Studio Policies

Teacher Responsibilities

  • Provide a safe learning environment for students and families.
  • Encourage students to feel successful throughout their individual progression.
  • Support each student through their development as a musician and as an individual.
  • Create an environment of hard-work, dedication, and passionate learning.


  

Parental Responsibilities

  • Support, help and encourage children to succeed.
  • Provide an acceptable instrument for the student to practice on daily.
  • Set aside a few minutes each week to observe your child's practicing habits and help them develop good habits.
  • Encourage your child to set aside a regular time to practice daily.
  • Provide a metronome (an app is acceptable), a binder for practice records, and the assigned method and theory books.
  • Kaytie encourages parents to be present for their child’s lessons, especially when first beginning to learn a new instrument, so that the parent can adequately assist the child in practicing throughout the week.
  • Parents, along with the teacher, should be the greatest support system a child has. You play an incredible role in helping your child develop skills that will impact them forever!
  • Communicate with Kaytie any questions or concerns about your child's progress.


  

Student Responsibilities

  • Practice the assigned repertoire daily. It is much more important to Kaytie that a child completes the assigned number of repetitions than to sit at the piano/harp for a specified period of time. Materials assigned in lessons need to be practiced every day in order to move forward the next week.
  • Arrive prepared to work at each lesson, regardless of how prepared you feel!
  • Help Kaytie to nurture a positive and respectful learning environment.
  • Communicate with Kaytie openly about your goals and progress.


  

New Students and Trial Lessons

  • All students are eligible for a complementary meeting with Kaytie, either in person or over zoom.
  • New students may request a one-time 30-minute meeting/trial lesson.
  • Fee for trial lesson: $15 for piano student, $20 for harp student.
  • During this meeting, Kaytie and the student will determine if they are a good fit. Kaytie may suggest other recommendations of teachers in the area, group music classes, other instrument options, etc. depending on the needs of the student. 
  • It is important for each student to feel comfortable with their teacher, and for each teacher to be prepared to teach each student. Kaytie will ensure that recommendations given are ultimately to the student's benefit.


  

Registration and Tuition Fees 

  • A registration fee of $35 per student is to be paid beginning July 1 for the Fall semester and beginning November 1 for the Winter semester. This registration fee holds a spot for the student in Kaytie’s schedule for the upcoming semester. Additionally, scheduling lessons for the semester will be on a first-come-first-serve basis according to the order in which each family submits its registration fee. As a full-time student, Kaytie's schedule is often limited depending on the required courses and orchestra rehearsals she is assigned to each semester. She also knows that life is busy for the families of each of her students. Both her education and her studio are great priorities for Kaytie, and she will do her best to provide optimal lesson times for each of her students as schedules are compared!
  • Kaytie's studio offers three different payment options, chosen at the convenience of the student/family. 
    • Yearly payment (September-April) - $650 per student for piano (30 min), $910 per student for harp (30 min)
      • Payment due by September 1
    • Semester payments (September-December and January-April) - $340 per student per semester for piano (30 min), $475 per student per semester for harp (30 min)
      • Payments due by September 1 and January 1
    • Monthly payments - $100 per student per month for piano (30 min), $140 per student per month for harp (30 min)
      • Payments due at the beginning of each month
    • Semester payments include a 5% increase on the yearly payment, and monthly payments include an 8% increase on the yearly payment
  • Kaytie will discuss tuition separately with families who have made separate arrangements with her (ex. 45/60-minute lessons, etc.), but payments will still always be due in advance.
  • If Kaytie commutes to the student's home, the commute fee (per family per week) will be added up each month and charged at the end of each month.
  • Tuition fees will be reevaluated each July and may be raised due to the rise in inflation. 


 


Group Lessons

  • Group lessons will be held the final full week each month (with the exception of November - see schedule below). Group lessons will take the place of private lessons that week. 
  • Group lessons will last 60 minutes. Please be prompt in dropping off and picking up students for these group lessons as neither Kaytie nor the host family is responsible for watching the children outside of the group lesson hour.
  • The week of group lessons may occasionally be changed to accommodate specific needs (to avoid conflicts with performances, etc.). If this occurs, each family will be notified in advance.
  • The location of group lessons will be determined each semester, but should always take place at a home in the Midway or Heber area.
  • Every student is invited to participate in group lessons, unless other arrangements are discussed between the parent and Kaytie.
  • During lessons, each student will be given the opportunity to perform a song for the other students. Each student will learn to give feedback, learn to mingle and learn with other young students, develop theory and aural skills, and engage in hands-on and intellectually strengthening activities.


 


What does Tuition Cover?

