Private Lessons
At Music to My Ears, all lessons are the same price. A student signs up for a lesson time and comes every week at that same time. For families with multiple children, it may be possible to schedule lesson times so that they occur at the same time with different teachers!
Preparing Learners For Their Musical Journey
Monthly Rates
Our monthly tuition students come every week at the same time and pay a discounted rate.
- If you are unable to attend a lesson in person, a recorded or live video lesson will be provided at the teachers discretion during your normal lesson times
- There are no makeups or rescheduled lessons for student missed lessons
- Monthly payments are on the day of the month you had your first lesson. This is your billing period. For example, if your first lesson (after your trial lesson) is on the 12th, then your billing period will cover the 12th-11th of the following month, no matter how many weeks there are in that month.
Trial Lesson
To start, a student may purchase a single lesson to experience the instrument, teacher and see if they would like to continue.
Single Lessons & Lesson Packages
Single lessons are for students who are not able to commit to a regularly scheduled lesson time, but want occasional guidance from a teacher.
Per our policy, your lessons are on the schedule indefinitely to hold your time slot. Please let us know if you would like to cancel an individual lesson OR stop at the end of your 8 count package.
Otherwise, you will be charged for a late cancel/no show.
Per our policy, your lessons are on the schedule indefinitely to hold your time slot. Please let us know if you would like to cancel an individual lesson OR stop at the end of your 8 count package.
Otherwise, you will be charged for a late cancel/no show.
Single Lessons~ Pay as you go ~
Single Lesson Length - Cost
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Package Lessons~ Prepaid package lessons come with a discount ~
Package of 8 lessons
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Music to My Ears accepts cash, personal checks, debit and credit cards
Rates effective January 1st, 2023
Rates effective January 1st, 2023
Studio Policy
***By attending lessons, you agree to the following terms and conditions.***
All Families & Students:
Monthly Tuition Students (Plan Holders):
Single Lesson and Batch Lesson Students (Pass Holders):
All Families & Students:
- For tuition-7 days notice before your next bill date is required to withdraw from lessons. You MUST submit a form here: Cancel Membership If you are cancelling your tuition temporarily, please note that we cannot hold your time slot for you. Once you wish to return, please reach out to [email protected] to see if your day and time are still available
- There is a $15 charge for returned checks
- Students under 16 years old may not be left unattended at MTME
- Music to My Ears reserves the right to suspend lessons for late or non-payment
- Please contact the office for Charter School Funding Policies
Monthly Tuition Students (Plan Holders):
- There are no refunds for missed lessons. This includes illnesses and emergencies.
- If you are unable to attend a lesson in person, a recorded or live video lesson may be provided at the teachers discretion during your normal lesson times
- There are no makeups or rescheduled lessons for student missed lessons
- If a teacher misses a lesson, we will attempt to provide a substitute teacher. If we are unable to provide a substitute teacher, you are entitled to either a makeup lesson or a credit towards the next month.
- Monthly payments are on the day of the month you had your first lesson. Payments are late after 10 days.
There is a $15 late fee.
Example (if you started on May 12th, your next payment with be on June 12th, late on June 22nd
Single Lesson and Batch Lesson Students (Pass Holders):
- There are no refunds for missed lessons without 48+ hours notice. This includes illnesses and emergencies.
- If you are unable to attend a lesson in person, a recorded or live video lesson may be provided at the teachers discretion during your normal lesson times
- If 48+ hours notice is given, lesson may be rescheduled for another day/time, pending teacher availability or may be canceled without charge
- If a teacher misses a lesson, we will attempt to provide a substitute teacher. If we are unable to provide a substitute teacher, you are entitled to either a makeup lesson at a later time, or to push your package out a week
- Payments are made when booking your single lesson, or pre-buying your package of lessons
- Per our policy, your lessons are on the schedule indefinitely to hold your time slot. Please let us know if you would like to cancel an individual lesson OR stop at the end of your 8 count package. Otherwise, you will be charged for a late cancel/no show.
FAQ's
Who do I contact, the teacher or the office?
Always contact the office with any questions, requests or concerns. We are here to facilitate all the client contact, as well as the upkeep on the school and practice rooms, so that teachers can just focus on teaching!
What happens after the trial lesson?
