Policy

We hope that you will find that these guidelines make Academy of Sound an enjoyable place for you and your children to learn. Please stay in close contact with the directors and your child's teacher about any concerns, questions, or feedback.

All Students Need...

A quality, appropriately sized instrument for practice – For piano students, this would include a well-tuned piano or a digital piano (88 keys, touch sensitive, weighted keys with a working damper/sustain pedal).
Assignment book – We sell a variety of these at the studio, or students may use a spiral notebook.
All necessary lesson and repertoire books – We have these in stock so they may be purchased through the school.
Metronome and/or tuner – Also available for purchase at the school. Using an app is okay! Most teachers require use of these tools.

Practice Requirements

Home practice – with it we guarantee success. Without it, progress is slow, tedious, and discouraging. Playing an instrument is a complex skill needing repetition and reinforcement daily. The following are the studio’s minimum practice requirements:
1. Beginners 30 minutes, 6 days per week
2. 2nd & 3rd year 45 minutes, 6 days per week
3. 4th & beyond 1 hour-2 hours, 6 days per week
4. It is acceptable to “break up” these times into smaller segments throughout the day.
When to practice – We highly recommend that students practice right away when they get home from their lesson, as 50% of the knowledge acquired during the lesson is lost if this is not done.
Practice records – You will find space for writing in the amount of time practiced each day in your assignment book. We recommend that all students fill these in for their teacher and for their own information.

Recitals, Competitions and Auditions

We hold several performances each year. Recitals are not required but encouraged. We have other events throughout the year such as memory, honors, and summer recitals in the park, fundraiser concerts, and so on. Students will have the opportunity to sign up for these recitals as they and their teacher observe readiness. Sign-ups will have a limited number of openings and will have deadlines for withdrawal, so if you are signed up you are expected to perform.

We encourage all students who are 8th grade and up to participate in WSMA Solo & Ensemble. Other competitions will be announced throughout the year. Teachers are committed to preparing students for these and other competitions and auditions, and will select appropriate music and spend time working with your child at each lesson before these events. We also prepare students for college auditions, and have an excellent record of acceptance into the students' school or schools of choice. You may have the option to purchase additional lesson time to prepare, schedules permitting.

Attendance and Scheduling

Regular, consistent attendance is essential to making progress and achieving success in music lessons. Students should make an effort to prioritize their scheduled lesson time and notify the Academy office by phone or email as soon as possible if you will be absent.

Starting in the 2026–2027 school year, Academy of Sound offers designated Make-Up Lesson Weeks as a new benefit for students. Students who have an excused absence during the corresponding session will be eligable to schedule a make-up lesson during one of the designated weeks:

At the end of Semester 1
At the end of Semester 2
At the end of the Summer Session

Make-up lessons are only available during these designated Make-Up Lesson Weeks and must be scheduled in advance based on teacher availability. Additional make-up lessons are not offered outside of these weeks.

If you are unable to attend your lesson, you also have the following options:

Online Lesson: Attend your lesson virtually at your regularly scheduled day and time.
Asynchronous Video Lesson: Submit a video before your scheduled lesson time so your teacher can review it, provide feedback and give new assignments during your reserved lesson time.
Lesson Swap: Request to swap lesson times with another student during the same week by submitting a Lesson Swap Request (found on our website). Swap requests must be submitted at least five business days in advance and are subject to availability. While Academy of Sound will make every effort to arrange a swap, one cannot be guaranteed.
Miss the lesson and return the following week

Your weekly lesson time is reserved exclusively for you and your teacher is scheduled and compensated whether or not you attend.

If your regular lesson time no longer works for your schedule, you may transfer to any available opening during the session by contacting the office.

Registration Fees, Tuition Dues, Other Charges, and Payments

Registration Fee – Annually $65 per family (household). The annual fee covers September – August. Registration fees are prorated in March, and June if registering after those times.
Tuition – Tuition fees are listed on our website for openings, and can be verified by logging into your account and checking your family's enrollment.
Due dates – If you are not enrolled in auto-pay and do not make your full payment by the due date, lessons will be suspended until payment is received, and a late fee applied.
Payment Schedules – Upon enrollment, you will select a payment schedule. Choices are: 15th of the month, semesterly, or annually. You may update your payment schedule at any time.
Late fees – $15 will be charged for any payment not received by the due date, and lessons suspended. $10 will be added for each additional week late. If payment in full has not been received within 30 days of the due date, the account will be sent to collections.
Returned checks – A fee of $30 will be charged for all checks returned due to insufficient funds. The balance will need to be covered by another payment method before the due date.
Declined credit/debit cards – You will receive two emails and a phone call almost immediately if your card is declined. You may either give us new card information by phone, or enter it yourself. If this is not done within 5 days, lessons will be suspended and a late fee applied.
Payment methods – We accept checks, bank drafts, gift certificates, and credit cards. Checks should be made payable to Academy of Sound. We require a credit card or bank account to be on file for everyone.
Books – We are able to order all of the books students need through the studio. These will be billed monthly, and will be charged automatically for those with auto-pay. Optionally, you may provide a check or credit card in person upon receipt of items. The teacher will let you know if there are other books and materials that you will need to purchase on your own.
Accompanists - Students or their families are responsible to pay their own accompanist for recitals, competitions, auditions or any other event which requires an accompanist. We have several teachers who are available to accompany students, or you are welcome to find your own accompanist. Please ask your accompanist how much they charge, and pay them before the day of the event.

Studio Rules

No food, drinks, gum, candy, etc. in the lesson rooms. Water is allowed in a container with a lid.
Please leave wet/muddy/snowy shoes or boots in the hall on a floor mat.
No running, fighting, shouting, or any behavior that could be defined as such.
Persons not enrolled at the Academy are not allowed to attend friends’/siblings' lessons. They will need to wait quietly in our waiting area with a parent/caregiver of the enrolled student. Any unaccompanied minors will be asked to leave the building.
Please respect our waiting area, bathrooms, and studios.

Probation

This is very rare, but we include this information just in case. If a family is put on probation, it will be for a period of one month. If the situation does not improve within that time, the student(s) will be dismissed. There will be no refunds, and tuition will be required to be paid through the original enrollment term.

Situations where a student/family may be put on probation include, but are not limited to:

Behavior or language that is inappropriate or distracting during lesson time.
Not meeting the practice requirements.
Mistreating equipment or materials in the studio.
Being disrespectful to teachers and/or other students.
Purposely interfering with the normal activities of other tenants in the building.
Vandalism.
Habitual no-shows
Paying late two or more times in a year.

A Student will be immediately dismissed:

If parent/student refuses to pay (in full & including late fees), or if parent withholds payment for any reason not previously discussed with the director.
If parent/student threatens, harasses, or tries to intimidate any teacher or other student.
For stealing.
When there are two no-shows in a row, a student is considered to be giving notification of discontinuance of lessons.
Any of the above situations will result in immediate dismissal, but will not cancel any obligation to pay tuition through the end of the term.