Meadowlark Music Academy 2024/25 Policies

 

The 2024/25 Studio Year is September 3- May 22, and includes at least 32 lessons and two recitals. There also will be opportunities for group lessons and other performance opportunities. Breaks include:

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November 26 -29                     Thanksgiving Break (Monday, 11/ 25, makes up for Labor Day)

December 23 - January 1        Christmas Break (Thursday, 1/2, makes up for Halloween)

April 14-18                                Spring Break

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Recitals offer students a sense of accomplishment and pride, teach the importance of setting and achieving goals, and help students become comfortable performing in front of others. Each year we offer both formal and more casual performance opportunities.

 

Recital Dates

• Halloween Recital: October 31, location to be announced. 

• Christmas recital: part of Scotland’s Parade of Lights weekend. Date TBA soon!

• Spring recital: April 5 or 6, TBA

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The Summer Session is June 2 – August 14 and includes up to 10 lessons. The summer schedule is more flexible and we can find ways to accommodate family vacations, camps, sports, etc.  Students who take lessons in the summer receive priority in scheduling for the school year. `

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Tuition Payments and Schedule School year tuition is divided into 9 equal monthly payments. Tuition is due at the first lesson of the month and is late after the 10th of the month. Meadowlark Music Academy accepts checks, cash or Venmo.

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Tuition reserves your weekly appointment time for a lesson. Monthly tuition is not figured on a “per-lesson” basis, but by total yearly tuition. It also covers the cost of:

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• Lesson planning and repertoire selection,

• legal copies of studio-licensed music,

• printing,

• piano tuning and maintenance,

• recital venues and programs,

• professional studio memberships,

• incentive treats and prizes,

• sales tax

• studio insurance.

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Tuition does not include the cost of music. I will purchase appropriate music for each student and invoice families for it.   

 

$20 Late Fee for all payments received past the 10th of the month, $30 Fee for NSF checks.

If payment is not received by the second  lesson of the month, no lesson will be given.

 

​Missed Lessons Lesson times are standing appointments. Missed lessons are not refunded. The studio schedule is very tight and makeup lessons are generally not given. Online lessons or a video exchange are possible if a student needs to miss a lesson.

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​Students who are ill SHOULD NOT attend lessons. If your student has the sniffles, a tummy ache, a fever, etc, please contact me for an online lesson.

 

• Exceptions to the Rules: I will try to work around sports, school or church activities whenever I can. The more notice given, the more flexibility we have to reschedule or try to swap lesson times with another student.

 

Flex lessons I have included two extra weeks in the studio schedule to accommodate illness for me or my family members, family events, or professional education events. If I don’t need them, I will happily teach these extra weeks at no extra charge to families. If I must cancel lessons beyond those two extra weeks, I will try to offer make up lessons, or the student may receive a credit for the next month’s tuition. In case of inclement weather, we will have an online or video lesson.  

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Supplies: Each student should have a 1/2 inch three-ring binder for handouts and downloaded music or assignments. All assignments are noted in Google Drive, and the folder is shared with students directly (or with the parents for younger students). It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that students are getting their written assignments in Google Drive and doing the occasional listening assignments that are linked there.

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Please drive slowly on our driveway … for the safety of our pets, poultry, students and the condition of the gravel. We'll all be happy to have a driveway in good condition when it is rainy or snowy! You can park on the cement parking pad east of the house.  Please arrive a couple minutes early to your lesson, and come into the house quietly to respect the lesson that may be happening ahead of yours. Remove shoes inside the front door and wash hands. Food, gum, and non-water drinks are not allowed in the studio.

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Siblings/Waiting Room: Parents are welcome to sit in on lessons at any time. Siblings who must wait together are welcome to sit quietly, read or do homework. Siblings must stay in the living room and not roam about the rest of the house. In nice weather, parents and siblings may also wait on the deck. For biosecurity, safety and insurance reasons, children are not allowed in any of our barns. With parental supervision, children may play in the yard or go for a walk on the driveway.

 

Group Lessons I will offer at least two group lessons in 2024/25, either instead of or in addition to regular lessons. Group lessons help us build community as a studio family and allow me to cover important topics that we don’t have time for in lessons.

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Practice Expectations  A student’s progress is determined by practice, not by simply attending lessons. Students should practice 5-6 days a week. Consistent practice teaches the value of working toward goals, and the futility of  “cramming”. Most children will not be naturally good at consistent practice but will need parental support to make it happen. Create a quiet space where the student can practice and schedule a time for practice each day. Learning an instrument well takes years, so encourage your student with the mindset of consistent growth to reach their goals. 

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Instrument Requirements: All students should have regular access to an acoustic piano in good working order that is tuned at least once a year. If students opt for a digital piano, it MUST have 88 individually weighted keys and a pedal system.

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Discontinuation of lessons requires a 1-month notice.  

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Mutual respect is a key goal in our studio. As studio owner, I reserve the right to remove students from the schedule if they have poor attendance, poor practice habits, or if they repeatedly break any studio policies or show disrespect to me, my family, my home my pets/livestock, or other students.