Policies and Procedures

General Information   Weekly private lessons are offered in 45-minute sessions. Monthly tuition is based on the number of lesson days each month.  Private lessons are available for students ages 6 to adult. We also offer group classes during the year. Group classes are offered for ages 5 & 6 and schedules will be announced throughout the year. Our band program will be offered to students ages 7 to 18. Students will be placed into a band setting with other students of similar age and ability level. 

At The Lesson | Students are expected to arrive for lessons in a timely manner, with all required materials and music. Parents may remain in the waiting room or run errands so long as they return to pick up their student in a timely fashion. To discuss student progress, parents are welcome to talk with the teacher during the first few minutes of the student’s lesson, or afterwards within student's time slot in order to respect the next student’s time. Any siblings or other people in the vicinity of a lesson being taught must be quiet enough as to not create a distraction. 

Practice and Instrument   Students are expected to practice daily on a well-maintained instrument.  The practice area should be located in a quiet area away from distractions.  The most important time for the student to practice is immediately following the lesson – or same day as the lesson, after the student has received instruction.  Your teacher will let you know how long would be best for each student to practice. You get out of it what you put into it – consistency is very important. The results speak for themselves. 

Tuition and Payment   Payments may be mailed or delivered to the studio while attending a lesson. Accepted forms of payment are cash, check or credit card.  Automatic recurring payments can also be set up at our front desk.     Monthly tuition is due the 10th of each month.  A late fee of $10.00 will be added to an account if payment is not received by the 10th of the month. Returned checks will incur a late fee of $35. Unpaid fees may result in the termination of the student’s weekly time slot. The Music Depot reserves the right to adjust pricing as they see fit at any time.

Summer Months | During the summer months, private students are expected to practice and continue normally scheduled lessons. We feel strongly about continuing the student’s musical education throughout the summer months to ensure maximum retention and progress.  If a student discontinues lessons through the summer, the student unfortunately cannot be guaranteed their time slot and instructor in the fall. 

Makeup Lessons | If an absence arises due to an unforeseen situation such as an accident or family emergency and the student indicates a desire for a makeup lesson, the office staff will make an effort to accommodate a makeup.  Make up lessons are not guaranteed to be with student’s normally scheduled instructor, and may be issued on weekends to allow normally scheduled lessons to continue smoothly.  Please be courteous to the teacher and fellow students by notifying the front desk via email at least 24 hours in advance regarding any known upcoming absences. Students cancelling a lesson less than 24 hours prior will not be eligible for a makeup lesson and your account will still be charged.  If a lesson is cancelled with less than 24 hours due to illness, a doctor’s note will be required for a make up to be issued. Each student will be allowed ONE make up lesson / rescheduled lesson PER MONTH.  We will not remove charges from invoices for missed lessons.

Discontinuing Lessons    Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure.  For this reason, we ask for two (2) weeks notice via email prior to discontinuing lessons.  Note: At the discretion of the director, students may be asked to discontinue lessons at any time if they have unpaid tuition, an excess amount of absences/unprepared lessons, or if they show a lack of interest. 

Parent Participation | Parents are encouraged to be supportive and active participants in practice at home.  Parents are invited to attend and quietly observe lessons twice a year during parent observation weeks.  Your child’s teacher will provide you with details of how you can best assist your child in their musical studies. 

Use of Photographs and Videos 

Your child’s safety and privacy is important to us! The Music Depot School may take photographs of classes, lessons, recitals and events for promotional use in on-line and print materials. It is our policy not to include the names of children in any captions. If you would like us to not use any images of yourself or a family member, please let us know in writing or by email. If you do NOT give consent for us to use photographs or videos of your child for promotional use, please notify the front desk via email at frontdesk@themusicdepotschool.com