Policies for 2011-2012

1. Mission Statement:
   To prepare students to understand music and to skillfully play the piano so they can enjoy music for the rest of their lives. To become proficient so they can continue to grow in their musical understanding through adulthood.
2. Attendance and Payment Policies:
   Lessons are held weekly in my studio or in your home. Each student will be assigned a 30 or 60 minute period for his or her private lesson. During the school term (September through May), students will have 36 lessons, 1 recital, and the opportunity to participate in the Northwest Valley Music Festival. Summer term runs June through August and consists of 12 lessons. Tuition is due on the first lesson of the month. Payments received after the 10th of the month will be assessed a $15 late fee.

   Payment can be made by check written out to: Piano By Julie, cash, credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or AMEX), or through paypal below.

   No credit will be given for missed lessons. Make-up lessons will be available in studio on Fridays and Saturdays for those who have given 24 hour or more notice, and must be made up within 30 days.

   Termination of lessons requires either one month’s notice or one month’s tuition. Tuition includes recital fees, technology fees, and Northwest Valley Music Festival fees. Other events may have a fee.

   Rates are as follows:

   School Term Rates	Summer Term Rates
   In Home 30 minutes/60 minutes Monthly fee: $140/$270	In Home 30 minutes/60 minutes Monthly fee: $130/$260
   In Studio 30 minutes/60 minutes Monthly fee: $110/$210	In Studio 30 minutes/60 minutes Monthly fee: $105/$200
   School Term In Home - 30 min $140.00 In Home - 60 min $270.00 In Studio - 30 min $110.00 In Studio - 60 min $210.00	Summer Term In Home - 30 min $130.00 In Home - 60 min $260.00 In Studio - 30 min $105.00 In Studio - 60 min $200.00

3. Discounts:
   5% discount for payment 3 months in advance. (for those 3 months)
   10% discount for payment 6 months in advance. (for those 6 months)
   10% senior citizen discount.
   Refer another student to the studio, and receive $10 per student once they have paid for one month of lessons.
4. Music:
   Students must own all music that they will use on a regular basis. I will generally not accept or use photocopied music. I will purchase books for students or communicate with parents about books that a student will require. Music purchases will be billed as needed.
5. Equipment:
   In addition to music, students will need:

   A well tuned piano. Pianos should be tuned annually or semi annually. An electric piano is acceptable so long as it has 88 full-size weighted, and touch sensitive keys.
   A notebook or binder in which I will record weekly assignments.
   Access to a CD player near the piano so that we might use accompaniment CD’s that frequently come with the lesson books.
   A metronome is strongly recommended after completion of the first set of books.

6. Practice and Assignments:
   Students must practice regularly. I will try to assign enough music to fill an appropriate practice period, but as a rough estimate, I would recommend the following practice schedule:
   
   
   Beginners: 15-30 minutes 4-5 times per week.
   2nd and 3rd year: 30-45 minutes 4-5 times per week.
   4th and 5th year: 45-60 minutes 4-5 times per week.

   All students will be given weekly written assignments. An important part of learning a musical instrument is being able to read and write in the musical language. These weekly written assignments usually come from workbooks or lesson books and reinforce what we’ve covered in lessons that particular week.

   Students will also receive computer assignments. Computer assignments will often require access to the internet.

   It is essential that parents are involved in helping students to schedule practice time. The younger a student is, the more assistance they will need with structuring their practice. Parents should read students’ assignment notebooks weekly and be aware of all practice and written assignments.

7. Recreational Piano Student:
   This course is available upon my recommendation for students who want to study and play at a recreational level only with no desire to perform outside of the home or studio and/or have difficulty meeting the expectations of the comprehensive course. Recreational students follow a lighter course of repertoire and instructional demands and generally progress at a slower rate. Students in this course are ineligible to participate in adjudicated events and recitals.
8. Recitals and Festivals:
   No matter what age or ability, performance is very important for the pianist. I request that if possible, all students play in recitals.

   Spring, especially is a time for music festivals. I will gladly help prepare students who are interested and eligible for music festivals, talent shows, or any other performances that might arise. If you are interested, please bring any information to me as soon as possible.

   I regularly have students participate in the Northwest Valley Music Festival annual spring music festival. Students enter at various levels and prepare 2-5 memorized pieces to be performed for a judge. The judge rates the performances, and give constructive comments. All participants receive medals and certificates. Students who have completed basic staff reading are eligible to participate. Registration occurs in late fall, and the festival happens mid-spring. If you are interested, please speak to me as soon as possible.

9. What to Bring to Lessons:
   Please bring all books that you have assignments in, as well as your assignment sheet or notebook. No food, drink or gum in the lesson. Please have clean hands.

The following forms are in Adobe pdf format:

Student Information Form

Practice Chart