STUDIO POLICY
This page includes the policies that must be followed in Miss Amber’s studio. A copy of the studio policy will be given to each student and parent/guardian(s) at the start of their lessons/classes in the studio. The studio policy will need to be read over, agreed to and signed by the student and the parent/guardian(s) and returned to Miss Amber before lessons can commence. Failure to comply with the studio policy may result in removal from the studio. A PDF of the studio policy is available at the bottom of this page.
Miss Amber LOVES teaching and sharing the beauty of art with her students. She loves to have fun and maintain a positive, safe, energized and welcoming environment throughout her studio. In order to make this a reality, the below policies must be followed throughout the time spent in her studio. Thank you for understanding!
Semesters:
Miss Amber's studio will be organized into 3 semesters:
- Spring: January-May
- Summer: June-August
- Fall: September-December
Each student must commit to the entire semester unless an unusual circumstance arises. If this is the case, this must be discussed with and approved by Miss Amber.
Scheduling:
Students may schedule weekly or bi-weekly lessons. Monthly lessons will not be offered. Lessons can be scheduled Monday through Friday between 9:00 A.M. and 8 P.M. based on Miss Amber's availability. No lessons will be offered on Saturday or Sunday. Open availability can be given by Miss Amber upon request.
Age:
Students must be 5 years or older to take private lessons.
Payment:
Payment must be made in full for the entire month during the first full week (Monday-Friday) of each month. There will be no refunds if the student leaves the studio at any point throughout the month. Miss Amber must be notified if the student is leaving the studio before payment is due at the beginning of the month. Payment may be made in the form of cash or check made out to Amber Eckert. If a check is returned by the bank, the parents/guardian(s) of the student or the student will be charged the bank fee. Lesson/class fees are as follows:
- 30 minute lesson - $20
- 45 minute lesson - $25
- 60 minute lesson - $30
- 30 minute class - $10
- 45 minute class - $15
- 60 minute class - $20
New students:
The first lesson with a new student will be free. This meeting will generally be 50% discussion/interview with the student and parent/guardian(s) and 50% playing with some variation based on each student. The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether the studio is a good fit for the student. At this meeting, Miss Amber will discuss the studio policy with the parent/guardian(s) and student and anything else she may need to be aware of about the student (behavioral issues, disabilities, family issues, etc.). Each student will be given a copy of the studio policy to read over and bring back to their next lesson agreed upon and signed. This must be returned before lessons can commence.
Excused absences/vacations:
Known absences and vacations must be reported to Miss Amber at the beginning of the month. Miss Amber will do her best to reschedule excused absences and vacations based on teacher and student availability. If lessons cannot be rescheduled, payment for the month will be adjusted.
Miss Amber will let you know of any vacations that she has planned at the beginning of each semester. There will be no lessons given these weeks. She will let you know of any daily absences at the beginning of each month. She will do her best to reschedule these lessons based on teacher and student availability. If lessons cannot be rescheduled, payment for the month will be adjusted.
Emergencies/last-minute cancellations by student:
If a student needs to cancel a lesson last minute due to any circumstances, Miss Amber will do her best to reschedule the student for another slot based on teacher and student availability. If rescheduling is not possible, Miss Amber will offer make-up lessons the last week of each semester for last-minute cancellations throughout the semester. There will be no refunds for last-minute cancellations that were not reported at the beginning of the month. If emergencies occur (injury, family emergencies, etc.), these can be discussed with and approved by Miss Amber, and payment may be adjusted at Miss Amber's discretion. If absences become frequent and begin to effect Miss Amber's schedule and/or the student's improvement, Miss Amber will have a conversation with the student and or parent/guardian(s). If absences continue after this warning, the student may be removed from the studio.
Emergencies/last-minute cancellations by teacher:
If a last-minute cancellation must be made by Miss Amber, she will do her best to fit the student into another slot based on teacher and student availability. If this is not possible, she will fully refund the student for the missed lesson in addition to offering a make-up lesson during the last week of the semester.
Tardy to lessons:
If a student is late to their scheduled lesson time, Miss Amber will not be able to make up this missed time. Almost always, there will be students scheduled before and after each lesson. It is unfair to take time away from these other students because of a student’s tardiness. If a student is going to be late for more than half the lesson, a last-minute cancellation should be made, and this lesson may be made up during the week of make-up lessons at the end of the semester based on availability. A refund will not be given for students who miss lessons because of tardiness. If tardiness becomes frequent and begin to effect Miss Amber's schedule and/or the student's improvement, Miss Amber will have a conversation with the student and or parent/guardian(s). If tardiness continues after this warning, the student may be removed from the studio.
Make-up lessons:
During the last week of each semester, Miss Amber will offer make-up lessons for students who missed lessons throughout the semester due to last-minute/emergency cancellations. Regular lessons will not take place during this week. The available slots will be first-come, first-serve. Miss Amber will do her best to fit all students in and make up the time they missed, but she will only be able to offer as much time as is available in her schedule.
