Piano Studio Policies

Private 30-minute lessons will be offered weekly with scheduled breaks (see Section 2 below). Each child will have a reserved day and time. Please be on time for lessons. If a student arrives late, even if it is due to traffic, they will only finish their remaining lesson time. Please do not enter for a lesson more than 5 minutes before your scheduled time as this is a disruption to the student ahead of you. Please do not pick up your child more than 5 minutes later than their scheduled end time as, again, this is a disruption to the student after you.

The standard year runs from August through April. No regular lessons will be held during the following scheduled breaks:November 23-27, 2026: Thanksgiving BreakDecember 21, 2026-January 1, 2027: Christmas/Winter BreakMarch 22-26, 2027: Spring BreakMay is reserved primarily for make-up lessons that were not completed during the regular lesson year (see Section 5 below).Optional add-on lessons in May, June, and July may be scheduled at the parent/student’s discretion, but these lessons are not required as part of the regular lesson schedule.May: Make-up lessons / optional add-on lessonsJune-July: Summer Break / optional add-on lessons

In lieu of a refund, up to four excused lessons per lesson year will be made up when there is availability in the schedule (see Section 5 below). Additional excused absences beyond the four-lesson limit are not eligible for make-up or tuition credit.Illness, Accidents, and Family Emergencies: One lesson per quarter may be cancelled with 24-hour prior notice due to a student’s illness, accidents, or family emergencies and will be considered an excused absence eligible for make-up. This absence counts toward the four-lesson make-up limit for the year.Family Vacations: Provided 2 weeks’ notification is given, family vacations are excused and will be made up. Vacation absences count toward the four-lesson make-up limit for the year.Unexcused Absences: Unexcused absences, last-minute cancellations (with less than 24-hour notice), and no-shows will count as a completed lesson and will not be refunded or made up (except in emergency situations at the discretion of the teacher).School Cancellations: Lessons are not automatically cancelled when school is cancelled. Please check with the teacher to confirm whether lessons will be held.Sibling Substitution: Families with multiple children may have another child attend the sick child’s lesson, making the healthy child’s lesson a longer lesson. In that case, the sick child would forfeit their make-up lesson.

The teacher reserves the right to cancel a lesson due to illness, accidents, or family emergencies. Planned teacher vacations will be communicated at least one month prior to a missed lesson. Lessons will be rescheduled when possible. Fees paid for any teacher absences that cannot be made up will be credited.

It is the parent’s responsibility to confirm make-up lessons. Every effort will be made to find a make-up lesson time within the same month. In some cases, it may require a one-hour lesson the following week or a lesson at a different time and date. Should a suitable time not be found within that month, an extra lesson will be added in May, and no additional fee will be required.Make-up lessons in May will follow the same time slots as your regularly scheduled lessons. May make-up lessons that are missed will not be refunded or rescheduled (except in emergency situations at the discretion of the teacher).

All communications between teacher and parent will take place via email (rachelderr.studio@gmail.com). Because lessons may occur back-to-back, communication regarding absences or a student’s progress must take place via email. The teacher will reply within 24 business hours.

Parents may attend lessons and quietly observe if they desire or may wait in their car. If you have additional children with you, please make sure they sit with the parent and are quiet and respectful of your child’s lesson time. Please encourage your child to complete their work and regularly practice the piano at home.

One optional recital will be offered at the end of April. Students who do not want to perform are encouraged to attend to support other students, see what a recital is like, and to encourage future participation. Recital cost is $10 per student.

Invoices will be sent by email at the end of each month for the upcoming month. Tuition is $50 per lesson paid monthly from August through April (see the Monthly Breakdown on the Calendar) and is due by the 1st lesson of the month. Tuition is adjusted on the calendar to reflect holiday breaks and will be adjusted should there be teacher cancellations. No additional fees are required for make-up lessons.May, June, and July optional add-on lessons are paid per lesson at the start of each lesson and are not eligible for make-up or rescheduling. Tuition for a scheduled add-on lesson will be due in the event of an unexcused absence.Payments may be made by cash, check, Zelle, Venmo, or PEP funds. If paying monthly creates a hardship, please discuss with the teacher.Tuition is based on enrollment, not attendance. This means refunds will not be given for missed lessons; they will be rescheduled (see Section 5 above).

Parents are required to provide all student materials. The teacher will provide a list of the required materials based on the child’s experience. Materials may include music theory, piano performance, and warm-up books.

Please provide at least one month’s written notice via email when withdrawing your child from lessons. Tuition remains due during the notice period and is not prorated or refunded.

Please park to the far left or far right in the driveway (street parking is prohibited). Please wait in your vehicle until your scheduled time slot. When the student prior to your lesson exits, you may come in for your lesson.