Pedersen Music Studio

Studio Policies.

Student Expectations.

All students should arrived prepared with all their materials for lessons. Practicing is a requirement of taking lessons on any instrument. Without home practice to reinforce what was learned in the lesson, you or your child will get stuck on the same concepts. Students are expected to perform what they have been practicing during the week during their lesson. We all have times when life gets in the way of practicing or when practicing is frustrating. Having a consistent practice time and schedule will help to stay engaged to get through those extra busy days or difficult practice sessions.

Studying piano, concert percussion, or marching percussion requires method books to be purchased for weekly lesson materials. Method books can either be purchased directly by the student, or through the teacher. Students studying guitar, ukulele and drum set will have  materials  for music and worksheets provided by the instructor. Students will also be provided lesson sheets by the teacher. School age students are expected to prepare for and attend the yearly studio recital each spring.

Age-Appropriate Learning.

It is very important for the success of a student to be the right age and physical size to be able to play certain instruments. Sometimes little fingers have difficulty with certain movements on an instrument, so beginning to study when too young can lead a student to quit and dislike music. It is better, sometimes, to wait an extra year or two to begin learning an instrument, rather than force a student who is not yet physically ready for the demands of lessons.  Starting too young can convince kids they are “un-talented” when the reality is the physical demands of the instrument are above their physical development. Playing strings and percussion requires extremely coordinated and athletic skills. All students must have basic reading skills to take lessons, as many lessons materials and teacher practice notes are written out for home practice. 

Honoring Childhood Autonomy.

Kids who do not wish to take lessons will not be allowed to take lessons at my studio. Many kids go through times of having less interest in music, but there is a distinct difference for kids being forced into learning an instrument they have no desire to learn. Young kids display lack of interest through repeatedly and consistently refusing to practice, having meltdowns prior to arriving at their lessons, or refusing to play for or with the instructor. Older students tend to verbally assert their lack of time (as a way to be indirect about lack of interest) or more directly state they do not wish to continue with lessons. Many students worry about the response from their families and feel they do not have the option to quit. I will always let these students know they have the autonomy to make the decision about taking lessons from me. 

While any student has the capability to learn an instrument (instruments require time and consistency; not talent), I will not force a student to take lessons; even if the family wishes to force the student to continue with lessons. Forcing lessons results in students who end up hating to learn about music. Quitting may allow a student to return, at a later date, or start a new instrument with less anxiety about the process in the future. I will always make quitting or taking a break from lessons a positive experience for anyone I work with!

Absences and Missed Lessons.

Tuition is calculated with the expectation that a student may miss 2 lessons during the calendar year that they are unable to makeup. This means, if you attend all lessons during the calendar year, you will have attended 2 FREE lessons. But if you are looking for options to avoid missing lessons, I provide masterclasses and swap lessons and makeup labs.

If you are in a Piano Lab Lesson, you may sign up at any time to attend another lesson on the makeup lab appointment calendar. That’s one of the benefits of starting lessons in a lab! Make-up labs can happen anytime during the semester the missed lab occurs, you don’t have to make it up the same week you miss. There are generally 3-4 labs each week to choose from. You can also attend a Masterclass for a makeup or use your missed lesson as one of your two FREE lessons. I do not provide make-up labs to students who miss without notice. I do not reimburse tuition for student absences in labs.

Piano Lab Makeup Calendar:

https://piano-lab-makeups.square.site

If you are taking individual lessons, you have more options. If you know you are going to be absent during your regular lesson time, I have a swap calendar you can utilize to reschedule your lesson. With 48-hours notice, just pick a new lesson time to use as a makeup for the one you are going to miss. Swapped lessons can be made up only during the semester they occur. I have an online swap calendar to make this easy for students. If there is less than 48 hours notice of a missed lesson, you can sign up for a masterclass or use it as one of your two FREE lessons. I do not provide makeups or swaps to lessons missed without 48 hours notice. I do not reimburse tuition for student absences.

