Lesson Policy

Payment

Tuition is due on the 18th of the month for the following month’s lessons. Late payments will be charged 5% late fee based on the invoice total and the student will be removed from the schedule if payment is not received by the 25th.
Fees for lesson materials and/or books are in addition to lesson fees and are not included in tuition.
Payment is accepted by cash, cheque, and e-transfer. Credit card and PayPal are accepted with a processing fee of 3%. All payments are to be sent directly to Sarah Molenaar.
The lesson fee is established at the time of registration and will increase each September.

School Year Attendance

Students are expected to attend lessons on a weekly basis during the school year (September through June).
Students must attend the majority of lessons in person. Online or video-submission lessons may be used occasionally and at the teacher’s discretion under the following conditions:
- They can attend their lesson online using Muzie.Live as long as they have a device with a minimum 9" screen.
- Or, if they are unavailable to attend, the student may send videos of their playing, completed theory homework, and/or a list of topics they'd like videos about a minimum of 1 hour in advance of their lesson time. The teacher will spend the lesson time reviewing what was sent and the student will receive written feedback and/or the links to videos recorded for them by e-mail.
There are no makeup lessons, refunds, credits or rescheduling offered for missed lessons.
Students who arrive late to their lesson will receive the remainder of their scheduled lesson time. It is assumed that after 15 minutes of waiting with no communication about the reason for being late, the lesson is considered forfeited.
In the rare occurrence that the teacher needs to cancel a lesson, she will provide as much advance notice as possible. If the lesson has already been paid, it will be credited to the next invoice (or refunded in the event that the student discontinues lessons).
Request to change a students’ regular weekly lesson time is subject to availability.

Studio Closures

Lessons will not take place on all government holidays observed in Ontario and the Sunday prior to:
- Thanksgiving (October)
- Family Day (February)
- Easter (April)
- Victoria Day (May)
Additional closures include 2 weeks for Winter Break and 1 week for March Break. Students may request an additional week for March Break holiday at no charge as long as teacher is notified prior to February 14.

Summer Lessons

Students will pay for their estimated number of summer lessons on or before June 18 (which will be discussed the week before). Any additional lessons booked in addition to the estimated number will be invoiced individually and must be paid at least 48 hours before the lesson.
Students have the option of securing a regular time slot or scheduling ad hoc lessons on days/times available on the online calendar.
Lessons may be cancelled/rescheduled as long as 48 hours notice is provided.
Any lessons not scheduled by the end of August will be credited towards September's lessons or refunded on August 31.

Instrument

To ensure students can practice effectively at home, they must have one of the following instruments
- Acoustic Piano – Must be tuned at least every six months.
- Digital Piano – Must have 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys, a sustain pedal, and a music stand. An adjustable bench or adjustable stand is also necessary to maintain proper playing posture.
- Keyboards or synthesizers with less than 88 keys or not touch-sensitive – only appropriate for a beginner student as it must be upgraded a digital piano within six months of starting lessons.
For guidance on selecting the right instrument, refer to this resource: Guide to buying your first instrument for piano lessons
If the student does not have an appropriate instrument to practice on at home (eg. a very out of tune piano, a keyboard with insufficient keys, or an instrument that is not touch sensitive/weighted), a minimum of 6 weeks notice will be given to make the adjustment. Lessons will be discontinued at the end of 6 weeks if adjustment is not made and any remaining lessons will be refunded. When an appropriate instrument is acquired, the teacher can be contacted for availability to resume lessons.

Practice Expectations

Students are expected to maintain a minimum pace of musical progress appropriate to their level of study. Progress is evaluated through consistent preparation, technical and musical development, and the ability to move forward through assigned material.

If a student is not meeting the expected pace of progress for their level, the following process will apply:

The student (and parent or guardian, where applicable) will be informed that progress is below studio expectations.
A one-month improvement period will be provided, during which specific goals and expectations will be clearly outlined.
If, after this period, the student is still unable to meet the minimum pace of progress, the teacher may determine that the studio is no longer the best fit and lessons will be discontinued at the end of that period.

This policy applies regardless of reported practice time. Minimal or inconsistent engagement that does not result in measurable progress does not meet studio expectations.

Ending Lessons

To discontinue lessons, a minimum of two weeks (14 days) notice is required. Regardless of the students’ attendance during this time any lessons already paid for are non-refundable.

Sarah Molenaar