Policies & Pricing
LESSONS COMMITMENT, TERMINATION AND REFUNDS
- Upon enrolling in lessons, we expect students to remain in lessons for a full calendar year to ensure adequate opportunity for progress and growth. However:
- There is no early termination fee.
- Instead, 30 days’ advance notice of discontinuation must be given to your teacher and the director
- No refunds are given for unused lessons if early termination is not communicated 30 days in advance.
LESSON COUNT AND BILLING CYCLE
- Lasts August 3, 2025 through August 1, 2026
- Includes 44 lessons over the course of 12 months
- Cost divided into 12 equal payments from August 3, 2025 through Aug 1, 2026
- Students joining during the school year will have a prorated bill
- Any additional lessons beyond 44 will be billed at the end of July
- Refunds are not offered for less than 44 lessons; however, the summer months are an ideal time to make-up time to reach your minimum.
- You may access the calendar and attendance at any time in MyMusicStaff portal
ANNUAL REGISTRATION (Non-Refundable)
$40 for new students
$30 for returning students
$20 for additional siblings
PRICING STRUCTURE: August 3, 2025 - August 1, 2026
30-Minute Lessons (Early Childhood and Elementary)
44 lessons @ $38 per lesson = Annual Total: $1,760.00
Billed in 12 monthly payments of $139
45-Minute Lessons (Late Elementary through Late Intermediate Students)
44 Lessons @ $52 per lesson = Annual Total: $2,244
Billed in 12 monthly payments of $190
60-Minute Lessons (Intermediate through Advanced Students)
44 Lessons @ $65 per lesson = Annual Total: $2,860
Billed in 12 monthly payments of $238 per month
FAMILY DISCOUNT: When total lesson time exceeds 60 minutes per week, we offer a discount of $5 off per sibling per Lesson (approximately $20/month each)
METHOD OF PAYMENT
- We accept ACH Transfers at no charge to you via Stripe.
- ACH Drafts will be scheduled for the 1st of each month.
- Log in to MyMusicStaff with your credentials to store banking information.
- Your account must be set to AutoPay after initial setup.
- Clients using Credit Card payment will be charged a monthly 3% processing fee.
- We also accept personal checks at no extra cost; however, late fees will be applied on the 4th of each month.
VACATIONS
- Due to the variety of each family's plans, Aspiring Minds does not establish vacation weeks. Parents and Teachers alike must communicate with each other well in advance which weeks they are taking off - up to 8 per year.
- Teachers will not offer lessons on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, or Independence Day, but they may teach lessons any other day that works for you.
- Lessons may or may not be held on Labor/Memorial Days at your discretion, but it is recommended NOT to cancel those lessons unless you have travel plans or already know when that lesson can be made up during one of the 8 "off" weeks.
- Please help track your 44 lessons to ensure you receive them all within a 12 month period. Attendance can be accessed in MyMusicStaff anytime by Parents and Teachers. Teachers and administrators will check them periodically, too.
MAKE-UP CREDITS
- No make-ups are offered for cancellations communicated less than 24 hours in advance, whether for sickness or emergency.
- Absences communicated well in advance may be made up during any of
the 8 "vacation weeks" - Multiple lessons per week or extended lesson lengths for make-up time may only be utilized during June and July, when there is general schedule flexibility.
MAKE-UP EXCEPTIONS
- Teachers may reschedule lessons as needed for professional music engagements or personal family commitments when giving parents at least 1 week’s advance notice about the canceled lesson, which will be made up at a later time.
- We allow Teachers up to 2 Inclement Weather Cancellations which can make driving conditions dangerous. These must be made up, either as Remote/Virtual lessons or as Make-ups during a “vacation” week.
- Emergency cancellations by a teacher must be made up. If there are more than two such cancellations, a parent may request a refund for future cancellations.
SCHEDULING
- Due to the complication of consecutive appointments spread out geographically, there is little flexibility to reschedule lesson times.
- We may request changing your lesson day/time during the year (a) if a much more efficient travel route becomes available, (b) another student has an ongoing schedule conflict arise and we must rearrange.
- Teachers travel far and wide through varying traffic conditions, so we ask for your flexibility in the case that (a) another family cancels and the teacher requests an earlier time slot, or (b) if the teacher arrives a little early/late. You may expect a courtesy text when more than 10 minutes ahead/behind schedule.
- Consistency is important to us; if the teacher is consistently early/late, it probably has more to do with a traffic pattern or travel distance. We'll adjust and communicate the calendar accordingly, so everyone has a consistent expectation.
MATERIALS
Metronome, pencils, a bench for the student, a chair for the teacher, and a music bag or bookshelf to keep materials organized. A notebook or a binder with loose-leaf paper is needed for the teacher or student to write assignments and practice notes.
INSTRUMENT
An acoustic instrument is the best for learning, as the mechanism provides a realistic response relative to technique. This impacts how students hear, feel, remember and connect to the sound. However, a quality digital piano with 88 weighted keys will suffice for lessons and is preferred over a poorly maintained acoustic instrument. Acoustic upright and grand pianos must be tuned annually to maintain their value and advantage.
PRACTICE SPACE
A well-lit area free from distractions will help students concentrate practice time and lessons. Background music and televisions should be off during lessons and practice.
EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS
- An interest in the learning
- Quality practice sessions 5-6 days per week to ensure sufficient progress
- Minimum participation in two performance events per year (one in the first year)
- Respectful towards teachers
EXPECTATIONS FOR PARENTS
- Support and encourage student’s practice routine
- Timely purchase of assigned books
- Effective communication with teachers and admin
- Utilize “Student Portal” feature for MyMusicStaff.com to view calendar, invoices, store payment method and view attendance history
PERFORMANCES
Aspiring Minds holds an annual recital. Additional festivals, competitions, and theory tests are ongoing throughout the year and recommended upon demonstration of proper practice and preparation. Some adjudicated events carry additional registration fees.
COMMUNICATION
- Our preference is using WhatsApp (add 817-680-5221) because group chats are easy to create, organize, respond and update.