After your trial, please let the office know if you'd like to continue. Once we set up a trial lesson, we also hold that time slot for you indefinitely so no one else can be booked there, so we need to know if you'll be returning!
Otherwise, you will be charged for a late cancel/no show.
Otherwise, you will be charged for a late cancel/no show.
Why is my billing date not on the 1st of each month?
Your billing cycle starts on the date of your first lesson AFTER your trial lesson which is a separate payment. If your first lesson is on the 12th of the month, the next due date will be the 12th of the following month, no matter how many weeks are included in that.
.Is MTME closed for any holidays?
2024 Closed Dates For Both Locations:
Thanksgiving Break-November 28th-December 1st
Winter Break-December 22nd-January 4th
Winter Break: All lessons will be cancelled during this time. There will be no makeups or credits.
Tuition Students: Your flat monthly rate will not be affected. You have received "bonus" lessons throughout the year in months that have 5 weeks, this will balance that out.
Package or Singles Students: These lessons will be cancelled and you will not be charged, just like when you cancel a lesson with 48+ hours notice
Thanksgiving Break-November 28th-December 1st
Winter Break-December 22nd-January 4th
Winter Break: All lessons will be cancelled during this time. There will be no makeups or credits.
Tuition Students: Your flat monthly rate will not be affected. You have received "bonus" lessons throughout the year in months that have 5 weeks, this will balance that out.
Package or Singles Students: These lessons will be cancelled and you will not be charged, just like when you cancel a lesson with 48+ hours notice
Absences
It is important to note that Music to My Ears does not give credit for missed lessons on our tuition system. We couple this policy with our monthly lesson prices. With 48 hours or more notice teachers may be able to provide a video lesson, or connect via online lesson at your regularly appointed lesson time.
Will my tuition be less if I miss a lesson?
No. Tuition Students always have the same flat monthly fee.
Tuition Students are getting a discounted rate by signing up for weekly lessons. With advanced notice that the lesson will be missed, students may get a pre-recorded video lesson at the teacher’s discretion.
Tuition Students are getting a discounted rate by signing up for weekly lessons. With advanced notice that the lesson will be missed, students may get a pre-recorded video lesson at the teacher’s discretion.
What if I give 40 hours notice (for single lessons or packages)?
Sorry, we cannot schedule a make-up. To give us enough time to connect with instructors and to keep the structure clear, and fair, a strict 48+ hour notice needs to be in place.
What constitutes "written" notice for tuition cancellation?
You must submit notice on the Membership Cancellation Form
* Emails and paper notes no longer qualify
* Leaving a voicemail or telling the front office or teacher does not qualify as written notice
* Emails and paper notes no longer qualify
* Leaving a voicemail or telling the front office or teacher does not qualify as written notice
How do I cancel my single/package lesson?
You MUST call/text (707-664-0123) or email ([email protected]) the Music to My Ears office at least 48+ hours in advance to avoid charge
If I am on the tuition plan, can I take a month off?
Yes! You can take a month off (or months) with the studio policy as long as you let us know 7 days before the next billing cycle with the membership cancellation form.
On the tuition plan, no missed lessons can be refunded during the month. If you are going to miss one, either the teacher may be able to make a pre-recorded video lesson OR if given 24+ hours notice, a virtual lesson could be arranged.
Note: If you do take a month off, your lesson time slot will not be held and cannot be guaranteed when you return.
Please remember we need 7+ days notice before your billing period to cancel tuition membership.
On the tuition plan, no missed lessons can be refunded during the month. If you are going to miss one, either the teacher may be able to make a pre-recorded video lesson OR if given 24+ hours notice, a virtual lesson could be arranged.
Note: If you do take a month off, your lesson time slot will not be held and cannot be guaranteed when you return.
Please remember we need 7+ days notice before your billing period to cancel tuition membership.
Tuition Holders: Why do I not get a credit if I give ample notice of an absence? Ex. a month's notice
Think of it like a streaming service, the cheaper option requires you to watch ads and commercials while the premium option allows you to watch your favorite shows without them.
If you’d like to be able to cancel lessons with plenty of notice, we suggest purchasing a package of lessons (slightly higher rate per lesson) to be able to do this.
If you’d like the cheaper option per lesson, tuition is the way to go, but there are no cancellations or credits and makeups are at the discretion of the teacher pending their availability.
