STUDIO POLICIES FOR PRIVATE LESSONS
STUDENT SELECTION PROCESS: A successful music lesson experience is based on many factors, including expectations, goals, and habits, as well as teaching and learning styles. Because of this, it is helpful to schedule a meeting (prior to official enrollment) to determine if this studio is a good fit for you and your child. Please email me at juliaolson2@mac.com to schedule a meeting.
TUITION AND ATTENDANCE: Tuition is $20 per 30-minute lesson. Tuition will be calculated and billed at the end of each month and will be billed to you via Venmo at the beginning of the following month. If you need to miss a lesson, please email or text me as soon as you can. You will be charged the full lesson fee for a missed scheduled lesson that is not canceled ahead of time (except in cases of emergency).
My family currently has some health needs that sometimes require extra care (some of which may be last minute). If I need to cancel a lesson, I will do my best to let you know as soon as I can. You will not be charged for any missed lessons canceled by me.
Lessons will be scheduled almost weekly for most of the year.
Please do your best to be on time to your lessons. Students who are late to their lesson will receive the amount of time that remains for their scheduled lesson only.
PRACTICE: Consistent practice is ESSENTIAL for success and progress in music lessons. Remember that PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS! It is most effective for students to practice consistently, at least 5 days per week. It is also helpful to create a consistent routine by practicing the same time every day. We will work together to determine the amount of time that will fit your individual goals and expectations. Curriculum and lesson assignments will be adapted to fit the needs of each student. Please let me know if you feel your child needs more or less music to practice, based on the amount of time we have determined.
I consider it the parent's role to enforce practicing at home. I will do my best to provide a motivating practice plan that will be effective for the student, but I will leave it up to the parent to create the rules and expectations for home practice. If your child comes to lessons and has not practiced, I will simply spend the lesson time practicing with them - rather than giving them a new assignment. I will recommend a certain amount of time to practice, based on the goals of the student, but I will leave it up to you to make your own practice decisions for your family. If you feel that you need to find a teacher that has a stricter practice policy, I understand. This is simply my way of approaching the issue, which may or may not work for your family.
Please be aware that your child will not always want to practice. THIS IS NORMAL but should not be an excuse to skip practice. It is important to understand that progress comes through time and effort over months and years of consistency.
CURRICULUM: Curriculum is chosen based on the student's individual needs, goals, and learning style. I do have CORE CURRICULUM that I typically use for each area of focus, but this may be changed or adapted to fit the needs of the student. We will work together to create a well-rounded curriculum that will include technique, theory, note-reading, chord chart reading, playing by ear, sight-reading, and fun music. The ratio of each of these elements will be determined based on the goals of the individual student.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT: Parents are a critical part of the success of the student. Please be aware of your child’s assignments and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. Parents are invited to attend the first two lessons to see how I teach and work with the student. After those first two lessons, parents are discouraged from attending the lessons, which will allow for an individual teacher/student relationship to develop. Exceptions can be made for special circumstances. As mentioned above, I consider it to be the parent's responsibility to enforce practice time at home.
RECITALS: There will be two recitals (or open houses) held each year, with one in the fall or winter and one in the spring. This is a great opportunity for the students to share their progress with family and friends, as well as help them become more confident playing for others. Students may also choose to purchase a Community All Access Pass from the USU Youth Conservatory for the opportunity to participate in any of the USU YC Events.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. The best way to contact me is through email or text.
Julia Olson juliaolson2@mac.com 435-265-8230