Clarinet Studio Policies
Materials
Necessities
Instrument
Swab
Cork Grease
Reeds + Case
Music
Practice Journal
Willingness to Try/Improve
Metronome + Tuner
All students are expected to bring all but a metronome/tuner to every lesson.
Upkeep
Clarinets need care and love just like people. Keep your clarinet playing its best by being gentle, patient and thorough with the assembly, disassembly, and cleaning.
If in the event your clarinet isn’t working the way it should, contact the shops below and explain the problem in detail.
The Woodwind Shop
Nicki Cutean
Phone: (512) 440-0915
Email: woodwindsatx@sbcglobal.net
Strait Music South
Phone: (512) 476-6927
Practicing
Practicing is essential for improving at your instrument.
Every student must commit themselves to practicing and making it a regular part of you daily schedule.
Recommended Daily Practice
6th — 5 - 15 minutes daily
7th/8th — 15 - 45 minutes
9th/10th — 30 - 60 minutes
11th/12th — 45 - 90 minutes
Lessons is to Practicing as a GPS is to Driving: one shows you the right way to go, but only you can take yourself there.
Lessons & Absence
Lessons are weekly throughout the year, excluding holidays.
Every student will have around 28-32 per school year (not including summer), but it changes depending on the school or location of lessons.
An absence is excused if at least 24 hours written/verbal notice is given by a parent (e.g. leaving a voicemail, texting, etc), there is an extenuating circumstance (e.g. illness, injury, emergency), or I cancel. An excused absence lesson does not count towards the lesson total and is eligible for a make-up.
An absence is unexcused if the student is on a field trip, leaves their instrument at home, or notice is not given. An unexcused absence does count towards the lesson total and is not eligible for a make-up.
Invoices & Payment
Invoices are sent on the last week of each month for the following month They are due the first week of the next month and run from September through May.
Invoices are essentially tuition. The total cost for all the lessons in a semester are evenly divided over the nine months of lessons.
For example:
(Cost of Lessons x 30 lessons per year) / 5 months = Monthly Tuition/Payment
Invoices are sent via email using a service called Wave Apps. This email links to Wave’s site where you can pay via bank account or debit/credit card. If you wish to pay using another method, please specify that in the drop-down box below.
Pricing + Fees
30 minute lessons are $30 per lesson.
45 minute lessons are $45 per lesson.
60 minute lessons are $60 per lesson.
In-home lessons are an additional $15 (if outside 78748)
If a payment is late, a $25 fee will be added to that invoice.
If a payment is not received by the next month, I reserve the right to suspend lessons.
Make-ups & Credit
Make-Ups during normal teaching weeks are incredible difficult due to scheduling
The last full week of classes each semester will be designated for make-ups. If more lessons are still owed after make-ups are done, they will be used as credits for lessons in the next billing cycle.
Lesson credits will reset every fall, i.e. credits not redeemed during the spring semester or summer cannot be redeemed the next school year.
Ending Lessons
A 30-day written/verbal notice (by a parent) is required for cessation of lessons. Lessons continue until the end of the 30-day period and will not be refunded/credited if missed.
This does not apply to Summer Lessons.
Summer Lessons
Summer Lessons are not required but are highly encouraged. Summer lesson occur at my home or at yours for an extra fee.
Students that take summer lessons will receive priority in scheduling for the next school year.