Welcome!

The 2025-26 session starts in October 2025 and concludes at the end of May 2026.

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COST OF LESSONS:  All students pay a $35 materials and insurance fee at the beginning of the year. This goes toward teaching supplies, music, and insurance. I will supply all books/materials throughout the year.

 

Lesson tuition is:

• 30-minute lessons: $95 monthly

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Tuition is due between October 2025 and May 2026. You are paying for 31 lessons over the whole year split up into 8 monthly payments. Lesson tuition is based on a $50/hour rate. The monthly lesson tuition is the same whether there are 3, 4, or 5 lessons in a month.

 

There will be no lessons:

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November 24 - 28, 2025: Thanksgiving Week

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December 22, 2025 - Jan 2, 2026: Christmas Break

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March 30 – April 3, 2026: Spring Break

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PAYMENT OF TUITION:  Payments are due on the 1st of each month. You are paying in advance to reserve your weekly lesson time. Payments should be set up online during registration to be paid automatically on the 1st of every month. The one-time materials and insurance fee that is due at the beginning of the year is paid online when you register.

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LESSON LOCATION: Lessons are held at Dickerson's Pianos, which is located at 1330 Jadwin Ave. It's part of the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland.

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COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TEACHER: Most communication about lessons or scheduling should come through Stephanie Steele, who will facilitate conversations with the child's teacher. 

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MAKEUP LESSONS: Tuition is based on enrollment, not attendance. Lessons that you miss will not be made up. Your monthly tuition reserves a specific lesson time each week for your student. If you must cancel a lesson, there will be no refund. You will receive all the lessons you pay for only if you show up for your scheduled time each week. It’s the same if you signed up your child for dance lessons at a studio – you would pay a monthly fee and wouldn’t get a refund if your child missed a rehearsal. 

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If there is a need for a long-term lesson time change in the case of sports or another activity, please contact Stephanie.

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IF YOUR CHILD IS FEELING SICK: I will be happy to do a lesson with them over Zoom or Facetime. Please do not send them to lessons if they have vomited or had a fever within 24 hours of their lesson time.

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PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS: Students are required to participate in at least two performances throughout the school year. They are welcome to participate in more than that if they would like.

 

BE PROMPT FOR YOUR LESSON:  You will receive only the time remaining if you are late.

 

PRACTICING:  Daily practice is required.  The amount of practice will be discussed individually with each student/parent.  Failure to practice will result in dismissal.  Parental support and dedication are necessary to achieve this requirement. For children ages 10 and under, parents are especially expected to help students remember to practice and stay focused. If you are signing your child up for piano lessons, you are also committing yourself to help them practice.

 

LESSON MATERIALS:

• If they have previously taken piano lessons, please bring any music they have previously used to the first lesson so I can get an idea of their playing level

• I will be providing lesson books and practice materials

• I will be providing a binder with practice sheets for notes about assignments and tracking practice time

 

PARENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY:

• Read the practice sheet in their binder after each lesson so that you will know what goals the student is expected to work toward that week.   

• Buy a metronome. I can send you a link to one online for purchase if you don’t have one

• Call, text, or email me with questions or to discuss your child’s progress

• Remind them to practice!

 

Parent involvement is key to a child’s success – especially when they are young. It’s important to ask them about their practice and make sure they are doing it. Even if they complain about it sometimes – a child will enjoy lessons more if they are progressing and that only happens when they practice. A 30-minute lesson every week will do nothing if they don’t practice at home. If you are signing up a child for piano lessons – you essentially signing up yourself for piano lessons, because you will need to remind them to practice every day.

 

DISCONTINUING LESSONS: Every student stops taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. For this reason, the teacher requires one month's notice in writing prior to discontinuing lessons. Note: At the discretion of the teacher, students may be asked to discontinue lessons at any time if they have unpaid tuition, an excess amount of absences/unprepared lessons, or if they show a lack of interest.

 

BIANNUAL PRICE INCREASE: Every two years, I will raise my teaching rates 3-5% to adjust to the rate of inflation and competitive wages.