STUDIO POLICY
JUNE 2024 - MAY 2025
BERRY MUSIC STL
♫ BERRY MUSIC STL STUDIO POLICY SESSION 2024-2025
In this policy you will find information about:
♪ PAYMENT/ ATTENDANCE/LATE FEES
♪ STUDIO CALENDAR**DO NOT SKIP THIS PART! NEW CHANGES!!
♪ RESPECTFUL STUDIO GUIDELINES
♪ ILLNESS AND CONSIDERATION
♪ FOOD/BEVERAGES
♪NO-MAKEUP LESSON POLICY
♪ ADDITIONAL FEES
ATTENDANCE/ INVOICING/ PAYMENT
Students who are accepted into the yearly student roster of Berry Music STL under the instruction/coaching of Julie Berry, are part of a YEAR-ROUND MUSIC STUDIO and reserve their lesson time/day from JUNE 2024- MAY 2025
Families reserving their individual spot within this time frame make the commitment to pay their Monthly Installments which pay for a set amount of CHARGED LESSONS which will be received during this timeframe.
Students attend lessons according to their individual schedule given at the start of lessons which is included in their SESSION QUOTE.
WEATHER
If the weather is too dangerous to drive in or you are ill, I will teach via zoom during your regular time. You will receive a text message and the zoom link.
SCHEDULE CONFLICTS
If you have a soccer game, vacation, band concert at school, family gathering etc... and need to miss a lesson, IT IS STILL AS CHARGED LESSON AND NO MAKE-UP WILL BE GIVEN. It is simply a lost lesson due to your conflict.
DISCONTINUING LESSONS
***If a Student chooses to discontinue a 30-day notice is required.
PRACTICE
Students who are privileged enough to have a spot on my roster are encouraged to practice consistently between lessons.
**For more on practice, see my "Teaching Philosophy" page https://berrymusicstl.mymusicstaff.com/TEACHING-PHILOSOPHY--LEARNING-FORMAT
I provide students and parents the tools and support they need to make this possible.
INSTRUMENTS/GEAR
**All students studying the piano need a suitable digital keyboard or acoustic piano. Anything less than 88 weighted keys, bench(at the proper height!), stand, and sustain pedal are NOT suitable for a child or adult to learn proper technique or take their music education seriously.
Children as young as age 3 need this kind of instrument.
If you value your music education and your investment into lessons, this is an absolute must.
I help all of my students and families get the instruments and gear that they need to succeed!
Check out this link for more details!
https://berrymusicstl.mymusicstaff.com/INSTRUMENTS--MOVERS--TECHNICIANS
$$$$ MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS
Your Monthly Installments are paying for a set number of CHARGED LESSONS that occur between JUNE 2024-MAY 2025
The way your Monthly Installment rate is calculated is by taking my set lesson rate which is then multiplied by the number of charged lessons on your specific day of the week and then divided into equal, flat-rate monthly installments.
THERE IS ALSO A $30 ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE UPON ENROLLMENT IN EACH NEW SESSION.
*SEE THE STUDIO CALENDAR LINK WHICH WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU, TO SEE HOW MANY CHARGED LESSON DAYS YOU HAVE.
**There are a certain number of FLEX DAYS applied to each student's schedule. *More details below.
INVOICING TAKES PLACE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH.
PAYMENTS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN THE 20th OF EACH MONTH OR A LATE FEE OF $30 WILL BE ADDED.
You may pay 3 ways:
ZELLE- (NO FEE ADDED) I will get you my specific QR code. (Do NOT send Zelle before having this code!!)
CHECK PAYABLE TO BERRY MUSIC STL BY THE 20th, IN MY HANDS, Not in transit via mail or brought to your lesson that occurs slightly after the 20th or a late fee of $30 will be added.
MMS- My Music Staff Invoicing(FEE ADDED)- You may pay directly through the invoice that I email you each month from my website "My Music Staff", which is serviced by the payment platform, STRIPE. If you opt to pay through the invoice, you will be charged an additional 2.9 % plus .30 cents on each invoice to cover the service fees.
**YOU WILL NEED TO TEXT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WISH TO PAY VIA THE INVOICE DIRECTLY OR ZELLE, OR CHECK SO I KNWO WHETHER OR NOT TO ADD THE SERVICE FEE**
I HIGHLY RECCOMEND TAKING A QUICK SCREEN SHOT OF YOUR PAYMENT.
