Studio Policies and Fees - Updated December, 2023

1. Lesson Scheduling: The student will meet with the instructor weekly.
Recommended length of lesson is as follows: 

• Beginners (ages 5-9): 30 min
• Intermediate (ages 10+): 45 min
• Intermediate-Advanced: 60 min. 


NOTE: Tardiness is deducted from your lesson time.
 Lesson time includes set up and pack up time. 

2. Tuition: Lesson fees are configured on 48 lessons annually (4 lessons per month on average). 

*Please note that the fee covers the weekly scheduled time slot for the student. 

     -60-minute lessons $240/month

     - 45-minute lessons $180/month

     - 30-minute lessons $120/month

 Recital fees will be invoiced separately. 

• Tuition is due by the 1st of every month. 
• Failure to pay lesson tuition by the 7^thof the month will result in a $20 late fee. 
• Tuition is due whether the student attends the lesson or not. 
• No refunds will be given for cancellations. 
• Make-up tokens are issued ONLY when 24hr notice is received and must be scheduled within 14 days of the missed lesson.

Electronic payment methods are preferred. Please choose from the following options:
      a) Electronically through your emailed invoice via Stripe (Credit Card)
      b) Personal or Bank Issued CHECK made out to “Muller Flute Studio”. Can be handed in or mailed to the studio address (pre-scheduled to arrive on the 1st of each month).

      c) Cash

      d) Venmo @angelamuller

3. Discontinuation/Dismissal: 

If the student or parent decides to discontinue lessons, 30 days notice is required OR the equivalent payment must be made.
The instructor reserves the right to dismiss any student who cannot or will not practice consistently or whose behavior/attitude is not conducive to progress. Students may be dismissed for continually being unprepared, for showing disrespect to the instructor/learning process, or for other reasons. A probationary period is given in most cases, following a consultation with the parent.

4. Missed Lesson Policy:
-Lessons missed by the student, for any reason, will not be refunded. 

-Students are granted make-up tokens as long as 24hrs notice is given. All make-ups must be scheduled within two weeks of the missed lesson.

- Any UNSCHEDULED make-up credits on file will expire after 14 days.

-Lessons missed by the teacher WILL be made up, but will not be refunded (Does not apply to holiday closures).

-Lesson Swapping with another student is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED when there is a pre-planned absence. Contact info and lesson times for students can be accessed through the website after log-in.

-A make-up lesson is defined as an additionally scheduled lesson, not a credit/discount towards future lessons. If more than 2 lessons are missed in a row, the student may be dropped from the roster.

   *For explanation on why this policy is in place, please see the article below “Make up Lessons from an Economist’s Point of View”.

Rescheduling Options:

• Lesson Swap: Whenever conflicts arise, students should try to switch lesson times with another student. Log-in to the studio website (mullerflutestudio.com) and click on the “teaching schedule” tab. Select a day and time, then contact the student and request to swap lessons for that week.
• Reschedule for unplanned absences: When there is a cancellation, that spot is usually opened up for make-ups. To access the current availability for make-up lessons, Log-in to the studio website (mullerflutestudio.com) and click on the “Calendar” tab. Register yourself directly on the date/time of availability. (Remember that make-up credits expire in 14 days if left unscheduled).

• Make-up Lesson Dates:  Login to the website and click the "calendar" for available days and times. There will NOT be make-up tokens issued for holiday closures. These closures do not affect the number of annual lessons (48) students receive.

2023-2024 Holiday Closure Calendar

The studio is closed on the following dates. There will be no make-up tokens granted for lessons that fall on these days, however, there are no extra charges for months where 5 weeks occur. Each student, regardless of day, will receive 48 lessons per year (4 lessons per month on average).

July 4th - Independence Day  

September - Labor Day 

October - Halloween  

November 11th - Veterans Day

November - Thanksgiving Holiday  (Wednesday-Friday)

December - Christmas Holiday (7 days)

December 31st - New Year's Eve  

January 1st - New Year's Day  

January (last week) - FL Flute Association Convention

February - President's Day (Monday)

March (3^rd week) - Spring Break (FLVS)

May - Memorial Day (Monday)

5. Parent/ Guardian Responsibilities: 

The parent should:

• Ensure student's attendance by providing transportation (or internet for online): The student's attendance at all scheduled lessons and recitals is necessary for continued progress. Parents must arrange their schedules accordingly to ensure the student arrives on time for each lesson.
• Pay lesson fees on time
• Assist in scheduling make-up lessons
• Communicate in a timely manner
• Provide books and an instrument in the best possible condition:  If maintenance is required on the instrument, this should be done as soon as possible.
• Assist and encourage regular practice: While it is, ultimately, the student's responsibility to practice regularly, parents must actively participate by providing a distraction-free time and place for the student's daily practice, by checking assignments, communicating with the teacher via the student's notebook/online lesson notes, and listening while your child plays for you often. 

You can further help your child's musical development by enrolling them in group classes, piano lessons (for flutists), a school-based ensemble, and by attending musical events together frequently. 



6. Student's Responsibilities: 

The student should:

• Arrive at each lesson on time. Students must communicate with the teacher regarding tardiness or missed lessons (24hrs notice or more).
• Bring all the necessary materials.
• Be well practiced and prepared: He/she must schedule routine, daily practice without distractions and utilize/reference the spiral notebook during practice for refresher on teacher's notes and assignments.

