Program & Policies

Lesson Options

In-person and online lessons are both options, or a hybrid combination. Considerations when weighing the options can be found HERE.

Lessons and Performances

– The year is divided into 4 terms as follows:

Fall Term- Sep through Nov
Winter Term – Dec through Feb
Spring Term – Mar through May
Summer Term – Jun through Aug

– Lessons are scheduled weekly except during vacations.

– There are no lessons during Fall Break, Thanksgiving Week, Christmas/Winter Vacation, Spring Break. I DO teach Labor Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day and other school conference or collaboration days.

– I may take up to four weeks of additional vacation time off, one week during Fall Term, one week during Spring Term and two weeks during summer term.

– Excluding vacation weeks, there are 11 teaching weeks per term.

Tuition & Fees

30-min lessons – $318 per term or $106 per month

45-min lessons – $420 per term or $140 per month

– Tuition for additional students in the same immediate family is discounted by 5%

30-min lessons – $302 per term or $100 per month

– Payments may be made by cash, check, Paypal or Venmo.

– Since the amount due each month is the same, I will not send out monthly statements unless there is a past due balance or money owed for books.

– A $20/month surcharge will be added to tuition balances carried over into the next month or for checks returned for insufficient funds.

– Tuition is due as long as a student is enrolled whether or not that student attends lessons because as long as the student is enrolled I cannot give that time slot to anybody else.

– Tuition covers:

Private lessons
Development of teaching materials and trips to the music store
Recitals
Music lending library
Professional organization memberships to enhance teaching skills
Tuning and care of pianos
Time spent in communicating with parents
Continuing education
My expertise and experience

Attendance & Cancellations

– Students commit to piano lessons for an entire term unless they move out of town. I will assume continual enrollment unless I am notified otherwise. Should a student choose to not take piano lessons during a particular term he is not guaranteed a time slot when he is ready to resume.

– Because regular attendance is essential to musical growth, a commitment to attend all lessons except in a real emergency is expected.

– Students should arrive no more than 5 minutes early and leave promptly at the conclusion of the lesson. I cannot be responsible for a student once the lesson is over.

– Lessons cancelled by the student are not made up. Instead I use the time in the student’s interest, i.e. looking at new music, studying or practicing, any effort to make myself a better teacher. If the student is sick but well enough to play the piano, an online lesson is a possibility. Online lessons are also possible for students who are out of town for extended period.

– I DO plan on teaching on Poudre School District snow days, but it is up to parents to decide whether or not to come. I do not make up lessons missed because of weather conditions.

– Summer Term lessons may be rescheduled with advance notice. However, I do not “owe” students lessons missed because they were out of town, forgot, were hiking, etc.

– If a student knows in advance that he needs to miss a lesson, he may be able to swap lesson times with another student. I provide a swap list for those who make their contact information and lesson time available.

– Swap List rules:

1. All swaps must be arranged Parent to Parent.
2. The parent who initiated the swap is responsible to email me to let me know the plan.
3. If someone forgets and two students show up for the same lesson time I give priority according to the notification I received.
4. The swap list is never to be used for any other purpose.
5. Please try to be accommodating. It may be you who needs to swap lessons next time.

Materials

– For Private Lessons each student needs a 3-ring binder for assignment sheets, note-reading pages, great composer pieces, etc. The binder should be brought to all lessons.

– All materials should be brought in a bag specifically for piano lessons. It helps everything to get to each lesson.

– If a student arrives at their lesson without their music, I will not give nor make up the lesson.

– More advanced students, especially those in high school, need a metronome. A metronome app on their phone is fine.

– If you have music at home please put a list of it with the approximate level in the student’s binder. Let me take a look at it if you are unsure of the level of difficulty. We may be able to use some of that music.

– Music for the student’s use will be purchased as I see the need and a bill will be sent to the parents for reimbursement at the end of each term. Additionally I encourage parents to take their child to the music store periodically to select music that he would like to play. There are also many piano pieces, both classical and popular, available on the internet for free or at low cost.

– Music will often be sent to students as email attachments. Print it out immediately and put it in the student’s binder. This music is all either in the public domain, i.e. music written by classical composers, or it is freely available on the internet, or it is a copy of hard-copy music in my possession which the student is “borrowing”. Music in the latter category should be deleted as soon as the student is finished with it.

– Students borrow music from my library, especially when we are doing piano duets. Please take care of my music so that future students will have the opportunity to use it. And if you have music at your house with my name on it, please return it to me.

– It is important that students have a well-tuned, well-maintained acoustic piano on which to practice. Electronic keyboards are NOT pianos! The sound is different as is the touch, the action, the expressive ability, the way the pedal works, etc. Do what you can to provide a good instrument for your child in order to not limit progress.

Adult Students

Adults students are special. I enjoy working with them and want to encourage them to continue (or start) their piano study. I will be as flexible as possible with adults, allowing them to determine the frequency of their lessons and the music they will study according to their personal goals and life situation. The fee for adults is $45 per lesson and most lessons last 45 min. Adults are not required to perform in recitals but, of course, are welcome to do so.

Other Details

– Students need to keep their fingernails trimmed. If you hear clicking on the keys or can’t play on your fingertips, your nails are too long.

– Students should wash their hands before beginning their piano lesson.

– Parents are welcome to remain during their child’s lesson. However, younger siblings are not allowed to be noisy or run through the house.

– If sibling students come together they need to bring a quiet activity to do while they are waiting.

– Food is not allowed except in the kitchen.

– It is impossible to learn to play the piano well without regular, consistent practice, no matter how smart and talented the student is. Please help your child schedule their piano practicing. If it means turning off the TV, making a job chart, bribing them, do that. Help them to succeed. Being able to play the piano well will enrich their life always.

Contacting Me

You can contact me by phone or text at 801-717-5571, but I never answer while I am teaching. Easier is emailing at sladepiano@gmail.com. Please give me a parent’s email address and cell phone number that I may use to communicate with you.

Click here to access and complete the Agreement to enroll a student.