Studio Policies and Practices

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Enrollment:

To complete enrollment, please refer to the instructions below: 

1. Register your student at abigail.mymusicstaff.com 
2. Turn in your signed/initialed contract along with your registration fee.
   
   

Cancellations/Makeups:

• Cancellations are highly discouraged.
• Should the student need to cancel for an illness or family emergency, a makeup session will be awarded at the discretion of the vocal instructor. 
• The studio schedule does not support makeup lessons aside from these. 
• If a session is cancelled within 24 hours of scheduled time, the student will NOT be eligible for a makeup lesson, except for issues listed above.
• The Fall and Spring semesters are structured over 16 weeks and include 15 vocal sessions. This allows for major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, etc. (See Studio Policies regarding holidays, absences, and make-up lessons at the link below).

Refunds:

Tuition is not prorated for missed lessons. There are no refunds for students who drop out in the middle of the month. In the rare instance that the vocal instructor needs to cancel, tuition is prorated.
 
If a single session lesson is cancelled within 24 hours of scheduled time, a refund WILL NOT be issued.

Payment Due Dates:

• If Paying in Full 
  • Semester payment must be made prior to first schedule lesson.
    
    
• If Paying In Installments
  • First installment must be made prior to first lesson. 
  • Additional Installments are due no later than the 15th of the month. (i.e. September 15, October 15, and November 15).

Payment Methods:

• The preferred method of payment is ‘Cash or Check’  (checks made payable to Abigail Holmes)
• Credit Cards (Online Portal) : If the student chooses to make an online (credit card) payment, there will be a $5.00 merchant fee assessed.
• Venmo or Zelle also accepted

Studio Conduct:

• Practice Time:  At-home practice time is required in order to make progress.  A minimum practice time of 30-45 minutes per day, 5 days a week is strongly encouraged.  This amount may increase according to the teacher’s discretion.  
• Timeliness:  Parents may drop off their student(s) no sooner than 5 minutes before the lesson time and return at the end of the lesson.  Please be sure your student is safely inside the studio before leaving. Remember that lessons will begin and end on time, regardless of arriving early or late.
• Family/Guests:  In order to promote focused lessons and respect the home studio atmosphere, one parent will be allowed to sit in the living room during lessons, provided they do not interrupt the lesson. 
• Practice Log:  In order for the teacher to track their progress, students will be required to log their practice minutes in their online studio account. In order to insure that the student is making adequate progress, their instructor will review their practice log each week prior to their lesson. If the student has not performed their practice requirements, (or logged them in the student portal), we will address it with the student in the following manner:
  
  1st Week - Instructor will review requirements and studio portal with student, and confirm that student understands what is expected.
  
  2nd Week - Instructor will reaffirm with student their commitment to the process, and verify they understand why practice and documentation is necessary. If minor, parent or responsible party will be notified of conversation.
  
  3rd Week - Student (and parent/responsible party) will meet with instructor to determine whether or not they will be retained as a student. Based on this conversation, the decision will be made at the sole discretion of Abigail Holmes. 
• Materials Required for Each Session:  Students will be required to bring a three-ring binder, sheet music,and a pencil to each lesson (The studio will provide pencils for $1 if a student forgets his/her pencil). Please remember to bring all learning materials to every lesson. A recording device such as a smartphone, tablet, or handheld recorder is required at each lesson. This gives the student an opportunity to go back and listen to his/her lesson during their practice sessions at home in order to achieve efficient re-discovery of new and developing techniques. At the end of each lesson, notes from the session will be reported into the student's portal for he/she to refer to throughout the week during their practice times.