• Schedule all make-up lessons online through the website within 14 days of the missed lesson or tokens will be forfeited.

7. Library: Occasionally, the student may be lent sheet music, pedagogical helpers, or other materials. These materials are checked out, logged in records, and the student marks it in their notebook. These are educational materials and SHOULD NOT BE DUPLICATED unless specified. All materials should be returned at the following week's lesson, unless renewed. Replacement fees will be charged for any items not returned 30 days after the due date. 



8. Recitals: The Spring recital will be held in May. There will be two (2) rehearsals scheduled with the piano accompanist the week or two prior to the recital. The recital fee for students whose pieces require accompaniment is $70.00 – (this fee includes the facility/program fee). A facility/program fee of $30.00 for all others. This fee assists with costs related to venue, equipment, program printing, recital reception, etc. All students are EXPECTED to participate in studio recitals. Additionally, students are strongly encouraged to participate in other festivals and competitions (Solo & Ensemble, All-State, Honor Bands, FFA honors flute choir, FFA competitions, scholarship competitions, JYSO, etc.).

*Make-up Lessons From An Economist’s Point of View

   "I’m a parent of children enrolled in Suzuki music lessons. I’d like to explain to other parents why I feel – quite strongly, actually – that it is unreasonable of we parents to expect our teachers to make up lessons we miss, even if I know as well as they do just how expensive lessons are, and, equally importantly, how important that weekly contact is with the teacher to keeping practicing ticking along smoothly. I think that it is natural for we parents to share the point of view that students should have their missed lessons rescheduled, but if we were to ‘walk a mile’ in our teachers’ shoes, we might change our minds about what it is reasonable for us to expect of our teachers.
Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. In my mind, what this means is that I have reserved a regular spot in the busy schedules of my sons’ teachers. I understand – fully – that if I can’t make it to the lesson one week (perhaps my son is sick, or we are away on holiday, or there is some other major event at school) then we will pay for the lesson, but that my teacher is under no obligation to find another spot for me that week, or to refund me for the untaught lesson. And this is the way it should be.
In my ‘other life’ I am an economist and teach at our local university. Students pay good money to attend classes at the university; but if they don’t come to my lecture on a Monday morning, then I am not going to turn around and deliver them a private tutorial on Tuesday afternoon. When I go to the store and buy groceries, I may purchase something that doesn’t get used. Days or months later, I end up throwing it out. I don’t get a refund from the grocery store for the unused merchandise. If I sign my child up for swimming lessons at the local pool, and s/he refuses to return after the first lesson, I can’t get my money back. So there are lots of situations in our everyday lives where we regularly pay in advance for goods or some service, and if we end up not using what we have purchased, we have to just ‘swallow our losses’. On the other hand, if I purchase an item of clothing, and get home and change my mind, I can take it back and expect either a refund or a store credit.
   So why do I believe that music lessons fall into the first category of ‘non-returnable merchandise’, rather than into the second case of ‘exchange privileges unlimited’ (which I think is one of the advertising slogans of an established women’s clothing store!)? Speaking now as an economist, I would claim that the reason is that items like clothing are “durable goods’ – meaning, they can be returned and then resold at the original price – whereas music lessons are non-durable goods – meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:30 is gone, my son’s teacher can’t turn around and sell it again. The only way she would be able to give him a lesson later in the week would be if she were to give up time that she had scheduled for her own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable – I can’t think of many employees who would be thrilled if their bosses were to announce that they couldn’t work from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, but would they please stay until 6:30 on Thursday, because there will be work for them then!
   Many teachers hesitate to refuse our request to shift lesson times (because our busy schedules do change), because unless they keep us parents happy, we will decide to take our child somewhere else for lessons (or to drop musical study), and they will lose part of their income. This is particularly true in areas with lower average income, where it can be particularly difficult to find students. So rather than telling us that ‘well, actually, the only time when I’m not teaching and that you can bring your son for lesson is during the time I set aside each week to go for a long soul-cleansing walk, and I can’t do that on Monday at 3:30 when you should have turned up’, they agree to teach us at a time that really doesn’t suit their schedule. Teachers who are ‘nice’ in this way often, in the long run, end up exhausted, and feeling exploited; they try to draw a line in the sand. However, too few parents ask to switch only when absolutely necessary, and too many parents want lesson times when it suits them this week, which is not the same time that suited last week. If the conflict arises because my child is in the School play, and they have their dress-rehearsal during his lesson time, then I feel that I must choose between the two activities, and if he attends the dress rehearsal my private lesson teacher doesn’t owe me anything.
   During May, my eldest son will be missing three lessons because he is going to accompany me on a trip to New Zealand to visit his great-grandparents. I do not expect my son’s teacher to refund me for those missed lessons, or to reschedule them by ‘doubling up’ lessons in the weeks before or after our departure. Since there will be lots of advanced notice, I might ask her to consider preparing a special ‘practice tape’ for that period, or to answer my questions via e-mail, but if she doesn’t have the time (the second half of April is going to be really busy for her, and she wouldn’t be able to do the tape until more or less the week we left) and so has to refuse, then that’s fine. I certainly don’t expect her to credit me with three make-up lessons; there is no way for her to find a student to fill a three-week hole in her schedule during our absence. Instead, I hope that she will enjoy the extra hour of rest during those three weeks, and that we will all feel renewed enthusiasm when we return to lessons at the end of the trip."

              Article Copyright © 2001                                                                         -Vicky Barham