  • An individualized plan for each student's progress
  • Theory books, provided by Kaytie
  • Teaching materials
  • Teacher's training and experience
  • Resources for Winter and Spring Studio Recitals
  • Resources for monthly Group Lessons


  

Cancelled Lessons and Makeup Lessons

  • Kaytie does not offer makeup lessons. 
  • If a conflict arises with the scheduled lesson time, here are a few options of ways that lesson may be made up:
    • The student may send Kaytie a video/Marco Polo recording/etc. of the student’s weekly assignments prior to the lesson time. During the lesson time, Kaytie will watch the video and will send the student feedback on each part of the assignments as well as a detailed list of what to do in the upcoming week. 
    • A lesson may be conducted over zoom (especially in the case of illness).
    • If there are multiple students in one family and only one cannot attend the lesson, the other students may split the time for the third lesson (ex. In a family of three students, two students have a 45-minute lesson instead of the regular 30-minute lesson). That additional 30 minutes may also be used for a theory class for the student(s) who are in attendance. 
    • Other options may be discussed as other ideas are presented!
  • If something in the student’s schedule has changed after a semester begins and they can no longer attend lessons at the initial time, Kaytie will work with the student to reschedule their weekly lessons permanently.
  • Occasionally, Kaytie will have a required performance on a weeknight. She will communicate any conflicts ahead of time and the lessons WILL be reschedule for a different day that week. If no other proposed time works, the student may send a video as previously mentioned so they will still receive feedback and instructions on how to continue practicing in the upcoming week. 
  • If the student’s lesson falls on a holiday (ex. Labor Day, President’s Day, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.) the student may opt for one of the above listed options and send a video in place of the in-person lesson or may opt for a zoom lesson if desired.


  

Late Fees

  • If a payment is not received on time, Kaytie will provide one reminder on the day the payment is due.
  • A late fee of $20 per day per student will be charged, beginning the following day after the payment is due (ex. September 2, January 2).


  

Materials

  • Provided by the parent/student:
    • Method books
      • Kaytie will provide recommended books and links to purchase these books
    • 1" Binder (one per student)
    • Metronome (an app is acceptable)
    • Colored and regular pencils
  • Provided by Kaytie:
    • Instrument for lessons taught in Kaytie's home
      • Ex. Harpists do not need to transport their own instrument for lessons
    • Theory books
    • Other teaching gadgets


  

Lesson Location

  • Kaytie is a traveling instructor and is willing to commute to the home of the student with an additional commute fee as listed below:
    • $5 within 3 miles of Kaytie’s home
    • $10 between 3-10 miles of Kaytie's home
    • $20 to commute 10-30 miles from Kaytie's home
    • Any further distance may be discussed by circumstance
  • The commute fee is per family (regardless of the number of students in each family) and will be charged each week a commute is needed
  • The fee for commuting lessons will be due at the end of each month
  • Kaytie also offers lessons to be taught in her home for no extra fee.


  

Inclement Weather Policy

  • Kaytie has chosen not to commute to homes in the Midway and Heber area during winter months when there is snow and ice on the roads.
  • During these months, students may choose to receive all of their lessons over Zoom, or to commute to Kaytie's home for lessons.
  • Kaytie will resume her commutes to Wasatch County once the roads are consistently safe to travel on.


  

Recitals

  • Students will be given the opportunity to showcase what they have been preparing throughout the semester in two separate recitals.
  • Each student, with assistance from Kaytie, will choose two pieces to learn, memorize, and prepare to perform.
  • Out of courtesy for other performers, please plan to stay for the entirety of the program. 
  • Students learning through the Suzuki Method will also give a "Book Recital" after completion of each book. Those recitals will be scheduled separately.
      

Video/Photo Release

  • Kaytie will occasionally take pictures or videos of students during lessons to help students to remember certain practices and to aid them in their personal practice throughout the week. These pictures/videos will be sent to the student's parent.
  • Kaytie may use these pictures or videos for lessons demonstrations, advertising materials, and/or the studio website. 
  • Online safety protocols are used in these instances (ex. the student's name will never be used and an initial will take its place, such as "K" instead of "Kaytie")
  • If you would not like your child's pictures/videos to be used in any of these public materials, please let Kaytie know at the beginning of the year/semester. She will always respect this privacy.


  

Covid-19/Vaccinations

  • Each student reserves the right to choose to or not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and other viruses.
  • If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please be courteous and let Kaytie know as soon as possible. 
  • Lessons cancelled for COVID or other sicknesses will follow the same rules as listed above. No lesson will be refunded. Zoom lessons are always a great option under these circumstances.