Heart Beats Music School

 Our Mission

Heart Beats Music School provides comprehensive, quality music education tailored to the individual needs of every student. We are a community that is committed to musical excellence. Furthermore, we view music as a tool for teaching students life skills and aiding in their personal, emotional, and academic development. We maintain a positive work environment aimed especially at supporting and educating aspiring music teachers, providing them with valuable experience and quality training.

Our Vision

We are committed to excellence in music education, and to the well-being of all our students and teachers. We aim to build a strong community of students, families, and teachers, rooted in compassion, responsibility, and a shared love of music and learning.

Our Values

Heart Beats Music School is dedicated to the following values:

• Teaching excellence in music.

• Ensuring each student and family feels cared for and supported, and making personal development a priority in each student’s education.

• Providing the best possible environment and experience to foster the careers of aspiring music teachers, thereby contributing to the greater community of excellent music education

• Fostering a strong community through a shared love of music.

Policies and Procedures: Private Lessons

Tuition & Fees

Tuition is charged as a flat monthly fee. Tuition is due by the first lesson each month, and is considered late after the 10th. A late fee of $25 will be assessed for tuition payments received after the 10th. Monthly rates are as follows, discounted rates are offered for families with multiple students taking lessons, or students taking lessons in multiple instruments. 

Tuition covers 4 weekly lessons; however, based on the calendar, some months will have 4 lessons, some 5. Regardless, tuition will remain constant each month. The months with a 5th lesson will make up for the holidays and breaks observed by the studio. There will be no lessons on these days, and no required makeup, as they are balanced out by months with 5 lessons.

Billing

Students are required to enroll in automatic billing. We accept all major credit cards, as well as ACH bank transfers. Tuition is automatically charged at the beginning of the month. Your payment method will be collected upon registration. We cannot accept cash or checks. Charter schools inquire with Kara Atkinson.

Registration Fee

Students are responsible for an annual registration fee of $25 per student, due upon beginning lessons, and/or with their September tuition. If a student starts lessons after March 31st, they will not be charged a 2nd registration fee in September of their first year. Registration fees help to subsidize the cost of renting recital venues and lesson services and resources. This fee will not be prorated or refunded for cancelled lessons.

Studio holidays and breaks

❖ Labor Day & Memorial Day
❖ The Monday-Sunday surrounding Thanksgiving
❖ The Monday before Dec 25th through the first Saturday in January*
❖ 1 week Spring break, TBA
❖ 1 week each summer, TBA (usually at the end of June/beginning of July)

*If the 25th is on a weekday. Varies based on calendar year.

Student’s Equipment

     For instrument lessons, each student must possess an instrument on which to practice at home.

Piano

An acoustic piano is ideal. Rentals, financed purchases, and rent-to-buy programs can be found at extremely reasonable prices, we recommend The Music Exchange (ask for Jeff!) and Kline Music. Digital pianos and keyboards are acceptable for beginner piano students, instruments must have 88 weighted keys. After two years of taking piano, students are strongly encouraged to acquire an acoustic instrument if they don’t already have one. This is crucial to the development of technique and skill, and teachers may require this in order for the student to continue lessons.

Violin

A violin will be provided for your free trial lesson. Your teacher will help select the appropriate size for your student. Rentals, financed purchases, and rent-to-buy programs can be found at extremely reasonable prices, we recommend Kline music for rentals and purchases of string instruments. Your teacher will advise on other equipment you will need, and we are happy to procure it for you.

All

Students will be required periodically to purchase materials and equipment; they can either be purchased by the student, or (most commonly) by the teacher to be reimbursed by the student with a 5% stocking fee; teachers receive a discount on teaching materials that is passed on to students. Students are responsible for bringing all current books and materials to every lesson!

Practicing

     Students are expected to practice at home. This is a crucial part of their musical development. Practicing should become a part of their routine, and it is expected that it be given the same importance as sports practices and other extra-curricular activities. Getting into a practice routine can be a challenge, especially for beginners and—most especially—for young children. In the early stages of a student’s musical education, parental involvement is essential! Try to avoid sending young students off to practice; rather be involved and present until they become self-motivated. This can be a intimidating for parents who have a limited knowledge of music, or of what their child is learning specifically, but don’t be intimidated! Parents are welcome to sit in on lessons to learn along with their children if they wish.* In addition, parents should feel free to contact the teacher throughout the week with any questions they or the student might have—it’s better than waiting a week or getting frustrated. Students will be sent home each week with a practice sheet, outlining what they learned in their lesson and giving them their assignment for the upcoming week. It is important to remember that while piano requires dedication, it should also be fun and rewarding. The goal is to push and challenge the student, but only so far as they can feel balanced and healthy. Please do not hesitate to communicate with any questions regarding students’ workload or other concerns. There are also lots of creative ways to encourage students to practice, see your teacher for ideas! (Tip jars are among our personal favorites)

*Subject to recommendation of teacher. Some students learn better without parent present. Your teacher will stay in open communication with you.

Musicianship week*

Every quarter, there will be a musicianship week, during which students attend group classes instead of regular lessons. Group classes are 45 or 60 minutes in length depending on age and level, and address music theory, history, ear training, performance practice, and more! Classes are a fun way to address musical concepts in depth through games and team work, and to build community in our studio. Group classes are mandatory and cannot be made up. There will be at least one group class offered at various times throughout the week, students may sign up for any class that works with their schedule and fits the recommendation of the teacher for age and level. We will send out reminders and a link for sign-ups, as well as class recommendations. Students can sign up for classes using our scheduling service. Exceptions may be made at first for brand new or very young students at the discretion of the teacher.