The following article explains why we adopt this policy to protect our teachers and staff.
If you’d like to be able to cancel lessons with plenty of notice, we suggest purchasing a package of lessons (slightly higher rate per lesson) to be able to do this.
If you’d like the cheaper option per lesson, tuition is the way to go, but there are no cancellations or credits and makeups are at the discretion of the teacher pending their availability.
The following article explains why we adopt this policy to protect our teachers and staff.
Make-up Music Lessons from an Economist’s Point of View
By Vicky Barham, Ph.D.
Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. In my mind, what this means is that I have reserved a regular spot in the busy schedules of my sons’ teachers. I understand – fully – that if I can’t make it to the lesson one week (perhaps my son is sick, or we are away on holiday, or there is some other major event at school) then we will pay for the lesson, but that my teacher is under no obligation to find another spot for me that week, or to refund me for the untaught lesson. And this is the way it should be.
In my “other life” I am an economist and teach at our local university. Students pay good money to attend classes at the university; but if they don’t come to my lecture on a Monday morning, then I am not going to turn around and deliver them a private tutorial on Tuesday afternoon. When I go to the store and buy groceries, I may purchase something that doesn’t get used. Days or months later, I end up throwing it out. I don’t get a refund from the grocery store for the unused merchandise. If I sign my child up for swimming lessons at the local pool, and s/he refuses to return after the first lesson, I can’t get my money back. So there are lots of situations in our everyday lives where we regularly pay in advance for goods or some service, and if we end up not using what we have purchased, we have to just “swallow our losses.” On the other hand, if I purchase an item of clothing, and get home and change my mind, I can take it back and expect either a refund or a store credit.
So why do I believe that music lessons fall into the first category of “non-returnable merchandise,” rather than into the second case of “exchange privileges unlimited” (which I think is one of the advertising slogans of an established women’s clothing store!)? Speaking now as an economist, I would claim that the reason is that items like clothing are “durable goods” – meaning, they can be returned and then resold at the original price – whereas music lessons are non-durable goods – meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:30 is gone, my son’s teacher can’t turn around and sell it again. The only way she would be able to give him a lesson later in the week would be if she were to give up time that she had scheduled for her own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable – I can’t think of many employees who would be thrilled if their bosses were to announce that they couldn’t work from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, but would they please stay until 6:30 on Thursday, because there will be work for them then!
© Copyright 2001 by Vicky Barham
Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. In my mind, what this means is that I have reserved a regular spot in the busy schedules of my sons’ teachers. I understand – fully – that if I can’t make it to the lesson one week (perhaps my son is sick, or we are away on holiday, or there is some other major event at school) then we will pay for the lesson, but that my teacher is under no obligation to find another spot for me that week, or to refund me for the untaught lesson. And this is the way it should be.
In my “other life” I am an economist and teach at our local university. Students pay good money to attend classes at the university; but if they don’t come to my lecture on a Monday morning, then I am not going to turn around and deliver them a private tutorial on Tuesday afternoon. When I go to the store and buy groceries, I may purchase something that doesn’t get used. Days or months later, I end up throwing it out. I don’t get a refund from the grocery store for the unused merchandise. If I sign my child up for swimming lessons at the local pool, and s/he refuses to return after the first lesson, I can’t get my money back. So there are lots of situations in our everyday lives where we regularly pay in advance for goods or some service, and if we end up not using what we have purchased, we have to just “swallow our losses.” On the other hand, if I purchase an item of clothing, and get home and change my mind, I can take it back and expect either a refund or a store credit.
So why do I believe that music lessons fall into the first category of “non-returnable merchandise,” rather than into the second case of “exchange privileges unlimited” (which I think is one of the advertising slogans of an established women’s clothing store!)? Speaking now as an economist, I would claim that the reason is that items like clothing are “durable goods” – meaning, they can be returned and then resold at the original price – whereas music lessons are non-durable goods – meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:30 is gone, my son’s teacher can’t turn around and sell it again. The only way she would be able to give him a lesson later in the week would be if she were to give up time that she had scheduled for her own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable – I can’t think of many employees who would be thrilled if their bosses were to announce that they couldn’t work from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, but would they please stay until 6:30 on Thursday, because there will be work for them then!
© Copyright 2001 by Vicky Barham
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