A Brief Rundown of Studio Procedures
Please take time to read over the actual Studio Policy. When the studio is running smoothly that means my time, energy and attention are focused on teaching your children.
Registration
Each year current students are given the opportunity to re-register at their previous school year lesson time—provided that they took a minimum of 6 lessons during the summer term. The PRIORITY SCHEDULING DEADLINE for the upcoming school year is August 1. Current and new students may still register after this date, though lesson selection will be more limited.
I would encourage new families to contact me via email about joining the studio. I value the opportunity to meet with potential students to discuss questions that you and your child may have concerning piano study. When you register for lessons you are making a commitment for the entire school year and you are agreeing to my Studio Policies.
You can arrange for one trial lesson at the cost of one lesson.
I enjoy being able to work with students of all ages and abilities, including adults! In the interest of continuing to make students ages 3-18 my number one priority, I will only accept a few adult students at a time. In the event that I do not have space for a new adult student, I am happy to add you to my waitlist or give you a referral for another teacher.
Tuition
Tuition is based upon enrollment for 40-weeks of private instruction (August - May). Refer to the Tuition Structure sheet for this school year regarding prices for lesson offerings. 45-minute lessons are the preferred standard for all students other than beginning violin students. Tuition payments are due the first week of the month (if paying monthly; first week of semester if paying by semester). Checks should be made payable to “Sarah Coley”.
Tuition is due by the 10th of each month. Late tuition is subject to a $15.00 late fee.
Practice Expectations
I expect students to be prepared for each lesson and to have made weekly progress on the majority of their assignment. This requires a commitment to practicing at home each day (or close to). Practice times will vary throughout the year depending on our goals and projects. Parents should ensure that children practice at least 5 days each week, as consistency is the key to long-term success. (Minimum practice requirements are as follows: 30-minute lessons at least 2.5-4 hours of practice per week; 45-minute lessons at least 3.75-7 hours of practice per week; 60-minute lessons at least 5-10 hours of practice per week. However, quality is always better than quantity.)
At the Studio
I expect students to arrive on time with their books (and all applicable materials—including violin) each week. Students are welcome to come in without knocking, but should take care to enter and exit quietly. Please be sure to come to your lesson with your nails trimmed, and clean hands (you can use the wipes located in the studio if needed to do so). As you unpack and pack up before and after your lesson, please be quiet and talk softly so that you do not distract the student in the midst of a lesson. Please be on time when picking your child up from their lesson. I will also do my best to stay on schedule!
Lesson Cancellations
My preference is to maintain consistent instruction with your children to keep progress and motivation on track. However, I run my studio at full capacity so if a lesson is cancelled rescheduling is often not an option. As such, I would encourage you to swap lesson times with another studio student should you encounter a scheduling conflict or illness.
Ending Lessons
All students stop taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent and student so we can complete the year with a positive sense of closure. If a situation arises in which a family must discontinue lessons mid-year (for example: moving), I require verbal notice from the parent. You must also be up to date on your tuition payments.
When you register for lessons, please be prepared to make the commitment from August through May as it can be difficult to fill your reserved lesson time mid-year. If there is a problem at any time, please talk to me so I can help make necessary changes. The journey of music study is full of ups and downs, which I have navigated many times. Please keep me in the conversation and let's enjoy the journey together!
Studio Events
In my studio, students have the opportunity to participate in studio recitals each school year. All students can also participate in the Music Student Festival in the Spring (April). Violin students also have a group concert scheduled for each semester, and piano students have additional performance opportunities, Certificate of Achievement in April, and MW Pre-College Audition Competition. There is no fee to participate in studio recitals, but there are fees to participate in all other events. If participating, fees for these events are due the month previous to the event in order for your student to participate. There are NO refunds on these fees.
Various incentive and recognition programs take place in my studio throughout the school year. It is important to keep students motivated and excited about lessons!
Multi-Media
I occasionally take photographs or video of students during lessons and performances for use in the studio bulletin boards, advertising materials, lesson demonstration and the studio website and Facebook pages. My studio celebrates all that technology and multi-media have to offer, keeping lessons relevant and engaging to your children. Any material that I post publicly highlights your child's accomplishments, but if ever there is an image or video that you wish to have removed I will respectfully do so—just let me know! It is great to reminisce about past accomplishments by looking through these items with your children from time to time. It helps them see how they have progressed and grown over the years!
Staying in Touch
Registration
Each year current students are given the opportunity to re-register at their previous school year lesson time—provided that they took a minimum of 6 lessons during the summer term. The PRIORITY SCHEDULING DEADLINE for the upcoming school year is August 1. Current and new students may still register after this date, though lesson selection will be more limited.
I would encourage new families to contact me via email about joining the studio. I value the opportunity to meet with potential students to discuss questions that you and your child may have concerning piano study. When you register for lessons you are making a commitment for the entire school year and you are agreeing to my Studio Policies.
You can arrange for one trial lesson at the cost of one lesson.
