Wright Piano Studio - Studio Policies

Piano Policies 2021-22

PAYMENT

Tuition is paid at the first lesson of every month for that month. You will receive and invoice at the first of every month. If you prefer to pay per lesson please let me know in advance and make sure to pay for each lesson on the day that you come.

ATTENDANCE

I will do my very best to never miss a lesson but if there is a situation that I do, such as bad weather or emergency, I will be glad to credit that month to the following month. If you need to miss a lesson please give me as much advance notice as possible. You are alloted no charge for 2 lessons missed per semester. Otherwise I have the option of online lessons, a recorded lesson, or a makeup lesson on the last Sunday of the month. No shows will be charged at the regular lesson rate. I follow the Madison City Schools calendar and will not teach on holidays unless otherwise noted on my website calendar.

SUPPLIES

Each student should have their own bag with all current level books and their practice binder. There will be a one time supplies fee at the beginning of the year to cover costs of binder materials.

ENTERING AND EXITING

Please park in the driveway behind my black SUV during lessons or on the street in front of the house. For all children's safety I will be coming to the front door to welcome them in at each lesson rather than them letting themselves in. Please do not knock or ring the doorbell as I am going to focus all my attention on the lesson at hand and it also makes the dog anxious. I will be coming to the door on the hour and half hour. I will also be escorting the previous student out at that same time and I need to make eye contact with you. This means it is very important for you to be here at the end of your child’s lesson.

SPECIAL NEEDS OR CONCERNS

Please email me if your child has any special needs during their visits. We will sometimes have snacks so let me know if they have allergies. I am keeping my cats out of the piano room during lessons, trying to vacuum more often, and running an air filter in hopes that it will help with pet allergies. Feel free to let me know anything else that will make your child comfortable.

MEDIA

I post pictures on a private Facebook page and on my website which is open only to my piano families. Please let me know if you’d rather I not take pictures or post them. I will also add links to online videos corresponding to the songs they are working on for them to watch in the Tonara app. I stress to them that this is only with your permission. I want to respect and follow your rules.

PIANO AT HOME

This is crucial to their success! I need each student to have a working piano or keyboard at home that they have access to daily. If the piano needs to be tuned or fixed I have the name of a wonderful piano tuner, Eddie Jones: 256-350-3838. He has been in the business of tuning and restoring pianos for decades and he is excellent as well as reasonably priced. If you want to use a keyboard it has to have at least 65 weighted and touch sensitive keys (a full keyboard has 88 and is best). It also must have a working sustain pedal. You can buy a pedal separately without too much cost. I’m glad to help you find this.

PRACTICE

We will be using the practice app, Tonara, again this year. The students have done a wonderful job with this in the past. Each student should be playing each of their assigned songs and exercises a minimum of 3 times at least 4 days a week. For their practice to count in our challenges they need to be logging it in the app. If you need to use another method to track practice please let me know. You can use paper but a parent will need to sign them every week.

PIANO PARTIES

I will have these at my house about every 6-8 weeks. Students will be invited if they are ready to perform one current piece. The kids have a wonderful time performing in a relaxed atmosphere along with food, games, and sometimes prizes. They are included in your tuition and no extra cost to you! This will give them a chance to perform in front of an audience while still being slightly more comfortable before recital. I will be putting them on the website calendar so you can plan accordingly and RSVP.

RECITAL

There will be 2 recitals, Christmas and Spring. Both will be on the website calendar. You won’t want to miss them, they are always so much fun! Make sure to RSVP to invites as soon as possible so I can have an accurate headcount.

COMMUNICATION

I always enjoy so much getting to talk with you! Please know that I will not answer calls during lessons. I will answer texts as quickly but briefly as possible. I want to give my full attention to your child when they are in their lesson. If you need to ask a question, have a conflict with your lesson, or anything to do with your child’s lesson please make sure to email me. I will be more than happy to call you if there are things you’d like to discuss as soon as I am able. Friday is my best day to do this.

REFERRALS

If you have someone you'd like to pass my name on to I appreciate it so much! Send them to the website https://gotmusic.thatswright.net and they can get on my waiting list.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity share the wonderful gift of music with your children! If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me! I consider this the best job on the planet and know I am very blessed working with each and everyone of you!