CONTRACT FOR PRIVATE PIANO LESSONS/

Blue Skies Piano Lessons Policy Agreement

LESSONS AND SERVICES PROVIDED by Bonnie Pausic/Blue Skies Piano/” The Studio”/Lynn’s Music Service):

Private individual piano lessons are provided on a weekly basis, with lesson times of 30, 45 or 60 minutes. Depending on the student’s needs, this may include 5 minutes at the end of the lesson for teacher and student assignments, note-taking, etc. Lessons are conducted weekly at a specific day and time, which is reserved for each student. Terms concerning additional theory classes, group classes, workshops, etc. are presented when such services are offered in the future.

All lessons will take place online until further notice.

REGISTRATION:

A $50.00 non-refundable fee per student is needed to secure the student’s place on the schedule for Fall. This, along with the acceptance of the 2024-2025 contract as required on the Registration Form, is due on or before by September 2, 2024. After September 2, 2024, any remaining lesson slots will be released to prospective students on the studio waiting list.

TUITION:

The school-year tuition plan for private lessons is based on the Studio schedule starting Tuesday, September 3, 2024, and lasting through Wednesday, May 14, 2025. All specified holidays, teacher flex day, and days the studio is closed are subtracted from the number of possible lessons for this time span. The tuition for the scheduled lessons is then averaged into 9 monthly installments, the first of which is paid by September 1, 2024, and the ninth of which is paid on or before April 25, 2025. Upon payment of tuition, the teacher, Bonnie Pausic, will instruct the student in piano performance and related subjects in scheduled weekly lessons.

Tuition for all students, Wednesday or Thursday, is charged as follows. There are 32 lessons in the 2024-2025 school year.

$140.00 per month for 30-minute weekly lessons, one per week

$208.00 per month for 45-minute weekly lessons, one per week

$277.00 per month for 60-minute weekly lessons, one per week

As stated above, the tuition does not include the following holidays/teacher vacation days since the studio will be closed. Also not included in the tuition is one “flex day” per student that the teacher will use for personal emergencies, attendance at conferences, and other unexpected events.

These dates are subject to change. Please keep in contact with the Teacher to avoid inconvenience regarding changes.

School-year lessons start on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Tues., Sept. 17, 2024— Thurs. Sept. 18, 2024—Teacher on leave

Tues., Nov. 26, 2024—Dec. 2— 2024 —Thanksgiving Break

Tues., Dec. 24, 2024—Wed., Jan. 1, 2025 — Winter Break

Tues., April 15, 2025—Wed., April 16, 2025 — Spring Break

Wed., May 14, 2025 — Last day of school-year lessons

Teacher flex day—to be announced

The Studio is open all other weekdays, including those when public and private schools are closed for such events as Teacher Workshops, etc.

Each tuition installment is due in advance, and the Teacher reserves the right to not teach any lessons that have not been paid in advance. Each installment is due on the 25th of the previous month and must be made by ACH transfer set up through the parents’ portal at “My Music Staff”. All students are required to select “Autopay” and must sign up through My Music Staff, not through a personal bank or other means of payment. Payments will then be collected by the Stripe payment system. Students do not pay the “convenience fee”—it is absorbed by the studio. Payments made after the 5th of the month will be billed a $20.00 late fee. The fee for returned or rejected payments is $25.00.

MUSIC BOOK AND EVENT FEE:

A non-refundable fee of $100.00 per student is due on or before September 1, 2024, along with each student’s first tuition installment. This fee will cover normal expenses incurred by purchase of music books and sheet music purchased by the teacher for the student’s use, and for most event fees incurred by the student through the school year. New students starting at a time other than the beginning of the school year pay the registration fee of $50.00 and the Music Book and Event Fee of $100.00 for each student scheduled.

MISSED LESSONS

Credits or make-up lessons cannot be given if a student is unable to attend a scheduled lesson. Remember, the Students/Parents/Guardians are paying for the teacher’s schedule time, which is held open for the Student to the exclusion of other students and commitments, whether the Student is present or not. While some missed lessons are unavoidable, please make every effort to be present for all lessons to encourage optimal student development. Please feel free to make use of the missed lesson time by contacting the Teacher during that time concerning such things as the student’s progress or other matters pertaining to the student. Also, if notice of the student’s absence is received before the start of the missed lesson, the teacher may make a video or send lesson notes concerning what would have been covered in the lesson and other reminders, if appropriate to the lesson plan.

