Studio Policies
Lessons
1. Regular lessons are crucial to a student's advancement and all students are required to commit to weekly lessons. If you cannot attend one of your regular lessons, please negotiate a trade with another student. If no lesson switch is available, please let me know, as I may occasionally have alternate lesson times available. Missed lessons and late cancellations (less than 48 hours notice) will not be made up and no refund will be made, except in cases of extenuating circumstances.
2. Arrive on time for your lesson. Upon arrival, the student should get the cello ready, even if I’m not finished with the previous student, and come into the studio. I generally continue teaching a student until I see that the next student is ready. If you are the first lesson of the day, do not knock until your appointed time, as I often need those precious minutes to prepare for the lesson.
3. Parents, please take notes at lessons and follow through with the daily assignments. Bring the same notebook every week. Students are permitted to record lessons if there is no one to take notes, as long as the recorded material is only for your personal use and never published or put on YouTube, etc. Numbering measures in a piece makes it easy to reference a task.
4. Parents should refrain from explaining a student's lack of practice or making excuses in front of the student. Call or email me in advance of the lesson and let me know what is going on. The student’s performance will reveal the results of the practice.
5. Parents should remain quiet at lessons, unless asked to speak. It is the child’s lesson and he/she is learning to take responsibility for his/her performance.
6. Please silence all cell phones during lessons. If there is an urgent call you need to take, please go upstairs. Phone calls and text messages are very distracting to both the student and the teacher!
2. Arrive on time for your lesson. Upon arrival, the student should get the cello ready, even if I’m not finished with the previous student, and come into the studio. I generally continue teaching a student until I see that the next student is ready. If you are the first lesson of the day, do not knock until your appointed time, as I often need those precious minutes to prepare for the lesson.
3. Parents, please take notes at lessons and follow through with the daily assignments. Bring the same notebook every week. Students are permitted to record lessons if there is no one to take notes, as long as the recorded material is only for your personal use and never published or put on YouTube, etc. Numbering measures in a piece makes it easy to reference a task.
4. Parents should refrain from explaining a student's lack of practice or making excuses in front of the student. Call or email me in advance of the lesson and let me know what is going on. The student’s performance will reveal the results of the practice.
5. Parents should remain quiet at lessons, unless asked to speak. It is the child’s lesson and he/she is learning to take responsibility for his/her performance.
6. Please silence all cell phones during lessons. If there is an urgent call you need to take, please go upstairs. Phone calls and text messages are very distracting to both the student and the teacher!
House Procedures
1. Students should come to the back door and ring the doorbell at their appointed lesson time. Feel free to enter if the door is unlocked. Please remove shoes upon entering and make sure the door is completely shut behind you to conserve energy and avoid letting the dog out.
2. Parking on the street in front of our house is allowed any time. Parking across the street is only allowed during non-school hours. Please observe the signs to avoid getting a ticket!
2. Parking on the street in front of our house is allowed any time. Parking across the street is only allowed during non-school hours. Please observe the signs to avoid getting a ticket!
Practice
1. All students must commit to daily, focused practice. If you are having an unusually busy day, choose to practice technique (such as scales, etudes, and other assigned exercises), rather than running through your piece from the repertoire. Even if you cannot fit in your full daily practice, try to do at least 30 minutes of efficient practice. It is far better to do this than miss an entire day.
2. Daily listening is crucial for the development of young students. Tone, rhythm, pitch, musical nuance and much more are developed from this listening. Also, sing every day!
3. Think positively! Have faith in your child’s ability to succeed. I do!
2. Daily listening is crucial for the development of young students. Tone, rhythm, pitch, musical nuance and much more are developed from this listening. Also, sing every day!
3. Think positively! Have faith in your child’s ability to succeed. I do!
Payment
Effective April 1, 2015, tuition is $75 per lesson and payable by cash. Payment may be made at the beginning of the month or on a weekly basis. There will be a slight increase in tuition every other September.