Studio Policies

Studio policies are in place to support consistency and fairness among all students and to protect our professional and personal time. Thank you for respecting them!

Tuition

Monthly tuition is calculated based on an average of four weekly lessons per month over the 10-month school year (September through June). Please note that a 10-month commitment is not required; rather, students are asked to commit on a monthly basis. Depending on how the calendar falls, some months will have more lessons than others. Over the course of the 10-month school year (with holidays and breaks included), students will average four lessons per month (approx. 40 lessons total from September-June; see the studio calendar for details). Tuition remains the same each month of the 10-month school year. Tuition will be prorated for students who enroll mid-month. Tuition rates are as follows:

  • 30-minute weekly lessons: $192/month

  • 45-minute weekly lessons: $282/month

  • 60-minute weekly lessons: $354/month

If you are in need of financial assistance, music scholarships are available. Please visit musicwings.org for more information or to apply for a scholarship.

Payment Policy and Methods

Tuition is due by the first of the month. You’ll receive an email invoice for the upcoming month approximately one week before it is due. A $35 late fee will be applied to payments made after the 15th of the month. Repeated late payments will result in the ending of lessons. All tuition fees are non-refundable. Payments may be made via AutoPay (ACH Debit), bank transfer via QuickBooks invoicing, Zelle, check (payable to Little Bird Music, Inc) or cash. A $35 fee will be charged for each returned check.

Makeup Lesson Policy

Monthly tuition reserves a weekly spot for each student. As a general rule of thumb, there are no guaranteed makeups or refunds for any missed lessons. However, if a student plans to miss a lesson and ample advanced notice is given (at least two weeks), we will do our best to reschedule at a mutually convenient time for teacher and student within 30 days of the missed lesson (after 30 days the makeup becomes void). Each student is offered one sick day makeup per school year; it is the parent’s responsibility to contact the teacher about rescheduling a sick day within 30 days of the missed lesson. All other last-minute cancellations or no-shows will not be made up. Any lessons canceled due to extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, emergencies, or the unlikely event of teacher cancellation will be rescheduled by June of that teaching year. Makeup lessons do not extend into the summer session.

Holidays, Breaks, and Summer Session

The studio will be closed and no tuition will be charged on the holidays/dates below. Please see the 2024-25 studio calendar for specific dates and other important events.

  • Labor Day

  • Thanksgiving Day, the Wednesday before and the Friday after

  • Winter/December Break

  • President’s Day in February

  • Spring Break in April

  • Memorial Day

  • Two weeks during the summer (TBD)

Lessons will continue on other federal holidays (Veteran’s Day, MLK Day, Juneteenth) and during fall break. Tuition is still due even if students leave for vacation (please see the makeup lesson policy above). Some students take the summer off from lessons. However, a modified summer session or drop-in lessons are available in July and August. To secure a spot in the fall, a non-refundable enrollment deposit for the following school year is due July 1.

Ending Lessons

If a student wishes to end lessons, the student or the parent is asked to give written notification to the director two weeks before the next tuition installment is due. Failure to do so will result in payment for the following month. Little Bird Music retains the right to end lessons with a student if the relationship is unworkable or for lack of meaningful progress. The teacher or director will communicate any problems to the student or parent in advance. However, if the teacher or director thinks it is best to end lessons, two weeks’ notice will be given in writing to the student or parent.

Student Expectations

Our goal at Little Bird Music is to provide a joyful and encouraging environment for productive learning. In order to do so, students are kindly asked to follow this set of guidelines:

  • Please arrive to lessons on time or, if virtual, settle in at the piano a few minutes before each lesson and be ready to log into or answer the video call at our scheduled time. Any missed time due to lateness will not be made up.

  • Please come to each lesson with your music books or, if virtual, be prepared with books opened to our songs and a pencil, eraser, notebook, and post-its or bookmark tabs ready to go.

  • If virtual, please make sure that the camera is adjusted so you and your hands can be readily seen.

  • Make a small window of time to practice each day (10 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the level of the student). Our lesson time together is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning. Meaningful progress can only occur if the student actively practices each day. If a situation should occur to prevent practice, please communicate this to the teacher.

  • A studio recital is given twice a year, and every student is highly encouraged to participate.

  • Most importantly, have fun! After all, the mission of Little Bird Music is to help students cultivate a lifelong love of music and learning.

Parent Expectations

To ensure optimal learning results for students, parents are kindly asked to follow this set of guidelines:

  • Create a gentle structure or routine that encourages your child to play each day.

  • Parental involvement for students under the age of seven is strongly recommended. Younger students usually have a more positive learning experience if parents actively (and lovingly) participate in practicing with the student 10-15 minutes each day.

