Shelly Davis Piano Studio Policy Statement
Calendar
Piano lessons will begin the week of August 19, 2019 and continue through May 1, 2019. The spring recitals are tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 4, 2020 and Tuesday, May 5, 2020.
The studio will be closed Monday, September 2 for Labor Day, Tuesday-Friday the week of Thanksgiving, December 23 – January 3 for the Christmas holidays as well as March 9-13 for Spring Break. Access the studio calendar here.
Since this is my profession, I do continue to teach through the summer months. I believe this is a great benefit for the student to maintain steady, continuous progress at the piano. Priority placement is given to summer students for the fall schedule.
Tuition
Please contact me to request the current annual tuition amount. This amount is payable in three ways:
- One annual payment (a 10% discount) payable at the first lesson of the year.
- Two semester payments (a 5% discount) payable at the first lesson of each semester.
- Eight installments (Due Sept. 1, Oct. 1, Nov. 1, Dec. 1, Jan. 1, Feb. 1, March 1, and April 1.)
A $25.00 late fee will be added to payments not received by the 10th of each month. Continuous lack of timely payments can result in termination of lessons. All checks should be made payable to Shelly Davis.
Missed Lessons
The above tuition pays for 14 lessons per semester; however, each student will actually receive more than 32 lessons including piano parties, performance classes, and recitals during the term. Since there are “extra” lessons included during the year, tuition will not be prorated nor will a makeup lesson be arranged for missed lessons. Every reasonable measure should be taken to attend all lessons. (In the spring I will be rehearsing with the Chapel Hill jr. high and high school band students for UIL Solo/Ensemble. Any lessons affected by those rehearsals may be made up as needed.)
Parental Involvement
Parents are welcome to attend weekly lessons at any time; provided the student is comfortable with that arrangement. Parents can also show support by arranging a regular practice schedule on a quality instrument. (Call Dan Kessinger at 561-0022 for piano tuning.) Be your child’s biggest fan and cheerleader. Encourage your student to play for family and friends. Tell them how much you enjoy hearing them play. Tell them which songs you like and why. Piano lessons require a great deal of discipline and that is best accomplished in a positive manner.
The following things do not work: yelling at your child, using practice as punishment, comparing your child’s progress to someone else’s, or criticizing your child without also praising their strengths.
I host a weekly podcast designed specifically for piano parents. The podcast includes interviews with teachers and parents from across the country as well as musical topics that will be of benefit to you and your piano kid. Occasionally I will post a timely topic on our studio Facebook page. You can search any topic by going to www.pianoparentpodcast.com. I hope you enjoy these and find them useful for making the most of your piano lessons.
Festivals and Events
As a member of the East Texas Music Teachers’ Association www.etmta.com and the Texas Music Teachers’ Association www.tmta.org , I have access to many festivals and events. These activities are not mandatory; however, they can be a great aid in the learning process. Many of the activities assist the student in accumulating scholarship points with Texas Music Teachers Association as well.