Tuition and Fees
Tuition for 30, 45, and 60 minute lessons guarantees that I will be present to teach at least 4 weeks of lessons each month. Lessons are taught year round. Payments of tuition are due at the first lesson of every month.
Acceptable forms of payment include checks made payable to Julia Baldwin, cash, Venmo, Paypal*, ApplePay, CashApp, Zelle, and credit/debit card*.
* Payments made via Paypal or credit/debit card will include a $4 service charge
Attendance
Please respect the time we have agreed upon for lessons. In the event that you or your student need to miss a lesson because of a conflict or illness, please contact me with as much advance notice as possible.
❖ Make-up lessons are a courtesy provided by the teacher as time allows, but are not guaranteed. At least one day’s notice (24 hours) must be given prior to a missed lesson in order to receive a make-up lesson.
❖ Number of make-up lesson credits shall not exceed 4 at any given time. If you anticipate needing to reschedule more than 4 lessons at a time, please contact your teacher.
❖ Pro-rating and refunds are not available for lessons missed by the student.
If at any time the teacher needs to cancel a lesson, an alternate make-up lesson time will be guaranteed.
Try to choose a lesson time in which you feel confident. Please understand that the tuition you pay reserves an exclusive weekly time in my schedule for you and/or your child.
Please arrive promptly, well prepared, and with all the necessary materials! As lessons are usually scheduled back-to-back, lesson times cannot be extended for students who arrive late. Parents are welcome at any time to stay for the lesson.
Regarding virtual lessons: please ensure that your student has a quiet room for their lesson time, a good internet connection, and an updated device with adequate camera and speakers.
Termination of Lessons
If, for any reason you decide to not continue taking lessons at the studio, please notify the teacher at least one month in advance to the cancellation date.
Vacation Time
The monthly tuition rate for each month covers 4 lessons a month. During a typical year, there are a number of months where there is an extra week. For instance, there were 52 Wednesdays in 2019, instead of 48 (4 x 12). Those extra unpaid weeks are balanced out by the teacher being able to take off a total of 4 weeks during the year without make-up lessons scheduled for those weeks. These 4 weeks of vacation are usually split between summer and holiday seasons.
Please note that lesson times cannot be held for students who wish to take more than one month off from lessons.
Materials
Students are required to have a piano available for practice at home, whether acoustic or electric. Acoustic pianos should be tuned and maintained at least semi-annually by a qualified technician.
Access to a metronome is required, and if the student does not have access to a physical metronome, there are several metronome apps that will suffice.
Students will need to purchase music and theory books on occasion throughout the year. Your teacher will provide you with a link to purchase these books online. Each student is required to bring a small notebook to their lesson time. Weekly assignments will be written in the notebook and should be referenced during home practice time. Regarding online lessons, weekly assignments will be emailed to the parent and/or student each week.
Practice Expectations
Regular home practice is essential for student success. Ideally, students should aim for 5 days of practice each week. Practice time depends on the proficiency level of the student and will be discussed during lesson time. If questions arise, be sure to ask me questions during lessons; I want you to completely understand the assignment.
Guidelines to facilitate effective practicing:
❖ Short, daily practice sessions are more effective than one or two long sessions per week. The most important time for students to practice is right after their weekly lesson, to solidify what they have just learned. Research has shown that the retention of new knowledge drops to 60% after just 24 hours.
❖ Give practice time the same priority as homework.
❖ Schedule practice at a regular time each day.
❖ When practicing, avoid distractions such as television, pets, visitors, and phones.
❖ Regularly review all items listed in the Assignment Notebook as it serves as a guide to weekly practicing and learning.
❖ Keep fingernails short, as long nails impede proper hand position. Keep hands clean and germ-free out of respect for the other students using the piano; washing hands before the lesson is recommended.
Performance
Several recitals will be held throughout the year that students are encouraged to participate in. I highly recommend that students memorize their performance pieces, but this is not a requirement for participation in the recital. Regarding online lessons, performance opportunities will be addressed as is convenient for each student’s situation.
❖ Please note that participation in a studio recital counts as one lesson credit for that month. This credit can be used to fulfill a make-up lesson, or can be used in place of the lesson for the week following the recital.
Involvement of Parents or Guardians
The adult’s most important role in the musical development of a child is to listen to the student with encouragement and enthusiasm.
Up until about age 11, children need hands-on help with home practice. And even though you yourself may not read music or play the piano, your assistance is still very much needed! Parental help can take the form of reading lesson notes, organizing practice time wisely, and providing encouragement through difficult sections or situations. I recommend that parents or guardians sit down with the student at least once a week to see that all assignments are practiced and to offer support.
Parents or guardians should provide a well-tuned piano (at least once every other year), a metronome, and a quiet place to practice. The parent’s or guardian’s responsibilities include bringing the student to lessons on time and picking them up on time.
Parents are encouraged to call or text me if there are any concerns or questions. It is my goal to give your child a positive learning experience in a supportive and musical environment.
My number is (559) 940-8970 where you can reach me by call or text.
Emails may be sent to juliapbaldwin96@gmail.com