Lesson Policy

MATERIALS

Metronome, pencils, a bench for the student, a chair for the teacher, and a music bag or bookshelf to keep materials organized. A notebook or a binder with loose-leaf paper is needed for the teacher or student to write assignments and practice notes.

INSTRUMENT

An acoustic instrument is the best for learning, as the mechanism provides a realistic response relative to technique. This impacts how students hear, feel, remember and connect to the sound. However, a quality digital piano with 88 weighted keys will suffice for lessons and is preferred over a poorly maintained acoustic instrument. Acoustic upright and grand pianos must be tuned annually to maintain their value and advantage.

PRACTICE SPACE

A well-lit area free from distractions will help students concentrate practice time and lessons. Background music and televisions should be off during lessons and practice.

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS

Respect. A desire to learn and creative willingness to explore. Quality practice sessions 5-6 days per week to ensure sufficient progress. Participation in two performance events per year (one in the first year).

EXPECTATIONS FOR PARENTS

Support and encourage student’s practice routineTimely purchase of assigned booksEffective communication with teachers and admin. Utilize “Log In” feature for MyMusicStaff.com to view calendar, invoices, store payment method and view attendance history​

PERFORMANCES

Aspiring Minds holds an annual recital. Additional festivals, competitions, and theory tests are available for qualified students. While there is no fee for participating in our annual Studio Recital, events through the MTA’s may have additional registration costs.

COMMUNICATION

Be sure to copy Patrick Behringer in your communications with your teacher so that everyone is on the same page with calendar, invoicing and policy. Our preference is using WhatsApp (add 817-680-5221) because group chats are easy to create, understand, organize, respond and update. If you do not use the app, then just be sure to copy [email protected] or (682)593-1543 for group texts.

LESSONS AND BILLING CYCLE

Lasts August 4, 2024 through August 2, 2025. Includes 42 lessons over the course of 12 months. Cost divided into 11 equal payments from August, 2023 through June, 2024

METHOD OF PAYMENT

We accept ACH Transfers at no charge to you via Stripe. ACH Drafts will be scheduled for the 1st of each month. Log in to MyMusicStaff with your credentials to store banking information. Your account must be set to AutoPay.You will continue receiving an invoice one week before the due date as a reminder, and we are still able to issue refunds as needed within this setting, should something go awry. Clients using Credit Card payment will be charged a monthly 3% processing fee. We also accept personal checks at no extra cost; however, late fees will be applied on the 4th of each month.

TERMINATION AND REFUNDS

There is no early termination fee. However, if you wish to discontinue lessons at any time, 30 days’ advance notice must be given to your teacher and the director. No refunds for unused lessons when early termination is not communicated well in advance.

TEN "Flex Weeks"

• Vacations

Due to the variety of each family's plans, Aspiring Minds does not establish vacation weeks. Parents and Teachers alike must communicate with each other well in advance which weeks they are taking off - up to 10 per year.Teachers will not offer lessons on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, or Independence Day, but they may teach lessons any other day that works for you.Lessons may or may not be held on Labor/Memorial Days at your discretion, but it is recommended NOT to cancel those lessons unless you have travel plans or already know when that lesson can be made up during one of the 10 "off" weeks.Please help track your 42 lessons to ensure you receive them all within a 12 month period. Attendance can be accessed in MyMusicStaff anytime by Parents and Teachers. Teachers and administrators will check them periodically, too.

• Make-up Credits

No make-ups are offered for cancellations communicated less than 24 hours in advance, whether for sickness or emergency.Absences communicated well in advance may be made up during any ofthe 10 "vacation weeks"Multiple lessons per week or extended lesson lengths for make-up time may only be utilized during June and July, when there is general schedule flexibility.

• Make-up Exceptions

Teachers may reschedule lessons as needed for professional music engagements or personal family commitments when giving parents at least 1 week’s advance notice about the canceled lesson, which will be made up at a later time.We allow Teachers up to 2 Inclement Weather Cancellations which can make driving conditions dangerous. These must be made up, either as Remote/Virtual lessons or as Make-ups during a “vacation” week.Emergency cancellations by a teacher must be made up. If there are more than two such cancellations, a parent may request a refund for future cancellations.

• Scheduling

Due to the complication of consecutive appointments spread out geographically, there is little flexibility to reschedule lesson times. We may request changing your lesson day/time during the year (a) if a much more efficient travel route becomes available, (b) another student has an ongoing schedule conflict arise and we must rearrange. Teachers travel far and wide through varying traffic conditions, so we ask for your flexibility in the case that (a) another family cancels and the teacher requests an earlier time slot, or (b) if the teacher arrives a little early/late. You may expect a courtesy text when more than 10 minutes ahead/behind schedule. Consistency is important to us; if the teacher is consistently early/late, it probably has more to do with a traffic pattern or travel distance. We'll adjust and communicate the calendar accordingly, so everyone has a consistent expectation.