Hello, Students and Parents!
I look forward to working with you and providing a caring and instructive atmosphere for my students. This should be a lot of fun as we learn to create beautiful and cool music this term. Please feel free to ask me any questions that might come up. Attached you will find a summary of helpful information. Here’s to musical success!
HARMONY PIANO STUDIO - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 8/24/2026-8/23/2027
Upon signing up for lessons, the student/parent will be asked to thoroughly read the Studio Policies & Procedures and sign/date the document. By signing the policies, the student/parent agrees to respect and abide by the studio’s current policies as long as the student is taking lessons with the instructor. If a new version of the policy is issued, the instructor will provide the student a printed copy with the changes highlighted.
GENERAL INFORMATION: Weekly private piano and theory lessons are offered in 30, 45 or 60 minute sessions.
LESSON ARRIVALS: Ring the doorbell and come in at your lesson time. Please wait in the office or on the indoor entryway bench. If the teacher is behind, your lesson will be extended by the equivalent number of minutes. If it is raining or snowing, please remove your shoes/boots in the entranceway by the bench. I will call your name when it is your lesson time. You are welcome to bring a pair of slippers or clean shoes to wear during the lesson. Early arrivals will not result in an earlier lesson start time. Late arrivals will not result in an extended lesson time.
AT THE STUDIO: Friendly cats may be present. After the lesson has formally started, parents and siblings may listen to the lesson from the waiting area/office, wait in their vehicle, or run errands so long as they return to pick up the student by lesson's end. To discuss student progress, parents are welcome to talk with the teacher during the first or last five minutes of the student's lesson – but not afterwards, unless time permits. Emails are always welcome.
MATERIALS: Students are expected to bring all of their materials and music. “Bring Everything, Every Time.” Inside the notebook are assignment lists, which will be used to keep track of assigned pieces and give practice suggestions/goals for each week, and supplementary materials.
PRACTICE: Private students are expected to practice consistently throughout the week in order to ensure progress and to be prepared for every lesson. Thriving students establish good practice routines early on and many practice every day, multiple times. Consistency and quality, and not quantity, are the most crucial aspects for practicing. Daily, focused practice is the goal. For a beginner, even the minimum daily effort of 10 - 15 minutes with a focused attitude can show big results and allow the student to quickly progress. Piano is a physical activity, and just like sports training, the activity must be consistent for proper improvement.
CANCELLATIONS and ABSENCES: Please be courteous to the teacher and fellow students by notifying the teacher at least 24 hours in advance regarding any known upcoming absences. Each student is allowed ONE makeup lesson per term, scheduled at a mutually convenient time for student and teacher during that term. Any absences above and beyond that ONE lesson, will not be made up. If a teacher needs to reschedule or miss a lesson, it will be made up at a mutually agreeable time for student and teacher during that term or credited to the next term. Credits are SOLELY at the teacher’s discretion.
TUITION, PAYMENT AND REGISTRATION FEE: Monthly tuition includes weekly lessons one-on-one with the instructor, in person or virtual. Tuition is due on or before the 1st of each month for that month's upcoming lessons. Total tuition is divided over a number of months into individual payments.
All students are expected to attend all scheduled lessons they’ve registered for during the session. There are no tuition refunds. $2 per lesson fee reduction for cash payments. $25 immediate cash incentive for recommending a new student who signs up.
A non-refundable registration fee of $20 per student per term is due along with the first month's tuition and a signed copy of the Studio Policies at your first lesson. The registration fee covers recital, materials and administrative costs each term.
Email reminders will be sent before monthly tuition is due. The student is responsible for paying for tuition on or prior to the 1st of the month. Payments received after 12:01am on the 3rd of the month will incur a late fee of $40. The teacher reserves the right to raise fees at the beginning of each academic year. Tuition may be paid via cash or Zelle(773-814-7894). If paying in cash and dropping off, notify the teacher via text or email and slide it through the mail slot in the inside of the front brown door.
