Sept 2024 - June 2025 Private Lesson Policies
New Students: Click Here to Register
Returning Students: Click Here to Register
Teachers
Click on the names below for more information about each of our private piano teachers:
Brinley (student teacher)
Ainsley (student teacher)
*Elizabeth is mentoring Brinley and Ainsley. This involves monthly meetings to plan lessons and discuss student progress and teaching strategies, as well as Elizabeth observing all students' lessons and providing guidance and feedback. Brinley and Ainsley are also required to observe Elizabeth or another professional teacher in action for a specified number of hours over the year.
Lesson Length
Lessons are 45 minutes long for most students.
1 hour lessons are recommended for:
30 minute lessons are available (only with Sarah and Ainsley) if preferred.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees include all books and materials (except for "lessons only" options with Ainsley).
Elizabeth
45 min: $204/month
1 hour: $258/month
Sarah
30 min: $138/month
45 min: $192/month
1 hour: $242/month
Brinley
45 min: $159/month
1 hour: $196/month
Ainsley - Standard Package
30 min: $116/month
45 min: $154/month
1 hour: $189/month
Ainsley - Lessons Only
(option for adult students: no books, no special events included)
30 min: $81/month
45 min: $119/month
Payment Schedule
10 monthly payments:
Payments are made by credit card. Students must have a credit card saved on file, which will be billed automatically on the first day of each month. Please note there is a $20 late fee for payments 7 days overdue.
Discounts
Early Bird: Students who register for a full year commitment before June 1 receive a $40 discount off their first payment.
Trial Period (New Students)
New students may opt to start with a trial period of 4 weeks before making a full year commitment. If lessons are continued, the amount paid for the trial period will be put toward their lesson package.
Please click here for more information.
Cancellation/Withdrawal Policy
Students are expected to continue lessons for the duration of a full school year. Our schedule is fairly tight and it can be difficult to fill a specific slot in the schedule mid-year.
Payments which have already cleared will not be refunded; however if you withdraw, upcoming/future payments will not be charged.
TENTATIVE Lesson Schedule
Weekly private lessons are scheduled as follows. Please note, this is a TENTATIVE schedule. You will be notified of any adjustments. (We strongly recommend syncing your calendar with our online calendar instead of simply copying down dates from this page, so your calendar will be automatically updated if anything changes.)
|
|
Monday
|
Tuesday
|
Wednesday
|
Thursday
|
| Teacher(s) | Elizabeth, Sarah | Ainsley |
Elizabeth
(If Elizabeth teaches any lessons on Tuesday or Thursday, they also follow this schedule, adjusted by one day.) |
Brinley, Ainsley |
| Number of lessons scheduled | 33 | 36 | 33 | 36 |
|
First Lesson |
Sept 9 |
Sept 3 |
Sept 11 |
Sept 5 |
|
No lessons on these dates |
Oct 14 Dec 23 Dec 30 Feb 17 Mar 10 Apr 21 May 19 |
Dec 25 Jan 1 March 12 |
Dec 18 Dec 25 Jan 1 March 12
April 23
|
Oct 31 Dec 26 Jan 2 March 13 |
|
Tentative End Date |
June 9 |
May 27 |
May 28 |
June 5 |
Special Events – Tentative Dates
Fall Workshop: Fri Nov 8 or Sat Nov 9
Christmas Party: Fri Dec 6 or Sat Dec 7
Composition Workshop: One of: Fri Jan 10 / Sat Jan 11 / Fri Jan 17 / Sat Jan 18
Composition Recital: Sat Mar 1
Spring Workshop: Fri May 2 or Sat May 3
Year-end Recital: TBA
Summer
Students are encouraged to take lessons through at least part of the summer; however this is not required. Summer lessons are charged on a per-lesson basis: $65/hour for Elizabeth, $60/hour for Sarah, or $40/hour for Brinley. If you cancel on the calendar at least 2 weeks before the missed lesson, you will not be charged.
Missed Lessons
Sickness/Snow Days/Emergencies
If the teacher or student is sick, the lesson can be held online by live video. This option is also available for snow days or other emergencies. Please provide as much advance notice as possible. If you are unable to reach your teacher, there are no refunds/reschedules; however you can cancel on the calendar and receive a make-up credit (see below).
Regarding snow days: for Elizabeth's students, snow days are your call; however, our other teachers do not live at the studio, so they may choose to teach online if the weather is bad.
Teacher Cancellations
In the event that the teacher cancels a lesson, we will do one of the following: (1) provide a substitute teacher, (2) add another lesson on to the end of the schedule or during a scheduled day off, or (3) provide a discount/credit to be applied to your next payment.
Student Cancellations
There are no refunds for student-cancelled lessons. However, you may give the lesson time to a family member or friend (must be approved by the teacher if they are not a currently enrolled student). Please contact your teacher directly if you wish to do this (do not cancel on the calendar).
If you cannot attend a lesson, and cannot share the time with a friend/family member, please cancel on the MMS calendar – this will give you a “make-up credit” which you may be able to use to sign up for a free lesson later. It will also create a free “make-up” slot which another student can sign up for. As a courtesy to other students, it is suggested that you make your cancellations as far in advance as possible.
Please note, we will not email you when a make-up slot opens up – you must check the calendar regularly if you want to watch for openings. Make-up slots are indicated by a recycling symbol on the calendar.
Keyboard/Piano
Students are expected to have a quality instrument for practice. An acoustic piano is strongly recommended, but a full-size keyboard (88 weighted keys) with piano-style pedals will suffice for lower levels. Beginners may use a keyboard with 61 full size, touch sensitive keys. Acoustic pianos must be tuned annually or at least every two years.
Books
We cover the cost of books and materials. This is already included in your monthly payments.
Practice
Students are expected to practice at home at least 5 days per week in order to continue progressing and getting the most out of their piano lessons. Practicing is not just about playing through the pieces but should include stopping to work on particular goals as specified by the teacher.
Progress
In private lessons, each student has the opportunity to progress at his own pace. Our goal is to keep each student at a level where he is challenged but not overwhelmed. While some students may progress from grade to grade every year, others may require a slower or faster pace.