Lesson Studio Policies

Updated & Effective 8/2/24

Continuing to take lessons with me implies that you have read and understand this list of policies, and you agree to follow them.

Scheduling & Communication

All lessons need to be scheduled before the day on which they will occur. I reserve the right to have my teaching schedule set by the evening before I travel to a school. As a matter of courtesy, please do not assume I am available at a given time, or that I can stay at a school longer than planned to accommodate your schedule.

If you want to guarantee a lesson time, email me so that I have a written, searchable record of our conversation. I also use email for any mass studio emails as well as invoices, so please check yours at least once in a while.

Attendance

If a student is late to a lesson (in person or virtually) by 1/3rd of the scheduled duration or more, the lesson is considered cancelled and the time becomes my own again. For virtual lessons, if you’re having problems connecting or need the link at the last minute, send me an email or a text - I’m happy to help as much as I can.

Arriving to a lesson without necessary equipment is also considered a last minute cancellation. I can accommodate missing music (sight reading practice!) but it’s impossible to conduct a lesson without an instrument and mouthpiece. The only exceptions for this will be in situations where students are not fully responsible for instrument availability, such as using a school instrument.

To get the most out of lessons, please arrive with enough time to assemble your instrument and deal with any minor maintenance (lubricating slides, oiling valves) before the start of the lesson. Lesson time is ideally spent working on music, though if a student is having an issue with their instrument that I can help with I’m happy to take a look.

Sometimes I run into issues getting to one of my suburban locations (whether traffic or public transportation failure). If I start a lesson more than 5 minutes late and there isn’t a way to meet for the full amount of time, a 30 minute lesson becomes free, and longer lesson times will be downgraded according to however much time remains in the schedule.

Cancellations

You’re always free to cancel any number of lessons, though remember that regular lesson attendance will lead to significantly more progress. Any cancellations or time changes must be made by 8 PM the night before the lesson to be cancelled, or lesson will still be charged. The only exceptions will be for sudden illnesses, family emergencies, or weather related incidents such as snow days.

Payments 

I accept payment either at the time of the lesson, or I can send an invoice after all lessons for the month have finished. If you opt for invoices, you’ll have 4 weeks to pay from when the invoice is sent. I strongly prefer electronic payments, though cash and check are also acceptable. My Zelle and PayPal accounts are connected to my email address, and my Venmo account is @joshtorrey. Contact me at any time if you’d like to see records of when I’ve met with your student.

If you are receiving invoices, more than one overdue invoice will result in lessons being suspended. If you are paying at the time of time of the lesson, more than 2 unpaid lessons will result in lessons being suspended. Lessons can be restarted once payment in full is made. In some cases this may result in being placed on a waiting list before lessons can resume. I reserve the right to discontinue lessons permanently if a pattern of nonpayment is established.