Studio Policy

You may contact me between 8:00am - 7:30 pm Monday -Thursday, Friday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm and Saturday 9:00 am -10:00 am. If you call after my normal hours I will return your call or email you as soon as possible. 

Missed lessons will not be made up unless it is unavoidable. You must make an attempt to exchange lesson times with someone else on the exchange list before making a formal request for an independently scheduled make-up lesson. Because all lesson slots are full, make-up lessons are extraordinary hard to schedule. A lesson can be considered made-up when your child attends one of the Academy’s enrichment workshops, offered at no extra charge. There will be no consideration for a make-up lesson due to vacation, you don’t feel like coming, your child didn’t practice, music was lost, the dog ate the piano, or you just plain forgot.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED, MATERIALS FEE: 

Every student must have a piano. Daily practicing is the only way that a student can make progress. Having a piano allows the parent to maximize the educational and monetary investment in their child’s musical education. I understand that a piano is a large investment, but you do have options other than purchasing a new piano for your home. You can purchase a used piano from many dealers or you can temporarily use a keyboard - provided that it is full scale (88 keys, free standing, and piano-like action). There are music stores in town that will rent out pianos by the month, please let me know if you are interested in this and I will be happy to help you out. This is not a bad option either as I have seen some reasonable rentals in the Houston area.

At the beginning of each year, I require a $40.00 materials fee. The funds will be used to purchase music and other teaching materials that your child might need. Teaching materials include books and sometimes metronomes, flash cards and any other item I think will aid in advancing the progress of the student. When the balance is $0.00, an itemized sheet of purchases made will be provided to the parent(s) and a new $40.00 will be charged to the account.    

Academy Rates

Below is the tuition schedule for September 2010 – May 2011. Monthly payments are due at the first lesson of each month.

30 Minute Piano Lessons: $116.00 per month

45 Minute Piano Lessons: $176.00 per month

60 Minute Piano Lessons: $232.00 per month

Please note that these rates will remain the same for the term of the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 Semesters.

OTHER FEES: 

Upon enrollment, a one-time refundable deposit of $60.00 will be required. Please be aware that this only guarantees your slot. This deposit will automatically roll over to the next semester. If you cease attending lessons without notification the deposit and the time slot will be forfeited.

Cancellation of lessons mid semester outside of the three week grace period will result in forfeiture of the deposit and a cancellation fee.

Digital Piano vs. Acoustic Piano

For the past 13 years, I have been explaining to parents the various disadvantages / advantages of a digital piano vs an acoustic piano. This time I want to pass on my knowledge in this article. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions.

The main advantage of an acoustic piano such as an upright or grand piano is that it allows me to truly train the student in the art of playing the piano. It is impossible to completely recreate an instrument by making it digital. Therefore, there are some properties that are lost with a digital piano.

On the other hand digitals are relatively inexpensive and require a small investment. They also utilize a very small space. While I do accept students who have a digital piano, the piano must have 88 keys, be touch sensitive and have pedals. The digital piano is especially good for students learning the Soft Mozart method. If the student continues to excel on the digital piano, I typically recommend that the family begin looking to purchase an acoustic piano for the home.

Shopping for a piano

Wise piano shopping will typically take 2-3 months. It is important that the family finds one within their budget, space requirements and will be a good piano for the child(ren) as they grow. It is always a good idea to consult me before purchasing a piano. My networking in the music community enables me to run into “deals”, so please keep this in mind.

QUICK PRICE GUIDE TO PIANOS

9' Concert Grand $140,000

6' Grand Piano $25,000 - $80,000

5' Baby Grand $4000 - $30,000

Full Size Upright $1000 - $10,000

Spinet/Console Piano $800 -$6000

Digital Piano $800 - $4000