Welcome to a new school year 2024-2025! I hope you all had a great summer and are rejuvenated to begin Fall semester. As we come together to begin a new school year, your understanding of the studio outline will make the lessons and classes go smoothly. All parents and students, please read everything on this “Studio Outline” and all of the subtitle categories under “Student Login”. There will be a studio policy letter sent to each family. The student and one parent will sign the letter electronically using Adobe Reader and email it back no later than August 16, 2024. The studio policy letter must be received before beginning Fall lessons. Studio emails will be sent out on a regular basis to keep you informed during the school year.

Parents and students must read before signing the policy letter for each semester.

In-Person Lessons (2024-2025)

August 27, 2024 through May 30, 2025: for the health and safety of every student and family, only one student and the teacher may be in the studio at every lesson slot. Parents will drop off students and pick up students when lessons are over. Thank you, parents, for your cooperation. If the parent would like to drop in for a few minutes, please inform the teacher in advance. Please wear a face mask coming for lessons if the student is not feeling well.
Students and Parents, please stay home if you are sick with any symptoms (stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, body aches or fever). Parents, for the safety of all students and the teacher, please do not send your child to lessons if he/she is sick. Inform the teacher via text message immediately. Virtual lessons for students who are not well. Allow a few minutes for the teacher to login online for virtual lessons.
Students are asked to abide by sanitizing their hands when entering and exiting the studio. Wash hands thoroughly before touching the piano keys. For in-person lessons, please wear a face mask during flu season.
All touched areas in the studio will be sanitized frequently.
For the courtesy of everyone, all lessons will begin and end on time. Please be on time for your lessons.
Each family must follow the safety protocols in the studio during the lessons.
Parents, if someone in your household is exposed to COVID, let me know. If the student is exposed to COVID or is tested positive, he or she should move to virtual lessons and quarantine before resuming for in-person lessons.

Virtual Lessons (for students who are ill and can’t make in-person lessons, or for inclement weather)

Please give the teacher an advance notice. Inform the teacher ASAP if the student is not feeling well after school and couldn’t make it to lessons.
Students who can’t wear a mask indoors or are considered high-risk can opt to remain with virtual lessons anytime.
All virtual lessons will be delivered via Zoom, FaceTime or Skype.
Lesson notes will be on Google Docs for virtual lessons (only if the teacher is informed in advance in the case of illness).
Allow a few minutes for the teacher to move from in-person teaching to online teaching in order to set up all of the devices.
In case of inclement weather during winter season, lessons will be online. The teacher will inform the parents via text messages or emails.

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What does the tuition cover?

Private lessons, group/performance classes. Keeping the two grand pianos in tuned for lessons.
Planning and printing the new student piano assignment books, binding the assignment books, and preparing for the new student binders each year. The fees for assignment book and the class binder are included in the tuition this year.
Studio expenses. Printing expenses for student’s handouts, classes, recitals. Facility rental at Day Murray Music for the studio recitals.
Lesson planning each week, selecting performance music for students for recitals/festivals/Royal Conservatory of Music testing, sending emails to students and parents with updates on studio and festival events, correcting theory homework outside the lessons, preparing class materials, listening to student’s practice videos outside lesson times, and making trips to the music store to select and purchase music for students.
Tuition is paid on a semester basis (fall, winter, and spring semester). See studio calendar for tuition due dates.
To avoid late payments, please pay by the due date for each semester.
Payment is due in full. Please pay tuition via Venmo or Zelle.
Note: A late fee of $30 will be assessed if the tuition payments received after the due date for each semester. $30 will be added to the late tuition payment.

How do I pay for books and fees?

Each family will pay for the student assignment book and binder, and reimburse the teacher for festival registration fees via Venmo.
If theory and music books are purchased for the student, the parent will Venmo the money to the teacher.

What do we do when we arrive to lessons?

