Registration Policy
A registration fee of £10 will be charged with your first invoice. This covers the administration associated with setting up a new student and organising resources as appropriately identified after the initial lesson.
Invoicing and Cancellation Policy
Lessons are billed in advance in blocks of either half-termly or monthly - you decide! Payment must be made within 7 days of receipt of the invoice. Monthly invoices are sent out around the 24th of the month for the lessons in the next calendar month. Half-termly lessons are sent 7 days before the first lesson of next half-term. If I am ill or have to cancel a lesson due to a performing engagement (in which case notice will always be given) your payment will carry over to the next month/term unless you wish to book another time within the same billing period. I require 2 weeks notice of any planned absence and if notified early enough will adjust the invoice. In other cases, the lessons will carry over. Lessons missed through unplanned absence or sickness are billable unless a mutually agreeable time can be found within 2 weeks. This is subject to a fair use policy and would expect these to be not request more frequently than once in any term/month. 'No shows' are billable. I will use any missed lesson time to plan for future lessons and review progress and lesson notes.
In the event that you wish to cancel lessons, you will be required to give 4 weeks notice for which you will be invoiced as normal. You have the option to attend those lessons or forfeit them.
Fees
Please see the Teaching tab for my current fees.
Timetable Policy
Teaching is assumed to be term-time only if you have selected termly invoicing. Lessons in half-term are optional in this case and will be added to the following invoice period. I reserve the right to allocate your term-time slot to other students in school holidays unless you wish to book it yourself. Part of the cost of lessons is a 'studio fee'. You are in essence also paying for reserving that slot on my calendar as well as the teaching.
Information Policy
I am registered with the ICO and adhere to GDPR policy in the running of my Music Studio and teaching. I will at no time share personal information or data as relating to students or their families other than for entry of students into examinations or festivals and for accounting purposes. In any other circumstance I will seek your prior consent. All bulk communications will be bcc'd for privacy.
Policy Amendments
I reserve the right to amend or adjust these terms but will give 28 days notice to existing students and families of any change.
Performing Engagements
As a professional musician, part of my income comes from freelance work for orchestra, pit bands, session work and weddings etc. This does mean that a certain points in the year (usually Nov/Dec, March/April and June/July) there is a small amount of disruption to my timetable. You will be notified well in advance and will not be invoiced for any lesson I miss as a result. I hope you will understand that this is a valuable part of my offering: professional experience and skills to share with you or your child.
Parental Support
Your support as a parent is vital in the success of the relationship between your child and their musical learning. A 30 minute lesson will guide them on what to do, but the regularity of practice in the home together with encouragement and praise is essential for progress that builds a strong foundation of resilience, discipline in practice and dedication to something that will not always be easy but will give great rewards over time. To aid this, I use an online portal to which you and your child will have access, to access resources, change/cancel lesson times, read lesson notes and play along to backing tracks as well as record your or your child's practice notes. Pablo Casals, at age 90, was still practicing for 4 hours per day. The journey never ends!
Teaching Policy
Lessons will include practical and performance skills in the instrument chosen, music literacy as appropriate to age and level covering aural skills, sight-reading and theory and some historical practice where relevant. I will usually set a weekly 'at home' task. I am happy to support your child in choosing appropriate repertoire for GCSE and A level performance exams as well as music festival entries. Examination entries are optional and again, I will seek to establish your preferences at the start of our working relationship.
Resources
Students will need initially:
Scales and Arpeggios manual (ABRSM usually though happy to do Trinity or others on request)
In discussion with student, a repertoire book relevant to current ability
music bag, wallet for adhoc sheets and notebook (I can provide both at cost). Please budget for around £25 for these.
Later on, you will need other books which I will signpost. You are welcome to order them separately or I can supply them (at cost). Please budget for approx. £50 per year for this. I may be able to loan books certain books out, but they will be chargeable if lost or damaged.
I provide extensive resources through my website/portal including backing tracks for nearly all repertoire.