INSTRUMENT: Preferably, the student has daily access to a well-maintained acoustic piano. Tuning twice a year is recommended to allow children to correctly develop their ear for pitch, harmony and expression. A keyboard is completely acceptable, if it has 88 weighted keys and a damper pedal. As the student progresses and attains a higher skill level, an acoustic piano becomes more critical for the path of true piano musicianship and is necessary for the student's aural training and for the student to work on expressing emotions through music. Good acoustic pianos can be found cheaply online and the teacher can make recommendations. That being said, a very good digital piano is much better than no piano.
PERFORMING: Performing in public develops poise and self-confidence, and fosters a commitment to excellence. I strongly encourage students to participate in events that request musical performance. I provide two recital opportunities per year for my students. Performing for a supportive, non-judgmental audience, such as a family, peer group, or religious community can be a wonderful, “safe” musical experience. Solo performing especially helps students develop grace under pressure, and also provides an opportunity for self- expression.
YOUNG CHILDREN: Parents must closely monitor the practice of their students up to age 10. Kids just aren’t that great at being self-starters in most cases. They need your guidance in helping them learn to establish effective practice habits. For beginners ages 5-8, please practice WITH your child or be nearby to monitor how it’s going and to intervene if there’s any confusion. The structure of the lesson will vary more for young children because they may not have the impulse control, ability to monitor and manage their emotional states or have a shorter attention span than older students. Progress often is slower with wee ones. Be patient, as sticking with lessons pays off in the long run!
DISCONTINUING LESSONS: Every student stops taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. For this reason, please give one month’s notice prior to discontinuing lessons. Note: At the discretion of the teacher, students may be dismissed at any time if they have unpaid tuition, an excess amount of absences/unprepared lessons, or if they show a lack of interest.
PARENT PARTICIPATION: Parents are encouraged to be supportive and active participants in practice at home and may listen to each lesson from the next room to be better able to support and encourage home practicing. For beginners, parents may sit in on the first 3-5 lessons. Experience has shown students over age 7 generally do better without parental observation during the lesson.
EXPECTATIONS: I continually assess student progress. If a student is not progressing, I will discuss this with the student and then the parents/guardians if no changes are noticed in a non-confrontational manner. Because I care about the quality of a student’s musical experience, it is necessary to evaluate the musical interest of the student and my teaching approach if progress is stalled. Learning is not always linear, and progress can fluctuate. Sometimes students will make very tiny musical strides and then a breakthrough comes, and they progress very quickly. Patience is very conducive as well as targeted praise and realistic goals to overall musical growth.
COMMUNICATION: The best way to contact the teacher is via text or email, which will be promptly returned. Phone calls are also welcome but take longer to return.
Illness Policies
PLEASE NOTE: THIS POLICY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME AND IS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF EVERYONE, STUDENTS AND TEACHER.
Students and teacher must stay home if they are experiencing any new COVID, cold, and/or flu symptoms.
General Policies
If a student is contagiously ill but feels well enough to play, or if the student is on an extended vacation, having a virtual lesson is the option. If a student comes to a lesson and is newly symptomatic(had a fever that day or at lesson time, cough, sore throat, etc.), the teacher reserves the right to send the student home. If the student is recovering from an illness but is NOT contagious (as explained by student or parent), the student MUST wear a mask while in the studio and may attend the lesson. A virtual lesson is an EXCELLENT option if the student is contagious but up for playing. Any student who is symptomatic but not contagious will be asked to wear a teacher-provided or self-provided mask.
• If you test positive for COVID-19, you must stay home. You may still have your lesson virtually if you are feeling well enough or reschedule for a different day/time if you have makeup remaining. • If the student does not attend school/work on the day of their lesson or class due to illness or the school’s/work’s COVID-19 policies, they may not attend their lesson in-person.
• Students and teacher must monitor symptoms if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Please get tested before returning to lessons if you have been exposed to someone with COVID. • All lessons not attended in person due to illness will be either completed remotely at the scheduled time or rescheduled at a mutually agreed upon time either remotely or in person if the ONE makeup is available. TEACHER WILL ALWAYS TRY TO ACCOMMODATE ILLNESS MAKEUPS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
I agree that I have read, understand and will abide by HARMONY PIANO STUDIO’S policies as written above for the term of August 24, 2026- August 23, 2027.
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Parent/Guardian signature Date
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Student name Student name