Studio Policy

My Music Studio


Email:  info@mymusicstudio.com.au
 
 
Studio Policy 2024

Please note: In booking any lesson with My Music Studio, you are agreeing to this policy.

Scheduling 

    • Weekly Lessons are booked on a weekly schedule throughout the term, your lesson will be scheduled for the same time each week. 
    • Casual lesson times are subject to the availability of the studio and teacher. 
    • School holiday lessons are offered separately depending on the availability of your teacher 
    • Please ensure you and your child arrive on time for the lessons. If lateness occurs, the lesson will finish at the scheduled time. 


Tuition and Fees 

Tuition covers the time spent with you/your child, as well as time spent preparing for lessons. 

Students may enrol in weekly 30, 45 or 60-minute private lessons, depending on age and level.

All fees and deposits paid are non-transferable and non-refundable. Tuition is charged according to the QLD school term and must be paid before or at the first lesson of each school term. For students who enrol for casual lessons, tuition must be paid before or at the first lesson of each bundle.

Payments will be accepted via cash or electronic bank transfers. The account information will be provided if you choose to transfer funds via online banking, please include the student’s name in the memo section.  

School holiday lessons are offered separately depending on the availability of your teacher and are payable in advance upon request. 

Student books and materials are not included in the tuition. Students will be asked to purchase music and supplies - Your teacher will direct you to what you will need for this. Students can purchase the book themselves or we could also order them for you upon request. In this case, you will be charged when receiving the books or materials. 


Cancellation of a Lesson

All Cancellations require a minimum of 24 hours of written or text message notification. If such notice is not given, a make-up lesson will not be provided and the student will be charged for the lesson.

We categorised the cancellation as follows:

Illness/ family emergency

- All students receive one make-up lesson credit per term  

- Cancellations require a minimum of 24 hours of written or text message notification.

- If the student is ill/not feeling well for any reason, that student should not attend the lesson in person. An online lesson option is available. If students feel well enough to have a lesson but are not well enough to attend the studio, the lesson will take place online that day. Teachers reserve the right to terminate a lesson early when a student is too ill to continue.

Exception: Each student is allowed one cancellation without sufficient notice each calendar quarter (January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December) and a make-up lesson will be provided. 

 *Sufficient notice is when the notice is given less than 24 hours but not less than 3 hours before the scheduled lesson time.

Please note: No make-up or credit will be given for any missed lessons when:

- No notice given / No show

- Cancel within 3 hours before the scheduled lesson time

Family vacation/ school events/ other reasons

- Make-up lessons are not guaranteed. If the teacher gets any cancellations from other students, you will be offered that spot for a make-up lesson. 

- Give as much notice as possible. The more notice is given, the more chance for you to receive a make-up lesson. 

Teacher Absence 

- If the teacher cannot attend a scheduled lesson for any reason, a make-up lesson will be provided. 

 

Make-Up Lessons

- All make-up lessons will be scheduled depending on the teacher’s convenience and availability during the term. Every effort will be made to re-schedule a replacement lesson when required. Please note, that if a student cannot attend at any of the times offered by the teacher, the fee for that lesson is non-refundable.

- You must use your make-up lessons by the end of the 10th week of term. Unused make-up lessons cannot be carried forward over terms. 


The Studio Environment 

Please RESPECT THE PIANO TEACHER’S PIANO (any damages, including loss of work at the fault of the student to the piano or studio, will be invoiced to the student.)


Please respect the studio – no touching the stereo or removing any valuable item of value without permission, and please remind your child not to stomp their feet or run inside the studio as the floor is made of wood and footsteps could bother neighbours in the building. Please remove your shoes and place them on the shoe rack. No food or beverages are allowed inside the studio, including gum or candy. Breaking furniture or anything similar resulting in damage will incur damage costs. My Music Studio holds NO responsibility for injuries incurred on teaching premises.


Participation Expectations for Students

  • Please bring the correct music to each lesson
  • Try to practice as much and as often as you can. We recommend Practising at least five days a week* and remember, the important thing about practising is that it’s about frequency and quality– not duration
  • For piano students, keep fingernails trimmed short, we cannot play the piano with long nails. Also, make sure that your hands are clean before playing the piano (the bathroom and hand sanitiser are available if necessary)
  • Please don’t use cell phones during lessons
  • Ask questions and have fun with music!

*Practice length is different regarding the student’s level


Participation Expectations for Parents/Guardians

  • To ensure practising is done regularly, and to positively encourage practising as advised by our teachers; to respect their teaching methods and decisions regarding exam entry.
  • If the student has been dropped off, a parent/guardian is required to pick up the student from the studio at the end of the lesson. Care is unable to be provided after the lesson time has finished and this studio takes no responsibility for students once they have left the front door of the premises. 
  • In order that students can get the best from their tuition, we ask that they conduct themselves politely and demonstrate their commitment to the lessons
  • For the student’s first lesson, we are very happy and actively encourage parents to remain in the studio for the duration of the lesson until the student feels comfortable being independent with the teacher. Siblings are also welcome only if they are well-behaved and not a distraction. 

Students’ musical improvement does not rely on the student and teacher only, but also on the parents. Many studies found that children’s motivation and enjoyment are affected by their teacher and their parents. The support from the parents and teacher as a team will make unique contributions to students’ engagement and achievement in music learning. 


Practice Expectations

Practising is an important part of music learning, piano practice should become a daily habit for students. The students must practice at least 5 days a week to review what they learn and improve their skills. Here are the practice durations we recommend the students to practice: 

  • Beginner level (beginner up to grade 1): 15-30 minutes 
  • Beginner Level (Grade 2 – Grade 3): 40-60 minutes
  • Intermediate level (Grade 4 – 6): 60-90 minutes
  • Advance level (Grade 7-8): 90 minutes and up 

Parent support is a key element to your child’s success. Parental involvement in practice sessions can improve the effectiveness of the practice. We understand that some students are not independent enough to take responsibility for their music practice. Hence, being involved in your child’s practice sessions by checking their homework and supporting the effort of practising will make big progress on the student’s playing which the parents can do without having a musical background/experience. 


Instruments

For piano students:

  • Piano – The best option for the instrument is an acoustic piano. However, a digital piano with 88 weighted keys is acceptable. In some cases, young beginners who already have a small keyboard at home are allowed to use it for one year. After the first year, we highly encourage the students to change their instrument to either an acoustic piano or a digital piano for the best result in piano learning. 
  • Piano Bench – The piano bench should be adjustable as the height of a piano is very important. If you have a fixed-height bench, we would recommend using cushions to increase the height. 
  • Foot Stool – A proper footstool is needed when a student’s feet cannot touch the ground. Having both feet grounded firmly is important in developing piano techniques. 
  • Metronome – Students are required to have a quality metronome either digital or with a dial
  • Placement – The piano should be placed in an area that is suitable for practising with enough light and avoid noisy areas like a living room.