Practicing:
Practice is an ESSENTIAL part of a student’s growth and will directly effect their level of success in their study of their instrument. Miss Amber will only spend 30-60 minutes with a student every week. There is only so much she can do to contribute to the student's success. They must take responsibility and accountability for their success on their instrument. Each student is expected to practice AT LEAST 15-30 minutes a day. If a day is missed, which is bound to happen and understandable, this time should be made up a different day. (Ex. If the student did not practice on Monday, they should practice 30-60 minutes on Tuesday instead of 15-30 minutes). If a student needs their instrument at school for orchestra, they should make arrangements to have an instrument at home, also. This could mean carrying it back and forth every day from school to home or renting/buying a second instrument. With both parent/guardian(s) and student, Miss Amber will discuss expectations for practice and useful practice techniques throughout their course of study. Each student will be given a weekly practice log. The log will include a column indicating how much the student practiced each day and a column indicating what the student practiced (exercises, scales, repertoire, etc.). If the student is 13 or younger, a parent/guardian will need to sign off on the log weekly before coming to the next lesson. There is obviously an aspect of honesty involved in this process between student, parent/guardian and teacher. Miss Amber asks that both the student and the parent/guardian be honest about how much the student practiced each week. If the student is 14 or older, a parent/guardian does not need to sign off on the practice log, but they are still expected to keep one. Here, a level of honesty between student and teacher is necessary. Regardless of age, parents/guardians should be reminding and encouraging students to practice daily. Practice is individual time spent alone at home with the exercises and repertoire. LESSONS ARE NOT PRACTICE.
Recitals:
There will be 3 recitals throughout the year towards the end of each semester. These dates will be given to each student at the beginning of each semester. Recitals are MANDATORY for all students taking lessons. Vacations, various events or other circumstances that may affect the student’s ability to be in the recital must be discussed with and approved by Miss Amber at least one month prior to each recital. Performing is a very important part to a student’s growth as an artist. Miss Amber recognizes that performing in front of people can be scary, but it is essential to learning how to prepare for a performance, handle performance nerves/anxieties, and learn what happens to each student individually when they perform. Recitals are considered just as important as weekly lessons and should be treated as such.
Studio-wide community service activity:
Miss Amber strongly believes in the importance of teaching students to give their gifts and talents back to their community. To put this philosophy into practice, there will be a studio-wide community service activity every semester. The activity will be voluntary but highly encouraged for every student to participate in. The activity will be different every semester. Miss Amber will announce the date and the activity at the beginning of each semester.
Parent/guardian involvement:
Parents/guardians are an essential part of the learning process for a student. Parent involvement is more important the younger that the student is. That being said, it is important that the student develop an element of independence in their practicing and study of the instrument. Parents/guardians and siblings will be asked to sit outside of the lesson in a designated space. Parents/guardians may decide to stay at the house or drop the student off at the beginning of the lesson and pick them up at the end. If the parent/guardian feels that it is necessary for them to be physically present in the lesson, this must be discussed with and approved by Miss Amber at the beginning of the lessons. To ensure parent/guardian involvement, Miss Amber will occasionally request that the parent/guardian be present for a portion of the lesson. In addition, she will reserve 3-5 minutes at the end of each lesson to give a summary of the lesson to the parent/guardian and explain what the student is expected to practice that week.
Books/music/instrument accessories:
Each student will be provided with a notebook for taking notes/keeping track of each lesson and what they are to practice and a folder for holding their music when they begin lessons. It will be the responsibility of the student & parent/guardian(s) to purchase any books, music or instrument accessories that the student may need throughout the course of their studies. Miss Amber will give recommendations on where to find each of these for the cheapest price. If the student will be jumping around in an exercise book or just doing a few songs here and there in a book, Miss Amber will copy the pages for the student at no charge. Here are some helpful websites that would be a good place to start:
- www.sharmusic.com (music, books, instrument accessories, instruments)
- www.amazon.com (music/books, some instrument accessories)
- www.sheetmusicplus.com (music/books)
Repairs:
Small repairs such as a broken string, fallen bridge, etc. can be completed by Miss Amber. An extra time can be scheduled for this at no charge. More serious repairs or needs (bow rehairs, open seams, etc.) that Miss Amber is unable to do will be the student’s responsibility to have completed. Miss Amber will recommend where these repairs can be done. A great and affordable luthier in Pittsburgh is:
- The String Workshop - www.thestringworkshop.com
Materials needed for every lesson:
- Instrument
- If you play the violin, bring your own violin every week.
- If you play the piano, you must have a keyboard or piano to practice at home, but you will use Miss Amber’s when you come for lessons.
- Notebook & folder (given by Miss Amber)
- Practice log (given by Miss Amber)
- Books/music/exercises
- Any instrument equipment/accessories necessary
Food and drink:
Water is the only food or drink permitted in Miss Amber’s studio. Gum and mints are not permitted as they directly impact a student’s ability to play properly. If there are special circumstances in which a student needs something other than water in the studio, please let Miss Amber know as soon as possible.
Parking:
Students or parent/guardian(s) may park in either the top or bottom driveway of Miss Amber’s house or on the street. Please do not block the neighbors’ driveways!
Communication:
If there are any questions or concerns at any time, Miss Amber can be reached by phone call, text message or email. She will respond within 24 hours. Each student and parent/guardian will receive Miss Amber’s address, phone number and email. Each week, Miss Amber will send out a schedule via text message or email (your choice) which outlines the schedule of lessons and classes for the week. Miss Amber will let each student know of recitals and other events at the first lesson of each semester. Monthly newsletters will be sent by mail or email (your choice) to each student. These newsletters will include events happening in the studio each month, general topics of concern in the studio, helpful tips, important changes/reminders of studio policies, artistic events happening in the area, vacation days for Miss Amber, etc.
Contact info:
Each student or parent/guardian will fill out a contact form at the start of lessons. Miss Amber will request full contact info (phone number & email) and basic information of parent/guardian(s) and student. This form will be requested to be reviewed and updated at the start of each semester. All students or parent/guardian(s) are required to fill out an emergency contact sheet in case of an emergency during a lesson, class or recital that will also be reviewed and updated every semester.
Studio policy:
These policies are studio-wide and are non-negotiable. If any of the above policies are not being followed, Miss Amber will have a conversation with both the student and parent/guardian(s). If the policies continue to not be followed after this warning, the student may be removed from the studio.
Studio Policy |