Studio Policies (Piano)

Piano and Materials

All students are required to have a piano at home for daily practice. A regularly tuned, acoustic piano is highly recommended for intermediate to advanced level students. A digital piano with full, weighted keyboard (88 keys) and proper foot pedals is acceptable for beginners. You will need to purchase a metronome, and a small, lined notebook to record lesson homework.

Purchase of required music books: Parents and students are expected to purchase all materials required for their lessons. Local music stores are still the best place to purchase music. Amazon and Sheet Music.com are a few of the online stores.

Lesson Fees

My fee is $24.00 for a 30 minute lesson, $36.00 for a 45-minute lesson, and $48.00 for an hour lesson.

There are two semesters: September to mid-December and January to June. I try to base my monthly calendar on the school year, and the schedules of my school age pupils. Summer lessons are available.

Lesson fees are due at the beginning of each month.You may pay by cash, e-transfer or by cheque (made payable to “Marina Edgar"). A receipt may be issued for those who wish to have one. If a monthly payment is not paid in a timely fashion, I will send an email or text reminder. But if payment is not received by the second lesson of that month, the bill is considered overdue, and lessons can be terminated. I am willing to work with parents who are having legitimate financial difficulties. But if the bill is not paid by the third lesson of the month, without a legitimate excuse for doing so, I will have no other alternative but to either suspend or permanently terminate lessons. I am conducting a business and have regular expenses, like any other business. 

Practice

I expect my students to adhere to a regular practice schedule at least five days a week. Beginners should practice from 5 -15 minutes a day, depending on age and amount of homework assigned. Intermediate level students should practice for 30 minutes, and advanced level students should practice for one hour or more.

As a teacher, I expect to see improvement from one lesson to the next, even if only minimal. Assigned pieces should be showing gradual improvement, and theory and ear training homework should be completed on time. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure their children are practicing daily and for the recommended time.

Weekly Lessons and Cancellations

Students need to arrive on time for their lesson, preferably  five minutes early. If you arrive late, time will not be made up by taking it from another student’s lesson. If you are unable to attend your scheduled lesson due to illness or inclement weather, please make every effort to phone, text, or email me as soon as possible.

I will try to reschedule your lesson, but if it is not possible to reschedule, the lesson will be lost. Tuition will not be refunded or credit given for lost lessons. 

So what usually happens during a regular lesson? I will listen to assigned pieces and give suggestions as to how to play them correctly and musically. In assigning new pieces I will play them for the student and then assign a portion of it in the student’s homework notebook for the student to work on for the next lesson. Proper practice methods will be discussed as well. Assignments in theory, ear training, scales and technical exercises will be clearly explained, and recorded in the student’s homework notebook. When appropriate, lessons in music history and musical form will also be given. Of course, for the beginner, depending on the age of the student, new musical concepts introduced in a lesson will be fewer and assignments will be shorter.

A Parent Friendly Studio

I always encourage parents of young children to remain through the duration of the lesson with their child. This gives parents the confidence that their child is safe, and helps them to know what I am teaching their child. From the teacher's standpoint, it is good for parents to be involved so they can be aware of what the child needs to be practicing through the week, and what homework has been assigned. Both parents and teacher benefit from a "parent friendly" studio.

Termination Of Lessons

If there are two or more missed lessons in a month, without legitimate reasons, lessons will be terminated. If  lessons are missed without any communication with the teacher, I will assume you have lost interest in piano lessons, and your lessons will be terminated. If for any reason you or your child wish to discontinue lessons please discuss your reasons for termination with the teacher. Problems can be worked through, but it does take open communication to resolve them. If piano lessons are not working for you or your child, you may terminate lessons, provided that the teacher is given sufficient notice of one week.

Exams, Music Festival and Recitals