STUDIO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
All students/parents are asked to read, sign, and date the studio policies and procedures at the beginning of Fall Session. Updates to procedures and policies may happen frequently and Corner Studies will provide those changes with the updated sections highlighted. All updates to the Policies and Procedures have been marked with RED text. (Updated 08/18/25)
Class Offerings
I provide piano instruction weekly for 30, 45, and 60-minute sessions, depending on the student's age and skill level.
Studio Time
Every student is assigned a weekly time slot and is expected to arrive in a timely manner, prepared with materials, music and ready to display the week's assigned outline. Parents and siblings may attend lessons if they are not disruptive. If parents need to discuss any arrangements or student progress, please do so via email ([email protected]) or text. My schedule is very full and I won't have time to discuss issues before or after lessons.
Practice and Instrument
Music is a language and is learned best when "spoken" every day. Daily practice is essential for fluency in reading music and to hone technical skills and understanding of musical terms and expressions. Practice requirements are based on age and skill level. For beginning students, 15-20 minutes a day is ample time to review lesson content and keep students learning at a steady pace. For level 1-2 students, practice should increase to 20-25 minutes daily. For level 3-5, practice times should increase steadily through each year until the student reaches one hour each day of daily practice. For intermediate advanced to advanced students and above, it's essential to practice 1-2+ hours daily. The difficulty of the music and technique cannot be mastered without adequate time and repetition. An acoustic piano is the best type of instrument to use at home for practice, but a touch-response (full 88-key) electronic keyboard with pedal can be adequate until an acoustic piano is available. Acoustic pianos need to be tuned at least once a year and kept in working order. I can give referrals to qualified piano tuners and technicians as requested.
Materials
I use Piano Adventures by Faber and Faber for the main instruction and use supplemental materials for recital and performance opportunities. Please contact me for details on which books and sheet music are needed. Intermediate Advanced students use various types of piano books that are chosen by the instructor. The purchase of materials is the student's responsibility; however, I can often purchase items at a discounted rate and ask that I be reimbursed within a week after purchase. Each student should have a 3-ring binder with loose-leaf notepaper, tab dividers, and plastic sheet protectors at each lesson. It's helpful to keep materials in a tote bag for easy transport. Please provide separate binders for families with multiple students
Calendar and Schedule
This season I have a 33-week schedule that starts the second full week in September and ends the last day of May. I am entering a graduate program and for the next four years will no longer offer a Summer Session. To accommodate this, Tuition rates are separated into three 11-week sessions for Fall, Winter, and Spring. Corner Studios will be closed for the week of Thanksgiving, three weeks for Christmas and New Years, one week for Spring Break, and for the entire Summer Session. Students are not charged for these closures. Because I serve students from multiple school districts, I can not accommodate all school Spring Break closures. For those taking time off, there will be no reduction in tuition, but rescheduled lessons are available at your request (please refer to Missed Lessons & Makeup Lessons).
Missed Lessons & Makeup Lessons
Piano lessons are a commitment with equal importance to all after-school and extra-curricular activities. While I understand some conflicts are unavoidable, students should try their best to attend every scheduled lesson. When possible, please allow 24 hours for any cancellations. Any missed lesson will not reduce the rate of tuition or be refunded. However, if illness, scheduling conflicts, or unforeseen circumstances occur, students can schedule a make-up lesson. IMPORTANT NOTE: I do not keep track of missed lessons. I will not contact you about a lesson reschedule. It is the student's/parent's responsibility to contact me to reschedule lessons. If you know in advanced that a lesson will be missed, contact me right away to schedule a new lesson time. Please check school calendars to mitigate any conflicts before they arise. Rescheduling is easiest if done in advance.
Due to an extremely tight schedule, makeup lessons can't be guaranteed. All reasonable requests will be honored. Please allow a 24-hour notice before requesting a rescheduled lesson. If a student does not reschedule a lesson by one week after the conclusion of a session, then no make-up lessons can be scheduled. Teacher reserves right to extend reschedule time allowance beyond the time parameters specified if teacher's schedule does not allow scheduling in a timely manner. No reschedules are available for no-call/no-shows. If there are more than two no-call/no-show lessons in a session, the student may face termination until extenuating circumstances are explained. If the instructor has to cancel lessons for any reason, a refund will be remitted to each student at the end of that session. Zoom or FaceTime lessons are available if the student is exhibiting cold symptoms, but is feeling well enough to have a lesson.
Due to an extremely tight schedule, makeup lessons can't be guaranteed. All reasonable requests will be honored. Please allow a 24-hour notice before requesting a rescheduled lesson. If a student does not reschedule a lesson by one week after the conclusion of a session, then no make-up lessons can be scheduled. Teacher reserves right to extend reschedule time allowance beyond the time parameters specified if teacher's schedule does not allow scheduling in a timely manner. No reschedules are available for no-call/no-shows. If there are more than two no-call/no-show lessons in a session, the student may face termination until extenuating circumstances are explained. If the instructor has to cancel lessons for any reason, a refund will be remitted to each student at the end of that session. Zoom or FaceTime lessons are available if the student is exhibiting cold symptoms, but is feeling well enough to have a lesson.
Tuition and Payment
The rate for a 30-min lesson is $40, 45-min lessons are $55, and 60-min lessons are $80. Tuition is divided into three 11-week sessions for Fall, Winter, and Spring. Currently, there is no Summer session. There are two options for payment: full session and monthly payments. A 10% discount is offered for those paying for a full session within the first two weeks. This discount does not apply to late payments.
Monthly payments are prorated over Fall, Winter, and Spring Sessions from September 2025 through May 2026. Monthly payments are due by the 15th each month and there is no discount. A late fee will be assessed for monthly payments 30 days past the due date. If payment isn't remitted by 30 days, Corner Studios reserves the right to terminate the student until the payment is remitted. There are no discounts for multiple students. Payments can be made with cash, check, Apple Pay, Venmo and online through PayPal or the Square portal on the TUITION page.
Financial Assistance options are available; please contact the studio directly. Also, please contact me if there are any questions about the payment policies.
Monthly payments are prorated over Fall, Winter, and Spring Sessions from September 2025 through May 2026. Monthly payments are due by the 15th each month and there is no discount. A late fee will be assessed for monthly payments 30 days past the due date. If payment isn't remitted by 30 days, Corner Studios reserves the right to terminate the student until the payment is remitted. There are no discounts for multiple students. Payments can be made with cash, check, Apple Pay, Venmo and online through PayPal or the Square portal on the TUITION page.
Financial Assistance options are available; please contact the studio directly. Also, please contact me if there are any questions about the payment policies.
Termination of Lessons
Students discontinue lessons for many reasons and every student eventually stops taking lessons at some point. Students can discontinue lessons at any point, but I ask that you give me at least two weeks notice and carefully consider your decision before discontinuing. Any remaining balance on your account will be remitted after the current session ends.
Communication
The best way to contact me is through e-mail at [email protected]. Texts and phone calls are fine, but my availability is limited. Studio updates are available at the studio website's UPDATES page.