Policy and Tuition


Frequently Asked Questions


What is the purpose of the studio policy?

A student with her art project for the Kitsap Music Teachers Association Ribbon Festival.
A student with her art project for the Kitsap Music Teachers Association Ribbon Festival.

The studio policy is a document that ensures mutual understanding between my clients and me regarding tuition, attendance, scheduling, and other miscellaneous matters, thereby allowing me to focus on teaching.   I invite you to download and carefully read my studio policy to make certain that you are comfortable with the parameters it sets.  The download is available below.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

I regard my studio as an educational institution.   As a professional teacher, I spend a great deal of time outside of the actual lesson choosing educational materials and music in order to plan an individualized course of study for each student.   In return, I expect that the student will do his or her part by attending lessons regularly and by practicing at home.  I say this not to scare away students who may wish to give music study a try.  Rather, it is because I want my students to experience success!  Playing music is only fun if you have developed a level of fluency in music-reading and technique to allow you to play with ease.  It would be great if I could wave a magic wand over my students in order to make them be able to play.  In reality, however, fluency can only be achieved by establishing a seriousness of purpose at the beginning of music study and by making the commitment to work hard for the duration of that course of study.

 

Music lessons are a long-term course of study, not an individual event like a doctor's appointment.  When you take a class at a ballet studio or at a college, you are paying to have your spot reserved for the class as a whole, not for each individual session.  That's why you don't get credit on your bill if you miss your scheduled class.  Although I allow some flexibility for an occasional missed lesson, music lessons operate in the same way as ballet and college classes.  Music lessons are a long-term commitment and curriculum that require regular attendance and sustained effort.  The mutual commitment of the teacher and the student to this musical endeavor is necessary for success.  When the student is a child, parental support is vital.  The studio policy sets forth the terms for enrollment and continuation in this course of study. 

 


What does tuition cover?

Joann grades musicianship exams with a high-school student assistant at the Washington State Music Teachers Association Music Literacy Program.
Joann grades musicianship exams with a high-school student assistant at the Washington State Music Teachers Association Music Literacy Program.

Tuition reserves a weekly time-slot for an individual student and my planning time to prepare for that student.  Lending-library privileges, studio recitals, my time to prepare for and attend events sponsored by the music teachers association in which the student may be participating, and the yearly registration fee are also included.

 

For a more comprehensive list of what is covered by tuition for music lessons, please follow this link: https://composecreate.com/students/wendys-piano-studio/studio-info/where-does-my-tuition-go/

 


What other expenses can I expect?

A student and her mother proudly display the art project created for the Kitsap Music Teachers Association Ribbon Festival.
A student and her mother proudly display the art project created for the Kitsap Music Teachers Association Ribbon Festival.

Not included in tuition are:

 

Costs for music, metronome, notebooks, and other miscellaneous educational materials.

 

Entry fees for events sponsored by the music teachers association and other entities outside the studio.

 

Costs for special programs such as the 40 piece challenge or the MTNA studio festival program.

 

Extra musical services from me (collaborative piano or organ playing, playing for weddings, etc.).

 

 

 

 

 

 


What if a lesson is missed by a school-aged student?

School-aged students pay a fixed-rate monthly tuition for 12 months.  Unpaid flexible-leave days for both the student and the teacher have been built into the schedule.  This is a solution that fairly treats the need of the teacher to earn a living with the knowledge that life happens and a lesson may occasionally need to be missed.  The studio policy gives details regarding how missed lessons are handled. 

 

Please be aware that the terms of the studio policy do not allow for adjustments to the monthly fixed-rate tuition rate for student absences.

 

If the teacher takes more leave days than have been built into the policy, then the teacher will make sure that the student is fairly compensated using either banked time or tuition credit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


What if an adult student misses a lesson?

Adult scheduling and tuition payment is not fixed-rate, therefore missed lessons are handled differently.  Please see the studio policy for details.


Studio Policy And Current Tuition Download for School-Age Students

Download
2023-2024 Studio Policy for Youth.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 123.0 KB

Studio Policy Download with Current Tuition for Adult Students

Download
2023-2024 Studio Policy for Adults.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 107.2 KB