  • It’s important that parents and students have a clear understanding of what’s expected before the next lesson and help keep students accountable in gentle, loving ways. Weekly assignments will be posted via Practice Space (see below). Please check the app regularly.

  • Students and parents will have free access to Practice Space, a music education app customized for Little Bird Music. Students can use the app to access weekly assignments, as well as recordings, videos, voice memos, and written notes from the teacher. Students have the option to practice with the app, track their progress, and earn motivational rewards. Students can also send the teacher recordings, ask questions, and receive personal feedback between lessons.

  • Please provide an acoustic piano or keyboard for your child. Set it up in a space that encourages playing (i.e. in the living room rather than the basement!).

  • Please be on time when dropping off/picking up the student to/from lessons and make sure your student has their music books. If virtual, please be ready to log into or answer the video call at our scheduled time and help your child settle in at the piano with books, pencil, and bookmark tabs beforehand. It’s important to ease into a focused learning mindset. If there’s a lot of activity in the background, please think about ways to minimize distractions during virtual lessons.

  • Parents are responsible for purchasing new music books at the teacher’s recommendation.

  • Kindly inform the teacher/director in writing (text or email) if you are unable to attend a lesson. Makeup lessons will only be considered with ample advanced notice (at least two weeks). Repeated no-shows with no communication will result in the ending of lessons.

  • If your child is ill (fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, other G.I. symptoms), please keep your child home from in-person lessons and notify the teacher/director by text or email ASAP. Sick students are always welcome to switch to virtual. During the school year, each student is offered one sick day makeup at a mutually convenient time for teacher and student within 30 days of the missed lesson. It is the parent’s responsibility to contact the teacher/director about rescheduling a sick day.

  • Please inform the teacher if your student has any conditions or learning differences of which we should be aware so we can best accommodate your student within the scope of our skill set and expertise. 

  • Should certain circumstances arise (i.e. the child does not wish to practice or seems to be losing motivation), the parent will communicate the situation to the teacher in a timely manner. Likewise, the teacher will communicate feedback to the parent about student progress, level of interest, and continued motivation.

  • Please remind your child that polite/respectful behavior is expected during lessons. It’s a good idea to make sure students are fed, dressed nicely (even for virtual!), focused, prepared, and ready to learn. Disruptive or disrespectful behavior will be handled first by communication with the student directly, then, if unresolved, with the parent. If a situation continues and communication fails to resolve the problem, the teacher may consider ending lessons.

  • Virtual lessons are always an option if a student is sick, if traffic or weather prevent access to the studio, or if it’s simply more convenient. Please text your teacher/director to pivot from in-person to virtual.

Other Policies

  • Please accompany your young child to and from the outdoor studio entrance. The studio parking lot is busy and not a safe place for children to walk unaccompanied. In the wintertime, snow shed off the roof is a concern, so please be aware of hazards as you enter and exit the building.

  • The building is outfitted with fire alarms, extinguishers, and first aid kits. In the event of an emergency and building evacuation, student(s) and teacher will meet in the Z Marketplace parking lot and walk to either: Trout Creek Recreation Center (12790 Northwoods Blvd.) or The Lodge Restaurant and Pub (12850 Northwoods Blvd.).

  • Parents/guardians of students under the age of 18 must be either present on the premises or 100% available via cell phone contact for the duration of each lesson.

  • If a relative, nanny, or friend unknown by the teacher is to pick up the student(s), the parent/guardian must inform the teacher in advance of individuals authorized for pick up.

  • Please keep sick students home. Virtual is always an option.

  • Parents and siblings are kindly asked to wait outside, in the car, or in the designated waiting area during lessons.

    • If another student is in a lesson, please wait either outside the studio door or quietly in the waiting area until the lesson is completed. The teacher will come out to get the student when ready for the lesson.

    • Parents are respectfully asked to refrain from interrupting the teacher during studio lessons. This ensures the most productive one-on-one learning time between teacher and student. The teacher will take a few moments after the lesson to give the parent a brief recap of the session.

Summer Camp Policies

Payment Policy and Methods
To secure a summer camp spot, a $150 deposit is due on May 1. The remaining balance is due on July 1. All deposit and tuition fees are non-refundable. Payments may be made via AutoPay (ACH Debit), bank transfer via QuickBooks invoicing, Zelle, check (payable to Little Bird Music, Inc) or cash. A $35 fee will be charged for each returned check.

Booking and Cancellation Policy
The deposit reserves space, time, and staffing. Cancellations must be made prior to June 15, otherwise the remaining balance must be paid by July 1. Should bad weather or smoke interfere with outdoor activities, we will shift indoors with air purifiers. In the extremely rare event the camp is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. wildfire evacuation), we will make every effort to make up the time later in the summer. If this is not possible, students will receive a full camp credit for the following year.

 Little Bird Music is grateful to work with your family! Thank you for making music a part of your life.