I enjoy being able to work with students of all ages and abilities, including adults! In the interest of continuing to make students ages 3-18 my number one priority, I will only accept a few adult students at a time. In the event that I do not have space for a new adult student, I am happy to add you to my waitlist or give you a referral for another teacher.
Tuition
Tuition is based upon enrollment for 40-weeks of private instruction (August - May). Refer to the Tuition Structure sheet for this school year regarding prices for lesson offerings. 45-minute lessons are the preferred standard for all students other than beginning violin students. Tuition payments are due the first week of the month (if paying monthly; first week of semester if paying by semester). Checks should be made payable to “Sarah Coley”.
Tuition is due by the 10th of each month. Late tuition is subject to a $15.00 late fee.
Practice Expectations
I expect students to be prepared for each lesson and to have made weekly progress on the majority of their assignment. This requires a commitment to practicing at home each day (or close to). Practice times will vary throughout the year depending on our goals and projects. Parents should ensure that children practice at least 5 days each week, as consistency is the key to long-term success. (Minimum practice requirements are as follows: 30-minute lessons at least 2.5-4 hours of practice per week; 45-minute lessons at least 3.75-7 hours of practice per week; 60-minute lessons at least 5-10 hours of practice per week. However, quality is always better than quantity.)
At the Studio
I expect students to arrive on time with their books (and all applicable materials—including violin) each week. Students are welcome to come in without knocking, but should take care to enter and exit quietly. Please be sure to come to your lesson with your nails trimmed, and clean hands (you can use the wipes located in the studio if needed to do so). As you unpack and pack up before and after your lesson, please be quiet and talk softly so that you do not distract the student in the midst of a lesson. Please be on time when picking your child up from their lesson. I will also do my best to stay on schedule!
Lesson Cancellations
My preference is to maintain consistent instruction with your children to keep progress and motivation on track. However, I run my studio at full capacity so if a lesson is cancelled rescheduling is often not an option. As such, I would encourage you to swap lesson times with another studio student should you encounter a scheduling conflict or illness.
- Holidays: The studio is closed during holidays as listed on the studio calendar for this school year. Lessons that would fall on holidays are not counted as part of the teaching schedule for this school year, so holidays do not impact the stipulated 40-weeks of lessons scheduled.
- Illness: Please do not send your children to lessons if they are contagious with a flu or virus. I very rarely take a sick day, so I appreciate your consideration in helping me run a healthy studio. I also offer lessons via Skype/FaceTime, which is a great option if you would still like to come for lessons, but do not want to share germs!
Ending Lessons
All students stop taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent and student so we can complete the year with a positive sense of closure. If a situation arises in which a family must discontinue lessons mid-year (for example: moving), I require verbal notice from the parent. You must also be up to date on your tuition payments.
When you register for lessons, please be prepared to make the commitment from August through May as it can be difficult to fill your reserved lesson time mid-year. If there is a problem at any time, please talk to me so I can help make necessary changes. The journey of music study is full of ups and downs, which I have navigated many times. Please keep me in the conversation and let's enjoy the journey together!
Studio Events
In my studio, students have the opportunity to participate in studio recitals each school year. All students can also participate in the Music Student Festival in the Spring (April). Violin students also have a group concert scheduled for each semester, and piano students have additional performance opportunities, Certificate of Achievement in April, and MW Pre-College Audition Competition. There is no fee to participate in studio recitals, but there are fees to participate in all other events. If participating, fees for these events are due the month previous to the event in order for your student to participate. There are NO refunds on these fees.
Various incentive and recognition programs take place in my studio throughout the school year. It is important to keep students motivated and excited about lessons!
Multi-Media
I occasionally take photographs or video of students during lessons and performances for use in the studio bulletin boards, advertising materials, lesson demonstration and the studio website and Facebook pages. My studio celebrates all that technology and multi-media have to offer, keeping lessons relevant and engaging to your children. Any material that I post publicly highlights your child's accomplishments, but if ever there is an image or video that you wish to have removed I will respectfully do so—just let me know! It is great to reminisce about past accomplishments by looking through these items with your children from time to time. It helps them see how they have progressed and grown over the years!
Staying in Touch
- Email: This is the best way to contact me! (Texting works too.) I have a family of my own and three young children that clamor for my attention when I am not teaching. I enjoy being able to spend as much time with them as I can outside of teaching. Email and texting work well for me, because they do not interfere with my home schedule quite as much. If I receive studio-related email on Saturday or Sunday, I will get back to you on Monday morning.
- Phone: If you need to speak with me, please leave a message (in the event that I do not answer). I will do my best to return your phone call within 24 hours. I do not take phone calls while I am teaching, after hours or on weekends. My phone number can be found on the website.
- Keeping in touch: I use email to send out information and newsletters that you will need from time to time, so please make sure that I have your current email address. You can stay in touch with studio activities and events by bookmarking my website, visiting the studio Facebook page or joining the private Facebook group.