to attend all lessons except in a real emergency is expected.

- Students should arrive no more than 5 minutes early and leave promptly at the conclusion of the lesson. I cannot be responsible for a student once the lesson is over.

- If I must cancel a lesson (e.g. due to illness, travel, CSU conflict) I either make it up or give the student a $15 credit.

- Lessons cancelled by the student are not made up. Instead I use the time in the student’s interest, i.e. looking at new music, studying or practicing, any effort to make myself a better teacher. If the student is sick but well enough to play the piano, a telephone or SKYPE lesson is a possibility.

- I DO plan on teaching on Poudre R-1 snow days since most often the roads have been plowed and traffic is out and about in the afternoons. I do not make up lessons missed because of weather conditions.

- During the Summer Term I teach private lessons only. Summer lessons may be rescheduled with advance notice. However, I will not “owe” students lessons missed because they were out of town.

- If a student knows in advance that he needs to miss a lesson, he may be able to swap lesson times with another student. I provide a swap list for those who make their contact information and lesson time available.

- Swap List rules:

1. All swaps must be arranged Parent to Parent.
2. The parent who initiated the swap is responsible to email me to let me know the plan.
3. If someone forgets and two students show up for the same lesson time I give priority according to the notification I received.
4. The swap list is never to be used for any other purpose.
5. Please try to be accommodating. It may be you who needs to swap lessons next time.

Materials

- For Group Lessons each student needs to bring a loose-leaf binder with music paper, plain paper and a pencil. I give students other pages to keep in their binder, plus they may want to use it for miscellaneous other music copies.

- For Private Lessons each student needs an assignment notebook. They should also bring their Group Lesson binder to each lesson, and all materials should be brought in a bag specifically for piano lessons. It helps everything to get to each lesson.

- More advanced students, especially those in high school, need a metronome.

- If you have music at home please put a list of it with the approximate level in the student’s binder. Let me take a look at it if you are unsure of the level of difficulty. We may be able to use some of that music.

- I purchase music for the student’s use as I see the need and send a bill to the parents for reimbursement. Additionally I encourage parents to take their child to the music store periodically to select music that he would like to play. There are also many piano pieces, both classical and popular, available on the internet for free or at low cost.

- I often let students borrow music from my library, especially when we are doing piano duets. Please take care of my music so that future students will have the opportunity to use it. And if you have music at your house with my name on it, please return it to me.

- It is important that students have a well-tuned, well-maintained piano on which to practice. Electronic keyboards are NOT pianos! The sound is different as is the touch, the action, the expressive ability, the way the pedal works, etc. Do what you can to provide a good instrument for your child in order to not limit progress.

Incentive Programs

There are incentive programs in several areas in which students may choose to participate. Some are one-time achievements while others can be repeated each year. There is recognition of completion of incentive programs at group lessons, in emails to parents, and at recitals. There is also a small prize, usually a gift certificate to a music store. Of course, the reason for and the value in participating in the incentive programs is for what is learned in the process.

I hope that most students, at least by the time they have studied with me for a couple of years, will opt to participate in one or more of the incentive programs each year.

For specifics, please refer to the Incentive Programs page.

Adult Students

Adults students are special. I enjoy working with them and want to encourage them to continue (or start) their piano study. I will be as flexible as possible with adults, allowing them to determine the frequency of their lessons and the music they will study according to their personal goals and life situation. The fee for adults is $25 per lesson. Adults are not required to perform in recitals but, of course, are welcome to do so.

Other Details

- Students need to keep their fingernails trimmed. If you hear clicking on the keys or can’t play on your fingertips, your nails are too long.

- Students should wash their hands before beginning their piano lesson. They may use the downstairs bathroom.

- Parents are welcome to remain during their child’s lesson. However, younger siblings are not allowed to be noisy or run through the house.

- Because of space limitations, if a parent would like to sit in on a group lesson, please make an appointment in advance.

- If sibling students come together they need to bring a quiet activity to do while they are waiting. They are welcome to use the table to do homework.

- Do not bring in food or drinks other than water.

- It is impossible to learn to play the piano well without regular, consistent practice. No matter how smart and talented the student is. Please help your child schedule their piano practicing. If it means turning off the TV, making a job chart, bribing them, do that. Help them to succeed. Being able to play the piano well will enrich their life always.

Contacting Me

The best time for getting me in person is after 7:00 at night by phone at 493-8682. Better than that is via e-mail any time of the day, or you may text me at 801-717-5571. Please give me a parent’s email address that I may use to communicate with you.

Agreement

Please copy and paste the statement below in an email to me with necessary information inserted. That will serve as your acknowledgement of receipt of my program and policy information. Thanks!

I/We (name of parent/parents) understand the format for piano lessons as well as the policies for tuition and make-up lessons.

I/We DO/DO NOT want (name of child/children) to enroll for piano lessons in your studio.

Please DO/DO NOT include parent and students’ names, phone numbers, email addresses and lesson times in the Swap List.