Berry Music STL
♫ BERRY MUSIC STL STUDIO POLICY SESSION YEAR 2025-2026
JUNE 2025- MAY 2026
In this policy you will find information about:
♪ PAYMENT/ ATTENDANCE/LATE FEES
♪ 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 2025- MAY 2026
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.
Families may choose to pay for their entire session year up-front, upon receiving their session quote, and receive a 5% discount.
Students attend lessons according to their scheduled day/time given at registration(which we agree upon), which is included in the SESSION QUOTE.
WEATHER
If the weather is too dangerous for travel, I will notify you that I will be teaching virtually at your scheduled time.
SCHEDULE CONFLICTS
If a student has a soccer game, vacation, band concert at school, dance recital, family gathering, is too ill for a virtual lesson, etc... and needs to miss a lesson, IT IS STILL A CHARGED LESSON AND NO MAKE-UP WILL BE GIVEN.
**IF I see another spot open up, I will do my best to give people an opportunity to come on a different day if/when it is possible.
DISCONTINUING LESSONS
If a Student chooses to discontinue lessons, a 30-day notice is required.
PRACTICE
Students who are privileged enough to have a spot on my in-demand student roster, are encouraged and expected 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 with. I have very specific recommendations that I provide in the link below. Children as young as age 3 need a suitable instrument.
I gladly 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
$$$$ MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS/ ENTIRE SESSION YEAR PAYMENT
Families may pay for the entire session year up-front upon receiving the session quote and receive a 5% discount.
OR
Families may pay Monthly Installments.
Monthly installments have nothing to do with how many lessons you receive per month.
They are based upon a flat-rate that is calculated by multiplying the number of CHARGED LESSONS the student receives(based on their lesson day and time block), by my per- lesson- rate.
That total is then divided by the months within the session year which equates to a flat-rate that is paid each month(Monthly Installment).
THERE IS ALSO A $25/ STUDENT ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE UPON ENROLLMENT IN EACH NEW SESSION YEAR.
Each Student has 4 FLEX DAYS built into the session year(Scroll down to learn more about flex days)
$$$$PAYMENT METHODS ACCEPTED
ZELLE**NEW QR CODE/ NEW ACCOUNT!! (NO FEE ADDED) I will send each family my specific QR code. (Do NOT send Zelle before having this code!!)
CHECK PAYABLE TO BERRY MUSIC STL(NO FEE ADDED)
MMS- MY MUSIC STAFF INVOICE SYSTEM (FEE ADDED)
Families may pay directly through the invoice that I email each month from my website "My Music Staff", which is serviced by the payment platform STRIPE. If families opt to pay through the invoice, there is an additional 2.9 % plus .30 cent service fee added to each invoice.
*PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WISH TO PAY VIA THE INVOICE DIRECTLY, ZELLE, OR CHECK .
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TAKING A QUICK SCREEN SHOT OF YOUR PAYMENT AND TEXTING ME THE SCREEN SHOT.
**Families that joins mid-year, are charged for the remaining months//charged lesson days for the remainder of the session year**
FLEX DAYS
There are FLEX DAYS built into my studio calendar year for each day of the week/weekend.
FLEX DAYS allow me to miss a lesson due to sickness or other.
View the link below to find out more details 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.
♪ PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF
♪ PLEASE RESPECT MY INSTRUMENTS/GEAR
♫ 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(M-F) 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.
THERE ARE NO NOISE RESTRICTIONS ON THE WEEKENDS.
PLEASE CHECK THE RESTROOM AFTER YOUR CHILD USES IT TO ENSURE IT IS PRESENTABLE FOR THE OTHER BUSINESS WE ALSO SHARE THIS COMMUNITY AREA WITH. (Make sure the 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
Due to my upcoming kidney donation to my Husband, and my Husband who is having a kidney transplant, I need to be very on top of this.
He will have an extremely compromised immune system for the months/ years following his transplant and I cannot take viruses home with me.
PLEASE DO NOT WALK INTO THE BUILDING WITH SICKNESS.
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.
THIS INCLUDES AND IS NOT LIMITED TO: COLD, FLU, STOMACH VIRUS, STREP THROAT, PINK EYE, LICE, COVID 19.
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 OR PARENT IN THE HOME HAS HAD ONE OF THESE ILLNESSES AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY ARE NOT SHOWING SYMPTOMS( " Everyone feels fine"), PLEASE CHOOSE TO STAY HOME ANYWAY.
VIRTUAL LESSONS WILL BE TAUGHT AT YOUR REGULAR LESSON TIME
If you cannot have a zoom lesson because of your sickness/condition, unfortunately there are no make-up lessons.
The student should continue practicing what is in their lesson plan until their next lesson.
♪ FOOD/BEVERAGES
Only bottled water is allowed inside the studio please.
♪ MAKEUP LESSONS
THERE ARE NO MAKEUP LESSONS.
♪ ADDITIONAL FEES
* ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE EACH MAY- $25 PER STUDENT
* $30 LATE FEE for Monthly Installments that are not paid within 24 hours of receiving the invoice.
* NGPT and/or NFMC FEE(TBD) for participation in the national assessments in April and May
* RCM EXAM FEE(TBD) For participation
* Recital Fees- $15/student per recital participation
* Shipping fees for out-of-state-families who have their recital and/or assessment awards mailed to them.
I THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS STUDIO POLICY.
LET'S HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR OF MAKING MUSIC!
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