IF YOU PAY VIA MMS INVOICE AND FORGET TO TELL ME, I WILL ADD THE SERVICE FEE TO YOUR NEXT INVOICE CYLE.
**If you are a new family that joins mid-year, you are charged for the remaining months/weeks/charged lesson days for the remainder of the session**
**All families may pay for the entire year all at once or you may pay in monthly installments.
FLEX DAYS/ DAYS BUILT IN FOR INSTRUCTOR ABSENSE
There are FLEX DAYS built into each day of the week or Saturday on the studio calendar.
FLEX DAYS allow ME to miss a lesson due to sickness or other.
See the studio Calendar to know how many flex days are built into your lesson day. This info is also emailed to you in your SESSION QUOTE.
See the link below to find out more about FLEX DAYS.
https://berrymusicstl.mymusicstaff.com/FLEX-DAYS
♫ RESPECTFUL STUDIO GUIDLINES
♪ PLEASE BE KIND AND RESPECTFUL TO ALL.
♪ TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
♫ PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN
PLEASE WATCH YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN WHILE THEY ARE WAITING QUIETLY IN THE WAITING AREA OUT OF RESPECT FOR MY BELONGINGS AND MY STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO WAIT IN YOUR CAR IF IT IS DIFFICULT FOR YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN TO WAIT QUIETLY AND RESPECTFULLY IN THE WAITING AREA
BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 3:00-5:00 I NEED TO ASK FAMILIES IN WAITING AREA TO TALK QUIETLY FOR OUR NEIGHBORING BUSINESS FRIENDS.
WE ARE WORKING ON SOUND-PROOFING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
PLEASE CHECK THE RESTROOM AFTER YOUR CHILD USES IT TO ENSURE IT IS PRESENTABLE FOR THE OTHER BUISNESS WE ALSO SHARE THIS COMMUNITY AREA WITH. (Make sure toilet is flushed, clean all spills, wipe off the counter with a paper towel).
I want to make sure we leave it better than we found it in order to be respectful of the others who also use it.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
ILLNESS
PLEASE DO NOT WALK INTO THE BUILDING WITH SICKNESS! IT IS VERY DISRESPECTFUL AND INCONSIDERATE TO THE MANY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF MY STUDIO AND MYSELF TO SHARE YOUR VIRUS WITH US.
Please do not enter the building if ANYONE in your home or in close proximity to you at work or school, has had a virus, sickness, showing symptoms, or is contagious within a 5-7 day period.
THIS INCLUDES AND IS NOT LIMITED TO COLD, FLU, STOMACH VIRUS, STREP THROAT, PINK EYE, LICE, COVID 19.
WITH SYMPTOMS SUCH AS COUGHING, SNEEZING, SORE THROAT, UPSET STOMACH, DIGESTIVE ISSUES, FEVER, EXTREME TIREDNESS, EYE IRRITATIONS, EAR-ACH, RUNNY NOSE, SINUS ISSUES...
**IF ONE CHILD HAS HAD ONE OF THESE ILLNESSES AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY ARE NOT SHOWING SYMPTOMS/ " Everyone feels fine", I DO NOT WANT ANYONE IN THE FAMILY WALKING INTO THE BUILDING.
I WILL TEACH YOU VIA ZOOM.
This may be very obvious to most but I cannot begin to tell you how many sick kids, parents, siblings come into lessons.
PLEASE BE COURTEOUS OF OTHERS AND STAY HOME.
If you cannot have a zoom lesson because of your sickness/condition, there are no make-up lessons, but a lesson plan will be emailed.
♪ FOOD/BEVERAGES:
Only bottled water is allowed inside the studio.
TAKE ALL YOUR TRASH WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE PLEASE.
♪ MAKEUP LESSONS
THERE ARE NO MAKEUP LESSONS.
♪ ADDITIONAL FEES
* ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE EACH MAY- $30 PER STUDENT
* $30 LATE FEE for monthly installments paid later than the 25th of each month.
* NGPT and/or NFMC fees for participation in the national assessments in April and May
* RCM EXAM FEES
* Recital Fees- $20/student per recital
* Shipping fees for out-of-state-families who have their recital and/or assessment awards mailed to them.
LET'S HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR OF MAKING MUSIC! ♪♫♪♫♪♫