Studio Policy

Tuition
 Tuition is based on a 10-month period (August-May) and divided into monthly payment installments. Families may choose to pay tuition in equal monthly installments, semester, or yearly payments. Tuition reflects 32 scheduled lessons per school year. This studio follows the same calendar as the Peoria Unified School District. Lessons are not held on holidays unless otherwise noted on the studio calendar.  Lessons are not held during Winter Break or Spring Break.

Monthly tuition installments are due no later than the 7th of each month and will be assessed a $10 fee when overdue.  After two late payments, you will be asked to choose another payment option: automatic online bill pay through your bank, or payment in full for the semester in advance.

Tuition may be paid via Cash, Check, Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, or Chase QuickPay.  Triplet Music Studio is also an approved ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account) vendor and works with the ESA program and families to accept payments and provide receipts for piano and voice lessons via approved methods.

Summer tuition covering the months of June and July is separate from school year tuition and is also payable in installments or in full at the beginning of the summer session. Summer lessons are very important to the progress and continuous learning of each student. Students choosing not to enroll in the summer session will be placed on the waiting list for the next school year. The summer lesson requirement can be fulfilled through both regular lessons and music camps to make it easier on busy families to fulfill this requirement in a short period of time, or students may continue to attend weekly as during the school year. Summer lessons are flexible and can be adjusted to work with any vacation schedule.

Other Fees
Enrollment Fee: $30.  This is a one-time only fee, assessed when the student first enrolls in lessons. ​This fee will be applied to the students' last month of lessons when a parent follows the "Withdrawal" policy of the studio. (see below) 

​Annual Registration Fee: $70/first student ($55 each student thereafter), due annually in August (or upon first enrollment) upon submission of Fall Lesson Time Request form. It is not refundable. This fee includes all music books and subscriptions students will need throughout the year as well as the annual recital fee which defrays the cost of the rental facilities, awards, tuning of the venue's piano, etc.  Admission to the recital is free.
Lesson books: Lesson books are included in the annual registration fee, as well as recital music. 

Instrument:  A piano or high quality keyboard is required to be obtained or rented prior to the start of lessons.

​Other fees: Other fees consist of the participation costs of any outside competitions or performances sponsored by the Phoenix Music Teachers Association, Keyboard Gymnastics, or other professional organizations.

Attendance
Missed Lessons:  Please keep your lesson times free of any appointments or conflicts. Payment of tuition reserves a time slot for your student that remains reserved whether or not the student is at lessons.  There will be no refunds or make-ups for missed lessons for any reason. In many cases students may receive more than 32 lessons per year.  Since these extra lessons are not figured into yearly tuition, these extra lessons will first be considered make-up lessons for any lessons cancelled by the teacher due to illness or other unexpected events. If the teacher did not cancel any lessons,  the student may consider the extra lessons as “make-up lessons” for any lesson they chose to cancel throughout the year.  

If the student cannot attend lessons, the student may choose to Facetime the teacher during his/her regularly assigned lesson time to touch base, ask any questions, perform their assigned repertoire, etc. This option is to be used sparingly.

Withdrawal
In consideration of the time that a music teacher spends planning for her students' lessons, please give no less than a months' notice when terminating lessons (see "Parental Responsibilities" below). Please make this decision thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. Because tuition includes much more than the reserved lesson time, the studio requires a one-month paid notice before instruction ends. The student must finish the remainder of the month paid in full or forego any unused lessons, as there is no refund given. (ie: Fall Semester: one month notice by Dec. 1st; Spring Semester: one month notice by May 1st, students who quit mid-semester must give one full months' notice). If appropriate, a parent/student teacher conference may be scheduled before the last lesson to establish if this might be a temporary setback that can be resolved. 

Recitals
Triplet Music Studio holds two recitals each academic year. Recitals present an opportunity for listening as well as performing.  Students are expected to attend recitals as an attentive, responsible audience member as well as a participant.  All students should plan on attending recitals for their entire length, which is usually from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Noting recital dates on your family calendar will be helpful in creating a performing environment free from unnecessary distraction. Parents, other family members, teachers, and friends are invited to these recitals.

Appropriate performance attire:
Boys-long pants, dress shirt and tie, sport shirt, sweater, or suit jacket
Girls- dress, skirt and blouse, dress pants and blouse (remember that dresses/skirts should be knee length since the performer will be sitting down)  NO JEANS!

Parental Responsibilities
Parental support is extremely important whenever a child is developing a talent. Encourage your children to practice and praise their efforts regularly. Parents and students enrolling in the studio are expected to commit to attending lessons for the period of at least one year.

At some point, your child may say he/she is bored, doesn't want to practice, or wants to quit. 99% of all piano students say this at one or more points in their study!  This is often due to natural patterns of growth in the child to adolescent brain known as pruning and myelination. Sadly, many students and parents do not allow the brain time to mature and adjust and leave lessons behind at this critical point of growth.  Do not allow giving up or quitting to be an option, any more than you would allow your child to quit math or reading because they find it difficult, boring, or do not want to do their homework. Interest, enjoyment, and dedication will naturally go through peaks and valleys when any new skill is being developed.  Do not give up if your child appears to lose interest for a time. Instead, discuss this change with the teacher so that steps may be taken to remedy the situation.  Students who persevere through difficult times often become the most successful musicians.

Please be sure to drop your child off and pick your child up on time.  This studio observes a 5 minute drop off/pick up window.  Please be certain that your child is safely inside my house before leaving.  Remember, your child is your responsibility at all times, both before and after as well as during the lesson. Overall, be involved and be supportive!

The home piano should be tuned twice a year. This studio uses piano technician Lonnie Culp, http://www.culpspianoservice.com/ for all piano maintenance.

Practice
Quality practice outside of the lesson is essential to the student’s progress.  Please encourage your child to develop consistent practice habits and provide a practice environment free of distractions.  Encourage your child to practice daily by 1) helping the student find the time(s) that will consistently be used only for practice, 2) keeping the student free of other responsibilities during that time, and 3) keeping siblings and/or television, radio, etc. from interfering with and distracting the student during that time.  Practicing is the joint responsibility of the student AND the parent. Students should strive to complete practice assignments on their own, but parents must be active in reminding the student to complete daily practice assignments should a student forget.

The study of music is rewarding and enjoyable, but it also takes diligence and hard work, on the part of the student as well as the parent!