Piano Studio Policies

My teaching policy is to create a safe, comfortable learning environment so that everyone can build self-confidence, skills, and appreciation for music. Below are my teaching policies, if you have any questions, please contact me.

if you’re looking for our Studio Policies for Adults, click here.

PAYMENT PLANS:

• Plan A: This payment is a lump sum for the entire semester.

• Plan B: This payment allows you to make 3 equal payments, due by the 7th of each month. There is a $50 surcharge for this option.

• Plan C: This payment allows you to pay for 4 lessons at a time but there is a $5 increase in each lesson.

Please pay by Venmo (at April-Seawell) or Zelle, cash or make checks out to April Seawell to be mailed or delivered by you. 

MAKE-UPS:
When given 24-hour notice (such as an illness, appointment, birthday parties, etc, I will add your name to a make-up list. When I receive a cancellation, I will send texts or emails from the top of the list, down.

I recommend we do a remote lesson if you are unable to drive due to the weather or a minor illness, appointment, or any other commitment. We can use either FaceTime or a FaceBook video or even just the phone as I am primarily listening to your playing/singing. I would just ask piano students to send me the music you've been working on along with the next couple of pages in the Lesson Book. I would ask voice students to have YouTube open and water nearby.

I will provide a make-up if I need to cancel or if the weather is unsafe to drive to me and you’d rather not do a remote lesson.

RECITALS:
Recitals are very important because they prove to be beneficial in a student's sense of dedication, presentation, and accomplishment. There will be 2 mandatory recitals for ages 5 through 17 during the school year, one per semester.  The $10 recital fee is included in Payment Plan A & due with the first month's payment of Plan B. 

Those students having to miss the recital due to illness, travels or some other emergency will be asked to prepare some other musically creative assignment, such as a paper, artwork, etc. 

Parents are asked to bring snacks or light-colored drinks to share for the reception that follows each recital. 

Dates, times and a map to the location of the recitals will be given a few weeks before the recital.

LESSON BEHAVIOR:
Good behavior is important for a successful piano lesson. I have found that this is more easily achieved when I am able to work one-on-one with the student. This is why for most cases I ask parents to simply drop their child off or be in another room for their remote lesson. You may contact me by phone or email if you need to discuss anything. Please let me know if you’d like to speak with me at your child’s lesson.   

Please try to arrive no earlier or later than 5 minutes of the start and end of the lesson time. Rather than ringing the door bell or knocking, please come in quietly in case another lesson is in progress.  

I ask that parents not park in my driveway.

PREPARATION:
Practicing is crucial to the study of and advancement at the piano or with your voice. I strongly encourage consistent, everyday practice 5 times a week. This produces quicker results than practicing a lot the day before the lesson!

The parent's participation in this process is so important. Please confirm every week that your child has prepared their entire week's lesson and is bringing all their music books, flashcards, their assignment notebook and all other materials to each lesson. And that their piano nails are short!

Please help younger children with theory assignments and song-playing. All children/teenagers should be listened to regularly to give them a sense of pride and achievement in their progress. A grade using a system of smiley faces will be written in each child’s notebook which will let parents see their child’s preparedness level and/or behavior for that lesson.
All students need to keep their nails trimmed to facilitate their technique at the piano. 

Also, please keep your piano in tune and working properly. Tuners usually suggest tuning once a year. This is important in a student's ear training and also makes playing much more enjoyable! If you have a keyboard, just be aware this is a different instrument and requires different technique so I usually recommend you try to get a piano at least a year into lessons. 

I ask that parents please wait in their car for drop off and pick up and to please not park in my driveway.  I also ask students to remove their shoes once inside. 

GROUP LESSONS (for Children):
Group lessons provide an important opportunity for students to interact with other children in learning about musical theory and history by performing for one another, playing musical games, learning about classical composers, listening to musical C.D.'s and watching educational videos. These 1 1/2 hour-long group lessons will occur about every month and a half in place of the private lesson for that week.   

I will ask for your daily schedules for that week a couple of weeks in advance and email you their designated day & time the week before the group lesson.

PERFORMANCE GROUPS (for Teenagers/Adults):
The teenager and optional adult performance group in which we share in a potluck is a fun chance to meet other students, perform for each other and learn about a composer, instrument or another musical theme.

These lessons are optional, however, I strongly recommend them as it will improve your piano skills to have to prepare a piece of music to present to an informal audience (plus, we just have a good time!)

These meetings generally last about 2 ½ hours and will occur every 5th or 6th week.

I ask that students not park in my driveway.

Thank you for choosing me to help you and/or your child uncover the wonderful gift of music!

Referral incentive: 

For any student you send my way that signs up for at least 4 lessons with me you get one free lesson, per new student!