Please do not park in the driveway when you arrive. Park in the street dropping off and picking up students. Thank you.
Please do not throw anything (food or trash) in the black garbage can or the blue recycle bin as you walk in and out of the studio. Thank you.
Please close the backyard gate as you enter and exit to prevent animals from finding their way in. The gate can get stuck. Please lift up the gate gently before push it to open.
Sanitize your hands after you come in the studio.
Students, please use the restroom at school or at home before you come for lessons. No restroom is available in the studio. There have been many accidents in the past. There’ no time for the teacher to sanitize the restroom after each use.
Students and parents should remove their shoes once inside the studio. Shoes should be left on the rug to the right of the entryway.
One student in the studio at a time. Any siblings coming together must remain quiet while you wait for your lesson and keep the face mask on. Students should read a book or do homework while they wait.
Please do not bring friends or other siblings to the lessons. The lesson time should be a quiet time for the teacher and the student working together.
Students must wash your hands right before you play the piano. Wash your hands with soap, and dry your hands with paper towels. Pull the paper towels slowly with both hands and use one paper towel at a time.
Turn on the faucet handles at the sink with care. To stop the water, place the handles on the faucet facing parallel on both sides.
Do not leave water on the side of the sink. Please always leave the sink dry and clean after each use as a courtesy for the next student. If there’s any problem, please let the teacher know.
No chewing gum in the studio. PLEASE DO NOT bring any food or drinks into the studio at anytime. Water bottles are okay but keep the bottle lid tight.
If the student arrives late to the lesson, his/her lesson time will not be extended. Please be on time. Each lesson will start and end on time.
FYI, all lessons will stay on schedule during the semester. If parents or students have questions, please send the questions via emails the day before. If the student is working on a performance piece and the lesson time is up, we will wrap up quickly and pick up from where we left off at the following lesson. If the student has any questions, ask the teacher during the lesson time and not wait until the end. To avoid distractions during lessons, my phone is on silent during teaching hours and I don’t check messages or emails until I’m done teaching for that day.

What are the student's expectations?

Lesson time is valuable and is reserved just for YOU. Be on time to lessons, and be responsible in bringing all music books, your lesson assignment book and binder to lessons.
If the student is not feeling well after school, do not come. Inform the teacher immediately.
Student’s and parent’s cell phones should be turned off or on silent mode during lesson times. Do not talk on the phone during lessons. Thank you for your cooperation.
Regular practice is imperative to learn how to play proficiently. A minimum of 45 minutes to one hour of practice per day is required for elementary students, and a minimum of 90 minutes to two hours of practice per day is required for junior and high school students. Practicing seven days a week is highly recommended.
Participation in Performance Classes, Fall Recital, Christmas and Spring Recital are mandatory. Please make an effort to attend all classes and recitals and not leaving early.
Good behavior and etiquette are crucial in lessons, studio classes and recitals. STUDENTS, PLEASE DO NOT TALK DURING PERFORMANCE CLASSES AND IN RECITALS (IN-PERSON OR ONLINE). Please raise your hand if you have questions in class.
Assigned pages of theory homework should be done the day after the lesson on a weekly basis, and should be done in pencil, not in pen. The theory book must be brought to every lesson. Parents, please check the theory pages before the child's lesson and make sure they are completed.
Students are expected to follow and practice Keyboard Skills (technic) every day. Just like warming up for athletes, Keyboard Skills (scales, chords, cadences and arpeggios) are warm-up exercises for pianists. If you are also assigned another technic book, remember to practice the assignment during the week.
There will be a “SCALE-A-THON” this year. Students should be able to play all of the techniques fluidly and be able to play with correct fingering and by memory at a given tempo. Please see the keyboard skill sheet in your assignment book for more information.
Students will be competing in a “10 and 20 PIECE CHALLENGE”. The “10 and 20 Piece Challenge” log is in the new student assignment book. Every piece must be at least 24 measures long. Details are on the log sheet. The first ten completed pieces on the front side are in blue color. The next ten completed pieces are on the back side are in orange color. Students might feel motivated to “level up” to the orange level and aim for the 20 pieces. All students who have completed either the 10 pieces or the 20 pieces will receive a certificate and a trophy at the spring recital on May 10, 2025. The award for the “20 piece challenge” winners will be a bigger award than the “10 piece challenge”. Only 2 pieces can be passed off at each weekly lesson. The purpose of the 10 and 20 piece challenge is to learn more music throughout the entire school year. Students, this challenge can be done, so get motivated and learn 20 pieces this year!
Following each festival event, parents are welcome to set up a time with the teacher to meet either in person or virtually and go over the comments on the judging papers.
Students will be evaluated at their lessons each week based on how prepared they are for the lessons and if they brought all of their books. It is the student’s responsibility to bring all of their piano lesson books (including the student binder, lesson assignment book, theory and technic books) to lessons each week. Students will receive a rating at the end of each lesson based on overall preparedness. THE STUDENT AND THE PARENT WILL MEET WITH THE TEACHER AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR A YEAR-END EVALUATION.
To receive a “5”, students must have completed their assigned theory homework BEFORE coming to lessons. Keyboard skills (KS), sight reading; have followed and practiced all of their assigned repertoire, and have their assignment book and binder with them.
If the student forgets to bring the assignment book or binder, or theory assignment is not completed, the rating is lowered to a "4".
If the student does not have theory and keyboard skills (KS) prepared for the lesson, the rating is lowered to a "3"; theory and KS are an integral part of the piano study, so don’t forget to work on them.
If theory and KS are not prepared, and the practicing assignment is not ready, then the rating is further lowered to a "2" or "1".
Parents: If you see a rating of "3" or lower, please monitor your child's practicing at home. Be sure they complete their theory homework before the next lesson, and ensure practicing of keyboard skills.

