Private Lessons - Piano, Voice, and Guitar

 

Lesson Times

Lessons are offered to students in 30, 45, and 60 minute slots.

30 minute lessons are recommended for beginners or for those studying any instrument recreationally.

 

45 minute lessons are recommended to those who wish to study repertoire, theory, and technical exercises in depth, and are strongly recommended for those who wish to take music exams from Prep B up to Level 4. 

 

60 minute lessons are recommended for those who are studying more advanced repertoire, and are strongly recommended for those who wish to take music exams past Level 4, as well as those looking to audition for music schools and summer programs. 

 

New families and students may inquire about lessons via the ‘Registration Inquiries’ on my website, after which I will schedule an interview to answer any questions about potential lessons.

 

 

General 

There are 35 teaching weeks scheduled in the studio calendar (this does not include holidays such as Christmas Break, Easter Break, and Kiwanis Music Festival Break in February). Students will receive 33 lessons in this year (for detailed calendar information, please see ‘2021/2022 Studio Calendar’). The extra 2 weeks are given in the year to allow for unpaid teacher cancellations if necessary (ie: illness, vacation, adjudicating, performing opportunities, etc). If the teacher has to cancel more lessons than the number of extra weeks, a makeup lesson will be provided at a mutually convenient time decided individually by the teacher and parent. 

 

 

 

Tuition and Payment Info

 

Parents can choose from the following payment schedule:

 

- Full payment (due Sept 15, 2021)

- Half semester payments (due Sept 15, 2021 and January 15, 2022)
- Monthly payments (due the 15th of each month from Sept 15, 2021 - June 15, 2022)

 

 

Methods of payment accepted:

1) Online with credit card via Stripe
*note: if this method of payment is selected, a convenience fee of 2.9% + $0.30 will be applied

2) E-transfer to jennifer.benson1988@gmail.com
*note: Monthly e-transfers will only be accepted if bank account settings are set to automatically send payment on the 15th of each month. Proof of this setting will be required via screen shot.

3) Cheques or monthly post-dated cheques

* IMPORTANT: A late fee of $10 will be applied for every two days a payment is late. Lessons can be terminated at any time due to late payment. 
 

Lesson Fees
Includes 33 lessons, and at least three (optional) performance opportunities 

* 30-Minute Lessons: 10 equal payments of $101.00 (from Sept-June)
= $1,010.00 yearly tuition
* 45-Minute Lessons: 10 equal payments of $151.00 (from Sept-June)
= $1,510.00 yearly tuition
* 1-Hour Lessons: 10 equal payments of $202.00 (from Sept-June)

= $2,020.00 yearly tuition

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Cancellations/Makeup Lesson Policy 

We run the studio at full capacity, so if a lesson is cancelled, rescheduling is not always possible and make-up lessons are not given for student-missed lessons. Here are our policies regarding a lesson cancellation:

 

Rescheduling - ‘Lesson Swap’

The lesson swap service is to be used at the discretion of parents, if they know in advance that they need to reschedule a lesson.
HOW IT WORKS: Parents who have given consent on their registration form will receive the studio schedule and contact information for all consenting studio families. Parents are then permitted to contact a studio family and request a ‘lesson swap’ for the week, should something come up during their lesson time. Lesson swaps are only granted once both families have emailed me (jenniferbensonmusic@gmail.com) to confirm the swap.

PLEASE NOTE: Lesson swaps may only be used within the same lesson week as the lesson missed. The purpose of the swap is to keep weekly lessons as consistent as possible.

 

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Written Notice for Cancellations: A parent should give written notice by email (jenniferbensonmusic@gmail.com) if a lesson is going to be cancelled.

 

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Storm Days: We will notify parents via email and our studio Instagram and Facebook sites should we need to cancel due to inclement weather. In these cases, virtual Zoom lessons will be offered in lieu of in-person lessons. Parents can opt for a virtual Zoom lesson at any time if they feel uncomfortable travelling in undesirable weather conditions. Just let your teacher know with as much notice as possible so they can send you a Zoom code.

EXCEPTION: When the studio, teacher working from home, or the student does not have power. In these cases, virtual lessons are not possible. These lessons in these cases will not be made up.

 

Holidays: Please check the studio calendar for studio closures due to holidays. 

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Withdrawal Policy

Every student stops taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so we can complete the year with a positive sense of closure. If a student wishes to discontinue lessons, we require a 4 week written notice from the parent prior to discontinuing lessons. Withdrawals are not accepted after March 1, 2022. 

 

Note: We reserve the right to discontinue lessons with a student at any time for any reason (including, but not limited to: unpaid tuition, student consistently missing lessons or attending lessons unprepared, unmotivated attitude of student, lack of respect for the teacher, etc.) 

 

 

 

 

Recitals and Performance Opportunities

 

Studio Performance Opportunities: 

The following are performance opportunities that are included with the price of tuition at the studio, and are no extra cost for the student or parents:

 

• ‘Duets’ recital: Held at the MUN School of Music in collaboration with Unison Music Studio. Participation is optional, and students wishing to participate in this concert should expect to attend extra rehearsals leading up to the recital.

 

• Christmas recital - held in December at the MUN School of Music. Participation is optional.

 

• Spring recital - held in June at the MUN School of Music. Participation is optional.

 

*** NOTE: All of these performance opportunities are pending the current Alert Level at the time, and will follow the guidelines of the Government of NL. If in-person recitals are not an option, we will explore virtual options.

 

 

Extra Performance Opportunities:

The following are some of the many community opportunities available to those who wish to participate. They may require extra registration fees and other costs. Please feel free to email and discuss any of these opportunities with us at any time.

 

• Kiwanis Music Festival: Registration due at the end of October, festival usually held in late February/early March. Registration fees apply, as well as accompanist fees for singers. Students are also expected to purchase copies of the music of anything they choose to perform (the studio will not lend out copies of original music for students).

 

• NLRMTA events: The Registered Music Teachers’ Association hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including (but not limited to) Canada Music Week in November, and a Scholarship recital in May. I will contact you and your child individually if I think this extra performance is appropriate. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

- Conservatory Canada and Royal Conservatory of Music exams: held throughout the year. Students typically prepare for exams during the year, and will purchase a specific set of books. Registration fees apply. Parents should also note that once students reach level 5, theory exams are also required at an extra fee to fully complete the level and receive a diploma.

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