Teacher expectations
I will teach students the language of music in a positive and enthusiastic environment. It is my goal to empowers each student to influence their music education with input based on their interested and long-term goals. I will tailor the curriculum to match each student's specific learning needs.
Student Expectations
Students are expected to attend all of the scheduled lessons on time with their materials. As tuition reserves a time in my schedule, the lesson cannot be extended, rescheduled or refunded if the student is late.
To make good progress, daily quality practice is necessary. A practice plan will be formulated between the teacher and student. All students are encouraged to play at studio recitals and audition for local ensembles and competitions.
Family Expectations
Students must have their own instruments to practice on at home. If you have questions or would like input on the purchase of an instrument please let me know.
If something is happening at school or home that is affecting your child, please let me know. The more information I have, the more I can be sensitive to the needs of your child.
Students 5-10 years old: A parent or guardian must be present for the entire lesson. There should be some parental involvement in at home practice and assignment completion.
Students 10-18 years old: A parent/guardian must be present for the first and last five minutes of the class. Practicing and assignment completion should be student driven, with parental/guardian help as needed.
Studio Rules
Tuition & Schedule
Please note that tuition reserves the weekly time slot, but may not directly correlate with lessons received if the student does not attend the scheduled lesson times. Recurring late attendance and cancellations may result in termination of the student’s enrollment.
Tuition is flat-rate for each month and includes lessons scheduled in that month based on the studio calendar. There will be a minimum of 44 lessons offered throughout the year, and the weeks where lessons are not held due to scheduled studio breaks will be communicated in advance.
In the case that there is a 5th weekly lesson in the month, this has been factored into the flat-rate tuition. Pre-planned absences and holiday breaks have also been factored into the rate and will be communicated well in advance. Three additional lessons will be built into the calendar. In the case of teacher illness, these three additional lessons can be canceled short notice. These weeks are complimentary in the case that no illness cancellation occurs.
Invoices will be sent by the 25th of the month prior for all enrolled students. Invoices will reflect this flat rate, and will also list the lessons scheduled that month for each student.
Commitment
When students enroll, they are reserving their place in the studio for the entire term. Changes to the weekly schedule may be made on a case-by-case basis each month before tuition is due.
If the student decides to pause lessons during the course of the semester, tuition for the remainder of the semester still applies. Alterations to this policy are on a case-by-case basis.
Fall Term - September-December
Spring Term - January-May
Summer Term - June-August
*Please note that the student’s spot will not be guaranteed for the fall term if they were not enrolled in the Summer Term.
Payment
Tuition invoices will be sent by the 25th of the month prior for all enrolled students. All payments are non-refundable. Recurring late payments may result in termination of the student’s enrollment.
Payment received after the first of each month is subject to a $10 late fee. Payment received after the 7th of the month is subject to an additional $10 late fee and the lesson time for that student may not be reserved for the next month.
In order to cancel tuition, written notification must be received via email 2 weeks in advance. In the event that this deadline is not met, tuition will still be due and any automatic payments will still run on the first of the month. Students have the option to attend all paid lessons that month. Lessons will then cancel for the following month.
Canceling/Rescheduling
Lessons canceled with under 24 hours notice will not be provided a makeup lesson.
Lessons canceled with at least 24 hours notice will be credited a makeup lesson for that month.
Lessons canceled by me will be given as much notice as possible and will be rescheduled within 30 days.
If the student or a family member is ill or not feeling well for any reason, the student should not attend their lesson in person. If the student comes to the studio with any of the following symptoms (excessive coughing, sniffling, sneezing, fatigue, fever, COVID or flu), the student will be sent home immediately and the lesson will be forfeited.
If the student is well enough, the lesson will be held during their normally scheduled time via Zoom. If the student is not well enough to attend their lesson virtually, at least 24 hours notice is required to guarantee a makeup lesson credit.
Invoices are based on the number of lessons the studio schedules and will not be altered. Planned vacations and other conflicts communicated in advance receive a makeup credit for that month.
I will do my best to schedule in-person makeup lessons, but weeks with limited availability may require makeup lessons to be held on Zoom. Unscheduled makeup lessons do not count as credit for the next month’s tuition.
Tuition is based on the number of lessons the studio schedules and will not be altered. Planned vacations or other conflicts communicated in advance receive a makeup lesson credit for that month.
Studio Breaks
There will be a minimum of 44 lessons scheduled for the calendar year. There are an additional three flex weeks built into the studio calendar for teacher illness. In the case these are not used, lessons may be scheduled at no extra charge.
The studio will be closed for:
-Spring Break
-Week following the end of the school year
-Fourth of July
-Thanksgiving
-Winter Break
-Flex Weeks (for makeup/teacher illness)
Communication Preferences
The studio hours of operation are Monday and Thursday 4-9pm or by appointment only. Email is my preferred method of communication.
Please allow 24 hours for response to all communications during the week.
Communication outside of the studio operating hours will have longer response time and all weekend communication will be answered on the following Monday.
Materials
Each student is responsible for purchasing the required music and materials for lessons. Materials will be assigned by me and the student will be expected to have the materials no later than two weeks after the materials have been assigned. Advanced notice will be provided whenever possible.
All students must bring a pencil, metronome, and music books to lessons. A music stand and piano will be provided. All woodwind students must bring their own instrument and accessories as needed.
Piano Requirements:
Woodwind Requirements:
Photo and Video Release
From time to time, I use photos and short videos of my students during lessons on the studio website or in social media posts. These videos and posts are encouraging to other students and helpful to other teachers. If you do not want your child's image(s) to be used, please let me know. In general, the students love to see their pictures and videos on my website or around the studio, as they find it motivating to think that others want to know what they are learning. The students are only identified by first name.
By enrolling and paying tuition for my child in Elana Segal’s studio, I certify that I understand and agree to the studio policies.