Individual Lesson Swap Calendar:

Spirit Lake: https://pedersenmusicstudio-swaps.square.site

Spencer: https://pedersen-music-studio-spencer-location.square.site

Masterclasses can also be attended in advance of student absences to give you a little leeway in case of an unforeseen absence. There are four masterclasses each school year.

I am a full-time teacher/clinician with rented studio space in shared buildings, so I do not have unlimited options for rescheduling or swapping lesson times. Swapped lessons are only available during the hours the studio is open. They are my office hours and other lesson times students have notified me they will be absent. For this reason, I can’t guarantee the open swap times will align with open spots in your schedule for a makeup.

I am conscious of the time and financial commitment of taking lessons, which is why I allow for two free lessons during the year and four masterclasses. That allows families six options for missed lessons that happen without notice. However, please understand that when you sign up for lessons, you are signing up for a spot in my schedule. I cannot “resell” or “rebook” your spot when you miss a lesson without notice. 

Instructor absences are handled differently than student absences. The yearly calendar is planned in advance so all students who take lessons for the entire year will have the same number of lessons, no matter what day of the week your lesson is scheduled. I will never ask you to suddenly come to the studio on a different day and time because of a conflict or illness on my part.  Extra dates at the end of each semester will be utilized as make-up lesson times for instructor cancellations. These allow you to keep your regular lesson day and time so there is no disruption to your schedule if I have an unforeseen emergency. If an emergency causes me to miss more lessons than are available in the makeup calendar, I will reimburse your tuition for the lessons I am unable to makeup. For weather related conflicts, all lessons will be moved online for that day. I will make sure to contact you directly if I have to move lessons online due to weather. If you cannot attend an online lesson during a weather event, you may makeup that lesson by attending a masterclass or take that day off as one of your three FREE lessons.

Tuition.

Tuition is based on the length of the lesson. Guitar and Piano Labs are one hour each week. Individual lessons can be taken in either weekly 20-minute timeslots or 30-minute timeslots. Lesson lengths can be doubled or scheduled twice a week for students with exceptional drive and dedication. The length of lesson is meant to help with practice expectations for students and to set students up for success during the week. Longer lessons means more material to practice and prepare.

Tuition is not based on the total number of lessons a student attends. Tuition is paid for a spot in the studio, which comes with many benefits in a studio with a full-time instructor. Tuition includes materials, a weekly scheduled lesson slot, options for swap lessons, the recital, masterclasses, personalized music arrangements, music packets and outside of lesson preparation time. There is no price adjustment or refund for unattended lessons, as a lesson spot cannot be “sold” to another student when absent. Two weeks notice is required to withdraw from lessons. Tuition is calculated with the expectation that a student may miss up to 2 lessons during the year that they are unable to makeup. This means, if you attend all lessons during the calendar year, you will have attended 2 FREE lessons.
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A non-refundable tuition deposit is required to hold a student’s lesson spot in the studio upon registering. A student’s lesson time is not held until the deposit is paid. After the deposit, tuition is paid as either a two time semester payment or in eight equal installments, paid on the 5th of each month during the school year. There are 30 lessons scheduled over 36 weeks, four masterclasses, and the recital during the school year from the end of August through April. Summer tuition is paid via a non-refundable tuition deposit upon registering and one payment at the beginning of the semester. There are five weeks of lessons during the summer semester from the end of May to the beginning of July. Tuition is due prior to the student starting lessons. A late fee of $15 will be charged for payments received after the invoice due date and lessons will not be given until all monthly fees have been resolved. Failure to pay tuition by the due date will open your lesson spot to students on the waitlist. 

Please speak with me directly to inquire about current rates. Scholarships are available based on financial need for students with exceptional dedication and commitment.  

Dismissal from Lessons .

I reserve the right to dismiss students from lessons for any of the following reasons: 

~Failure to pay tuition ~Persistent absences ~Consistently coming unprepared ~Refusal to play/participate in lessons ~Behavior disruptions during lessons or while waiting in the church/music store where the studio is located ~Wandering into areas of the church/music store not designated as studio space