What if we can't make it to our lessons?

A weekly lesson time slot is reserved for your child's lesson. Should a conflict arise with your scheduled lesson time, the student is encouraged to swap their lesson time with their sibling or with another student. Trade arrangements should be made by the parents and should be mutually agreed upon by both parties at least ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE. The student's directory can be accessed through the "Student Login" page above.
I’d like to thank all of the parents and students in advance for your flexibility to swap when another student is in need. However, if the family receives less than 7 days notice and cannot accommodate a request for a lesson swap, then the lesson from the requested student will be forfeited for that week. After you've made the swap, the parent who requested the swap must send a confirmation email to the other parent/student AND to the teacher regarding the changes. The email is the confirmation for the swapped lessons. If there are any mix-ups, then the lesson time will be given to the student with the original lesson time.
If you cannot find anyone to trade with, it is not the responsibility of the teacher to schedule a make-up lesson anytime for you for that week. There will not be any make-up lessons or refunds offered for missed/cancelled lessons due to school events and family vacations. No make-up or refunds offered for group/performance classes as well.
Tuition will not be lowered or credited for missed lessons or absences due to birthday parties, family vacations, sport practices and games, or dance recitals.
If you have a family vacation planned in advance before fall, winter, or spring semester begins, please inform the teacher BEFORE the semester starts. With the advanced notice before the semester begins, the lessons you miss will not be counted to the total tuition for that semester. However, once the first day of the semester has started, there will be no lessons credited for any absences or missed lessons due to family vacations or any school events, and no make-up lessons for the week you missed the lessons. Your lesson time slot is left vacant when you are absent.
If the student is ill or an emergency situation/extenuating circumstance arises on the lesson day during the school year, and the student will be absent, please contact the teacher via text or a phone call immediately. Lessons could be changed to online for illness based on your lesson time and time availability. Family emergency situations could be made-up but at the teacher's discretion based on the time availability for that week.
Lessons cancelled by the teacher will be made up or credited at a later date. In case of inclement weather, lessons will be moved to online. Keep the teacher’s Zoom account available. No make-up lesson dates have been built into this year’s calendar 2024-2025.
Please keep in mind that when securing a lesson time slot, it is your commitment for the full year. If the student decides to discontinue lessons anytime during the year, no refund will be issued for remaining unused lessons, and there will be an additional dismissal charge fee of $200 per student for the lesson time slot you have reserved for the year.
Parents should inform the teacher at least ONE MONTH in advance for lessons dismissal or a dismissal fee of $200 will be assessed. If you have any concerns, please discuss with me and we can make things work out for you. I do care about my students. Not only that I teach my students piano skills but I also hope students do feel that they are cared for and inspired in my piano studio.
Thank you for following all of the studio’s policy listed on this “Studio Outline” page.

What about summer lessons?

Summer lessons can be scheduled during the last two weeks of spring semester.
Every student should plan on taking at least five or more summer lessons.
Summer tuition for all the lessons is prepaid (for June, July and August). If the student is absent or forgot to come for one of their summer lessons, there is no make-up or refund. Students come for different lesson times and weeks in the summer; therefore, swapping lessons are impossible in the summer. Please let the teacher know at least one week in advance if you have conflicts.
There are usually no summer lessons in August until the new school year begins.

A Closing Note

Thank you to all the parents and students for your commitment for piano lessons. I love teaching and I care deeply about my students. You are my "music family”. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime via text, a phone call or an email. Thank you so much for your cooperation! Best wishes to everyone for a productive school year of piano lessons!