Studio Policy
Lessons are payable at the first lesson of each month at $120 per student. This equates to $30 per lesson.But, please plan on paying a consistent $120 per month. Twice a year, I'll let you know how any missed lessons or 5th weeks have affected your account. Also, except in dire situations, no more than one lesson per month can be credited. This is for the dual reasons of recognizing that teaching piano lessons is, after all, my business, and also that students' progress is dramatically interrupted when they don't have lessons consistently each week, leading to discouragement and frustration on their part. Note that during the summer month, the policy of only one lesson credited per month is suspended; see below for details.
Also, in some cases, 45-minute lessons are beneficial for students. If you're interested, they are available at $180 per month; ask me if this is something you'd like to consider.
If you are needing to miss a regularly scheduled lesson, there's a possibility I can reschedule that week's lesson, but there are no guarantees my schedule will have the flexibility to do so. Otherwise, lessons are only credited--once a month--with at least 48 hours advance notice, or in case of emergencies or things like snow days. Not having time to practice, or not practicing well enough, or allowing other events to interrupt lessons are not valid reasons to receive a credit for a missed lesson.
I have a special that is always extended to parents: if you would like to take lessons, I will discount the first three months by 50% as long as your lesson is during the "holes" in my schedule. That generally means during school times, although there may be exceptions to that. If you're interested let me know and we can talk over possible lesson times.
A registration fee of $50 per family is due at the beginning of the school year. This helps covers the time I'm dealing with piano lessons outside of lesson time. Students starting at other times of the year will have the fee prorated.
Lesson music costs are payable when the student receives the books; supplemental music can be rented or purchased.
My preferred method books are the Bastien Piano Basics.
Tuition and fees can be paid via PayPal using my email stitchincarol at gmail dot com, or by having a check at the piano at lesson time, or by sending a check to my home address:
575 Nighthawk Rd.
Lincoln, NE 68521
We have a formal spring recital in a Sunday in late April and a Christmas recital during the Twelve Days of Christmas; see the recital tab for details.
I teach lessons during the summer, but am very flexible about rescheduling and even canceling lessons when needed--it is, after all, summer, and the normal policy of only one cancellation per month is suspended. To take off the entire summer, however, means that students lose much of the ground they gained during the school year, and that's so discouraging for them when they start up again with the school year.
A new detail is that, because of my husband's retirement in May 2025, we'll be traveling more, both to visit the granddaughters and their parents in Indianapolis, and also for fun. I'll do my level best to keep all travel off of lesson days, but ask for your tolerance as I move into this new stage of life.