If the Teacher must miss a lesson for a reason not anticipated by the Studio calendar and a scheduled lesson cannot be given due to that reason, the Teacher may opt to: use a flex day or; schedule an online make-up lesson at a time arranged by student and teacher or; make a video or send lesson notes for the student to practice with or to guide the student that week. There is a two-week limit on a scheduled online make-up of this lesson, wherein the lesson must occur or be forfeited.

A list of student e-mail addresses will be made available by the end of September. When a schedule conflict arises for a student, he/she may temporarily trade lessons with another student on the schedule by directly e-mailing or otherwise contacting that student. In contacting other students to switch times, the student seeking the lesson switch should state all parameters concerning the desired lesson, including their lesson length and scheduled day and time, and then the day and time needed for the switch. Be aware however that should either student miss a traded lesson, there will be no make-up given by the teacher. In the case of two students who intended to swap lessons showing up online at the same time, the student whose normal lesson time it is will be given the lesson. Please let the Studio know if you object to your name and e-mail addresses being shared with other parents and students. The studio will try to honor all requests for omission of personal information/e-mail addresses. (Please be aware that if your information is not available to other people, it will be more difficult for you to trade lessons.) Notify the Studio ahead of time by phone (or by e-mail if there is a reasonable amount of time before the lesson) of any lessons that are traded in this way.

TERMINATION OF LESSONS

Student(s) must provide at least 30 days written notice before terminating lessons. Notice must be given at the end of the month to stop lessons at the end of the following month. For these 30 days, the Student(s) and Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are responsible for the monthly tuition payment. The lessons for these 30 days may be taken or not, at the student’s option. Without such notice, Student(s) and Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are responsible for the amount of one month’s tuition as a termination fee. If the Studio terminates lessons, the Studio will endeavor to give 30 days’ notice to the Student(s) and Parent(s)/Guardian(s) in likewise fashion stated above.

The Studio may terminate lessons for any reason, including but not limited to lack of practice, frequent absences, behavioral problems, delinquency of payments, or failure to abide by studio policies. All tuition and fees are non-refundable.

SUMMER MONTHS:

Lessons during the summer months may continue as during the school year, scheduled on a different day and time if necessary. However, tuition can be prorated to accommodate the student’s and teacher’s vacation schedules. The student must give one week’s notice of not attending the lesson or a charge will be made for the lesson.

To be clear: the 9th installment of the tuition plan, due on April 25, 2024, only covers the last few lessons in April 2025 and however many lessons there are until May 14, 2025. Please note that since the tuition plan only goes until May 14, 2025, those wishing to study during the summer will owe for lessons taken after April 25, 2025, to the May 14, 2025 and for any summer lessons thereafter. If a student stops taking lessons for the summer months and does not register before an announced registration deadline (generally a date established by notification in July or August), the studio cannot guarantee that a lesson slot will be immediately available for the next school-year schedule. If no lesson slots are available to the returning student, he/she will be placed on the waiting list for the next available opening.

No lessons will be given on the Fourth of July.

MEDIA CONSENT AND RELEASE

Parent/Guardian hereby consents to and authorizes the Studio to capture and use video-audio recordings and photographic images of their child and/or their child’s music performance or quoted statements in print, electronic, or online media, for educational and Studio promotional purposes only, and without any compensation to the Parent/Guardian or their child. Parent agrees to waive and release any and all claims Parent/Guardian may have against the Studio relating to the use of these recordings, images, or statements. This Consent is binding upon heirs, and future legal representatives.

This Contract for Private Piano Lessons is a legal contract made between Bonnie Pausic/ “The Studio”/ Blue Skies Piano/Lynn’s Music Service and Student/Parent(s)/Guardian(s) on this date, for the provision of private music instruction services by Bonnie Pausic/ “The Studio”/Blue Skies Piano/Lynn’s Music Service to Student. Student/Parent(s)/Guardian(s) has/have received and read the Contract for Private Piano Lessons and agrees to abide by its provisions, as a condition to Teacher providing music lessons to Student.

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this contract, or the breach thereof, may be settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules, and judgment on the award rendered by arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

Upon registering the Student and remitting the $50.00 fee, the Student/Parent/Guardian attests that he or she has read this Blues Skies Piano Lessons Policy/Contract for Private Piano Lessons and fully understands its terms, conditions, and provisions. The Student/Parent/Guardian agrees that if any portion of this Contract for Private Piano Lessons is held to be invalid, then the remaining portions shall continue in full force and effect.