STUDIO POLICIES
FOR THE 2020-21Â SCHOOL YEAR
I. Lesson Fees
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Contact Leana directly for rates
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As students progress, it becomes necessary to increase the length of their lesson. It is recommended to lengthen the lessons for students participating in the Certificate of Merit.
II. Payment Policy
Lesson payments are due by the 10th of every month. Parents will be sent an invoice each month via email that will include payment for lessons (either 4 or 5 lessons depending on the month), reimbursements for teaching materials, recital fees, and late fees. Your monthly pay- ment reserves your lesson day/time for your child.!
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Payments may be made by cash, check, Zelle, or Venmo (username: @lessonswithleana). ! !
A late fee of $20 will be applied if payment is received after the 10th.!
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III. Cancellation Policy (NO EXCEPTIONS) !
If a lesson must be cancelled for any reason, teacher must be contacted via phone or email at least 24-hours prior to the lesson that week. With at a least 24-hour notice, a make-up lesson can be scheduled. If teacher and student are not able to find a make-up time, a virtual lesson may be scheduled. The make-up lesson must be scheduled before the next billing month or the lesson will be forfeited. Please remember that a missed lesson will set back the progress of the student. !
Without 24-hour notice, the lesson will be forfeited, and no refund or credit will be issued. Weekend makeups are a possibility, but can only be in-studio or virtual. If a sibling(s) is absent from their lesson, the lesson time will be billed in full unless there is a 24-hour notification. The sibling that is present for the lesson may use the absent sibling’s lesson time. !
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In-Home Lessons: !
30 minutes $50 per lesson ! 45 minutes $60 per lesson! 60 minutes $75 per lesson!
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Lessons that are cancelled by the teacher will be credited and may be used the following billing month.!
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IV. Termination of Lessons!
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If the student wishes to discontinue, the teacher must be given one-month’s notice. With one- month’s notice the teacher and student may finish out their lessons on a positive note. This also gives the teacher time to fill the time slot. !
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The teacher may terminate lessons with any students due to the following reasons: ! -uncooperative or disrespectful attitude towards teacher!
-failure to comply to the studio policies!
-failure to make payments on time!
-does not make progress due to insufficient practice!
-is persistently tardy or misses lessons!
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V. Student Responsibilities and Practice!
Please arrive to your lessons well-prepared, on time, and with all necessary books/materials. Please remember that you are reserving the time slot, not the amount of minutes. !
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For steady progress, daily practice is essential when studying the piano. 20-30 minutes every- day is recommended. If the student’s schedule does not permit daily practice, 30-45 minutes 4-5 times a week is recommended. Improvement from weekly lessons alone will be minimal to none. Students are expected to practice their weekly lesson written in their piano notebooks or in their lesson assignments sent via email.!
Parents play an important role in their child’s progression on the piano. Listen as your child practices, commenting on their progress and efforts. Younger students may need your company while practicing, whether or not you have any musical knowledge. Older students may not need your presence, but may need to be reminded. It is the parent’s and student’s responsibility to establish daily practice habits. !
If the student has any questions about their practice during the week, the teacher can be con- tacted via email or phone.!
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VI. Virtual Lesson Guidelines !
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Due to COVID-19, all lessons will be taught virtually until it is safe to meet in person.!
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Virtual lessons may be held through Facetime, Zoom, Skype or Whatsapp. Please have camera ready at an angle where the student can be seen, as well as the full piano. An inexpensive iPhone stand can be purchased through Amazon for $10-15. Please be sure to have no back- ground noise in the room where the online lesson is taking place. The phone picks up all back- ground noise and makes it distracting and difficult to talk to student.!
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Parent will be sent lesson practice assignments each week via email. All new sheet music will be sent via email that must be printed out before the next lesson. !
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VII. Recitals and Showcases!
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Due to COVID-19, recitals and showcases for the school year are TBD. There will be on- line recital opportunities until state guidelines permit group gatherings. !
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Your student will have four opportunities to perform during the school year. Traditionally, these have been held in the Fall, before the holiday break, in the Spring, and at the end of the school year. !
Piano recitals are a formal event where all of the teacher’s students may perform. Students pick 1-2 works of music of their choice. Recital duration is typically no more than one hour. Students are expected to stay for the whole duration of the recital, but are not required. Children do notice when people are coming and going and it can be distracting and detrimental to their perfor- mance. Please give every student the same level of courtesy and respect as you would for your child.!
Showcases are a family event where participants are given the opportunity to perform at Santa Barbara venues such as SOHO and Center Stage. These are formal events where students are allowed to showcase more than their piano skills by singing, collaborating with friends or sib- lings, and playing with a full band. Students participating must dedicate extra practice time if performing with additional people. There is an additional rehearsal outside of lessons that is re- quired for participants performing with the full band. !
Recital Attire: Formal dress is not required, but the recitals and showcases are special occa- sions where the students get to present themselves and their work. Dress as one would for a nice occasion. No flip flops, casual shorts, jeans, or t-shirts.!
VIII. Recital & Showcase Performance FEES: !
Recital Fee: $10 per performer!
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Showcase Fee: $30 per performer! !
Recital and showcase fees help cover venue fees, program preparation, and additional re- hearsal time with Leana.!
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IX. Certificate of Merit!
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The Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) sponsors a music study program called the Certificate of Merit. The program will be held this school year online in March 2021. Certifi- cate of Merit provides a systematic and comprehensive plan to develop performance skill, tech- nique, ear training, sight reading, and music theory. The program creates opportunities for stu- dents to share their music with others and encourages students to strive for musical excellence. ! !
Students that are interested in participating in the Certificate of Merit must start preparing at the beginning of the school year. There is more practice and written music theory that is required in order to be considered for the evaluation. Your child will benefit tremendously from this educa- tional opportunity and experience. !