Cancellation/missed lesson policy

• Refunds and credits will not be offered for cancelled lessons/missed lessons that are ineligible for make-ups. 

• Students will be allowed no more than two make-up lessons per quarter for lessons canceled by the student/parent, and may not accumulate more than two outstanding make-ups at once. Quarters begin September 1st, and on the 1st of every 3rd month after that. This policy will apply for September through May of this coming school year (2023-2024). We're working on a new policy for summer attendance to allow for more flexibility, and will announce it ASAP.

• 24 hrs’ notice is required for a canceled lesson to receive a make-up. If a lesson is canceled by the student, and the student already has 2 outstanding make-ups, another make-up will not be allotted, even if 24 hours’ notice is given. 

• If you need to miss a lesson, please provide written notice. A text message or email is fine, you can communicate directly with your teacher, or with Kara if your teacher can’t be reached. Written notice is required for a lesson to be eligible for a make-up.

• Make-ups are to be scheduled within 3 months or they will expire. It is the students/parents’ responsibility to schedule make-ups through our scheduler, or by arrangement with your teacher or Kara Atkinson.

• If a teacher needs to cancel a lesson, a substitute will be provided whenever possible. If a substitute is unavailable, a make-up will be scheduled and an exception may be made to the make-up limit if necessary. Students/parents will be notified of a substitute teacher as early as possible.

• Students who are severely ill or experiencing an emergency who have reached their make-up cap will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

• Students must stay home if they are ill (including the most contagious stage of a cold!)— music schools are a great place to spread colds and flu! If a student has not attended school the day of their lesson, they may not come to their lesson. Students must be fever-free (anything over 99 degrees constitutes a fever) for 24 hours before coming to lessons. If they are experiencing symptoms but feel well enough, we encourage them to attend an online lesson. Please consult with your teacher for details, and their preferred platform. Students who come when sick may be sent home without a make-up, at the sole discretion of the teacher and/or owner.

• Students who have a positive Covid test must be able to present a negative Covid test before returning to lessons if less than two weeks have passed since their positive test.

• We understand that coughs can linger long after fevers and other symptoms have gone away. Your teacher may require that the student and/or anyone present in the teaching room wear a mask. Masks can be provided when needed. Hand sanitizer is available in the lobby. Online lessons are available for students with symptoms that feel well enough to attend lessons. Thank you for protecting the health of our teachers and their families!

• Musicianship weeks are full of availability for make-up lessons; the schedule is also regularly updated with teacher's availability as students reschedule lessons, so make sure to check regularly for openings.

• If you have questions related to scheduling, your make-up count or expiration date, etc, please contact Kara Atkinson.

About this policy

Make-up lessons are unique to music lessons. Make-ups are not provided for missed sports practices or other classes, even considering illness, emergencies, etc. Because your music lesson is only once a week (compared to daily 2-hour sports practices!), it is all the more important that we maintain consistency for the benefit of the student. We understand that life happens and some flexibility is necessary! However, if you are needing to miss more than one lesson every 6 weeks, this becomes detrimental to the learning process, and unsustainable for our teachers’ schedules, and is a good opportunity to consider what the student is learning about commitment to learning a skill or craft, or your own ability to commit as an adult student. In this busy, anxious, overscheduled world, the act of making music and developing this craft requires time, presence, and commitment. Many schools do not offer make-ups or credits at all. We want to strike a balance between flexibility and consistency. Vacations, special events, and illness do happen. When it comes to sports, plays, and other activities, please consider the impact this has on your student’s music education, when we as teachers have only one short window in the whole week to guide them before sending them off to practice on their own!

Substitute Teachers

Part of Heart Beats' mission is to provide a positive work environment for our teachers, and this includes providing them with sick time. If your teacher is out sick, you will be provided with a subtitute whenever possible. This is not optional, as this allows our teachers to take them time they need to get well without worrying about scheduling extra hours. It is also a great opportunity for students to be exposed to other teachers, and its a wonderful experience for teachers as well--it helps us all grow! If a substitute is available at your regular time and you opt not to attend, you will not receive a make-up. If a substitute is unavailable, your lesson will be made up.

Termination of lessons

Any student wishing to terminate lessons must give 30 days’ written notice. Whether or not student continues lessons from the date of notice, no refunds will be offered for partial months, and pro-rated charges for upcoming billing cycles falling within the 30 days will be assessed. Tuition and pro-rated tuition charges will remain constant regardless of whether the month of cancellation has 4 or 5 lessons. This helps us protect teachers from sudden loss of income. No exceptions. This policy also applies to stopping one instrument, or one sibling, etc. Please submit written notice to info@heartbeatsmusicschool.com

Recitals*

Recitals will be held three times a year, in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. Dates will be announced in the fall and students are required to participate (don’t worry—we make it a fun, compassionate, supporting atmosphere!). All family and friends are welcome to come support students in recitals. Families may be asked to bring either snacks or drinks. Students are required to follow our dress code for the occasion.

*Recitals are optional for students aged 19 or older; Musicianship week does not apply do students aged 19 or older.