Tuition, Calendar, and Lesson Policies

Melody Tree Studios Lesson Policies 2024/2025 

Calendar

Our studio offers an ongoing, year-round (12 month) lesson program, September - August.

Studio Events

FIRST DAY OF LESSONS FOR THE 2024/2025 SCHOOL YEAR - Sunday, September 8th, 2024

WINTER RECITAL - Saturday, December 14th, 2024

WORKSHOP DAY - Saturday, February 22nd, 2025  (Students attend a group workshop in place of their regularly scheduled lesson.)

WORKSHOP DAY - Saturday,  May 31st, 2025 (Students attend a group workshop in place of their regularly scheduled lesson.)

SPRING RECITAL - Saturday, June 7th, 2025

Holidays and Studio Closures

There will be NO LESSONS on the following days:

THANKSGIVING BREAK - November 25th - December 1st 2024

WINTER BREAK - December 22nd, 2024 - January 3rd 2025

WORKSHOP WEEK - February 17th-23rd, 2025  (Students attend a group workshop on Saturday, February 22nd in place of their regularly scheduled lesson.)

SPRING BREAK - March 30th- April 4th, 2025 

WORKSHOP WEEK - May 25th - 30th, 2025 (Students attend a group workshop on Saturday, May 31st in place of their regularly scheduled lesson.)

SUMMER BREAK - June 23rd - July 6th, 2025

END OF SUMMER/BACK TO SCHOOL BREAK - August 25th - September 5th, 2025

Please note that these are the only weeks with no lessons.

Tuition

Private Lessons

$165/month – weekly 30 minute private lessons

$247.50/month - weekly 45 minute private lessons

$330/month - weekly 60 minute private lessons

• Your tuition payment reserves your weekly lesson time, and also includes the opportunity to participate in two group workshops and two recitals each year.

• Tuition is due on the first of the month, and is payable with Zelle, Popmoney, auto-pay through your bank, cash, or a check made out to Rachel Robinson.

Books/Materials fee

A yearly nonrefundable $75 books/materials fee is due upon registration or with September tuition, and covers all lesson materials including method books, holiday music, recital music, and any other supplemental or fun music that students would like to play.

Illness Policy

If your student is sick, please keep them home from lessons. If they are feeling well enough to attend online, please let me know and we will have their lesson via Zoom. Likewise, if your teacher is under the weather but feeling well enough to teach, I will notify you and lessons will be held online.

Teacher Sick Days

Your teacher may cancel up to two lessons per calendar year without scheduling a make-up lesson. Teacher sick days may be used for extreme illness (if your teacher is too sick to teach online) or family emergency.  If for any reason your teacher has to cancel more than two lessons per calendar year, a make-up lesson will be scheduled at a mutually agreeable time.

Inclement Weather

If you prefer not to travel to your lesson due to the weather, please let me know and we will have your lesson online.

Attendance

• Please make every effort to attend all lessons, as consistency is vital to students' progress. Your tuition payment reserves your weekly lesson time in the schedule. There are no make-up lessons during the school year. Tuition is not refunded or adjusted for absences or canceled lessons. Just like university tuition, music lesson tuition is payable whether the student attends or not. As a courtesy to your teacher, please let us know as soon as possible if you will miss a lesson.

• Lessons begin and end promptly, so please be on time.

• If you know in advance that you will miss a lesson, you may arrange to trade lesson times with another student. A lesson swap sheet with names, phone numbers, email addresses, and the lesson schedule will be distributed early in the year. Please contact me 24 hours in advance if you arrange to swap lessons with another student. If you don’t want to be included on this sheet, you may opt out in the form below.

• Online lessons are always available if you are unable to make it to your lesson in person. This can help with conflicts due to mild illness, travel, transportation,  etc. If you'd like to have your lesson online, just let us know! 

• Lessons are ongoing and students are expected to continue with lessons throughout the year. However, if you find that you must stop lessons, a one month written notice is required.

Summer Lesson Policy

• Lessons are held year-round, September through August. 

• Students must continue lessons during the summer in order to retain a spot in the studio. Consistency throughout the year is key when acquiring, developing, and maintaining musical skills. 

• Students who take lessons year-round will have scheduling priority for the following year. Students who discontinue lessons will NOT be guaranteed a spot, but may resume lessons if there is a space available .

Flexible Summer Schedule Options

1) SPECIAL SUMMER MAKE-UPS - During the summer, several make-up times will be offered. You can use these make-up times to reschedule any missed lessons that have been cancelled in advance. You may schedule up to two back-to-back 30 minute make-up lessons per student, per day. I appreciate as much notice for cancellations as possible, with a minimum of 1 week (7 day) notice required if you'd like to schedule a summer make-up. Times and dates will be announced in the spring.

2) ALTERNATE SUMMER LESSON TIME - You have the option to choose a different lesson time that works with your summer schedule (camps/etc.) for the months of June, July, and August, and return to your regular school year lesson time in September.

3) ADDITIONAL MAKE-UP SLOTS - As we get closer to summer, I will add additional time slots for make up lessons that have opened up due to student cancellations. You will receive an email when these slots have been added to the make-up calendar, and I will update available times throughout the summer.

Practice

• Regular practice is important for all music students.

• Parents, please help your child develop good practice habits by setting aside a regular practice time each day in a distraction-free environment.

• Students and parents are welcome to email me with any questions regarding practice during the week. I am happy to help!