Studio Policies

1. Attendance & Scheduling

Arrive on time and prepared for lessons with all materials needed.

A. Cancellations

Lessons may be canceled through your MyMusicStaff account with at least 24 hours' notice. If something truly last-minute comes up, please text me.

Students
Because your lesson fee reserves a weekly spot just for you, payments are not lowered or refunded for missed lessons. That said, I do offer make-up lesson credits when cancellations are made with sufficient notice (details below).

Teacher
If I need to cancel a lesson, the lesson fee will be credited to your account for the following month.

B. Studio Closures

The studio is closed on select holidays and occasional days throughout the year. No payment is due for dates when the studio is closed.

C. Make-up Lessons

Your lesson fee holds your assigned day and time each week on the Portland Piano Lessons schedule.

If you cancel a lesson at least 24 hours in advance, a make-up lesson credit will be added to your account.

A few important notes:

• Make-up credits have no cash value
• Credits expire two months from the issue date, or on the date of your final scheduled lesson, whichever comes first
• Scheduling make-ups is the student's responsibility and is done through MyMusicStaff
• Available make-up spots are limited (up to two per week)

2. Payments & Fees

A. Timing

Monthly lesson payments are due by the 1st of each month. This secures your weekly lesson time.

B. Fees

• A 5% late fee is applied to payments received after the 5th.
• Materials are billed separately as needed and will appear on the following month's invoice.
• Scheduling support fees — these fees help cover administrative time when I manage scheduling on your behalf:
  • $5 per cancellation
  • $5 per make-up lesson (You're always welcome to handle scheduling yourself in mymusicstaff.com at no charge.)

C. Payment Methods

• Venmo
• Checks made payable to Sarah Collins

3. Materials & Setup

A comfortable, well-prepared setup makes a big difference. Here's what students need:

A. For all students

• An acoustic piano (uprights are ideal) or a keyboard with 88 fully weighted keys
• Pedal extender if feet don't yet reach the pedals
• A quiet, well-lit space with minimal distractions
• Lesson books (recommended by me based on age and level)
• A notebook for ideas, questions, and assignments
• A pencil (musicians are very serious about pencils :) )
• A device for FaceTime or Google Meet with an adjustable stand
• A water bottle

B. Assignments & music

• A plan for receiving assignments:
  • Kids often do best with printed or written assignments
  • Adults often prefer digital notes
• A plan for sheet music: printed or digital — kids almost always need printed

C. Apps & tools

• Faber Piano Adventures App
• MuseScore (optional and mostly for teens and adults)
• Metronome (app or physical)

D. Additional needs

• Composition students: manuscript paper, a laptop or desktop computer, and a Sibelius subscription
• Voice students: a music stand and a mirror

Common questions → FAQ

4. Practice

Please do your best to complete assignments as written each week.

If life gets busy and practice doesn't happen (it happens!), just let me know at the beginning of the lesson so I can adjust our plan. If assignments go unfinished for multiple weeks in a row, we'll talk together about new strategies and expectations that feel more realistic.

5. Communication

Students and parents are responsible for knowing the information I send via email.

I check email on weekdays and can be reached by text for time-sensitive matters. Phone calls are always welcome and can be scheduled by emailing or texting a request. Clear, kind communication matters to me, and I'm always happy to connect.

6. Ending Lessons

Please provide 30 days' notice when you're ready to discontinue lessons. Payment is due during this notice period whether or not lessons are attended.

I understand life changes — clear notice simply allows me to offer the spot to another student.

7. Referrals

If you refer a student who registers and takes lessons for at least one month, you'll receive a $60 lesson credit as a thank-you.