Welcome Back
Dear Students and Families,
Welcome back to another year at our piano studio! I hope you all had an awesome summer with time to recharge. As we begin a new year of piano lessons, I'm excited to continue our musical journey together and I am incredibly grateful to each of my students and families for your dedication to music. It truly shows, and I am so proud of all of you!
Congratulations to everyone on completing another year of lessons and reaching new goals! A special shoutout goes six of our students who passed their Certificate of Merit exams, more than half with State Honors this year! We've also had four graduating seniors this year, two of which have been with me for over 10 years! I am so proud of each and every one of my students and continue to be blown away by all their hard work as they continue to grow their skills and musicianship over the years!
Looking ahead, we have some exciting news, I will be opening a new in-person location in Oakland, CA for Ms. Camille's Piano Studio with a goal to be up and running by the end of the year! I am accepting new students in Oakland and online, so if you know anyone looking for lessons please take advantage of our Refer a Friend Discount and send them my way, I would greatly appreciate it. I am especially focusing on taking neurodiverse students of all ages, because every student has the ability to be musical and deserves to experience the joy of making music!
Please make sure to fill out your new availability below by August 31st so we can get this year's schedule finalized as soon as possible. Also don't forget to check out our updated Student Spotlight page for this year's performances!
Here are some links to our updates for this year:
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Student Spotlight:
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Our Student Spotlight page has been updated to highlight the dedication of our students this year! Please take a look here. If you'd like to be featured on the studio Spotlight page, please remember to give media consent in your renewal form and ask how and what to submit. We'd love to see your progress!
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Please leave a review!
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Our studio is on Google, Please leave a review; it would be greatly appreciated and is much needed as it helps grow our studio! Leave a review here!
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Again, I sincerely thank you for being a part of my studio, and I look forward to making music with all of you again this year!
Warmly,
Ms. Camille
Ms. Camille's
Piano Studio Policy
All students who enroll in piano lessons with Ms. Camille agree to the following:
In- Home Lessons
IN-HOME LESSON EXPECTATIONS
A parent or guardian must remain at home for the duration of the lesson. This helps ensure a safe and smooth experience and allows your teacher to stay on schedule for all students.
Please allow flexibility with arrival times, as the teacher may arrive up to 15 minutes earlier or later than scheduled due to traffic.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR LESSONS:
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An acoustic or digital piano with 88 weighted keys and a proper piano bench at home for daily practice
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If you are unsure whether you have the correct instrument to start with, please ask your teacher
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All assigned books and music
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A pencil and eraser (not pen)
Upon request, you will also need:
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A metronome
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A binder/notebook dedicated to piano lessons
Online Lessons:
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Your piano placed in a quiet space - a quiet space free of amplified noise helps both student and teacher concentrate during their lesson (online lessons)
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A fully charged phone, tablet or computer with a camera suitable for online lessons (online lessons)
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A stand for your device (online lessons)
Tuition
Tuition guarantees that your teacher will be present at your assigned time slot each week except for scheduled breaks (see Scheduling for details).
HOW TUITION IS CALCULATED:
Monthly tuition payments are based on an annual total divided into 12 equal payments, similar to how fees are structured for dance classes, sports teams, and gym memberships. This means the amount billed each month remains consistent regardless of the number of lessons held in that month.
TUITION RATES:
30-Minute Lessons
$205/month
45- Minute Lessons
$295/month
60-Minute Lessons
$375/month
Payment Due: 1st of every month
Late Fee: $25 if payment is not received by the 3rd of the month
Lessons will be placed on hold if payment is not received by the 3rd and will resume upon payment. Frequent late payments will require automatic payments.
No refunds, prorating, or credits given.
PAYMENT FORMS ACCEPTED:
Credit, debit, or PayPal
DISCOUNT:
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Refer a Friend Discount - Receive a $25 discount on one month of lessons for each friend you refer who signs up and completes at least one month of lessons.
Scheduling
The studio year runs year-round, September - August, with a few holiday breaks aligning with most academic calendars.
Scheduled breaks include:
Thanksgiving Break - November
Winter Break - December/January
President's Week - February
Personal Day - April 27
4th of July Week - June/July
+2 weeks of built-in absences for you, taken whenever you choose
+1 week of built-in absences for your teacher, taken whenever needed (usually August)
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If your teacher needs any additional absences beyond that week, those lessons will be rescheduled.
Specific dates can be found on your My Music Staff calendar.
Please give at least two week's notice if you need a permanent schedule change. Your teacher will do her best to accommodate your schedule, but cannot guarantee she will be able to make a change as it depends on other student's schedules as well.
LESSON DURATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Level 1 Method Book (or equivalent):
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Recommended: 30-45 minute lessons
- Level 2+ Method Book (or equivalent):
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Required: 45-60 minute lessons
- Certificate of Merit Students:
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Required: 45-60 minute lessons (See About Certificate of Merit for more information)
ILLNESS
To help keep everyone healthy, please notify your teacher ahead of time if students or anyone in your household have cold or flu-like symptoms (coughing, sneezing, congestion, fever, nausea, etc.) In these cases an online lesson will be given instead. If your teacher arrives and illness is present, she will leave immediately and your lesson will be forfeited.
If your teacher has any cold or flu-like symptoms, we will switch to an online lesson at your usual time.
MISSED LESSONS
If given more than 24 hour notice, your teacher will do her best to fit you in any canceled slots within the same week if possible, but cannot be guaranteed due to availability being based on other students' attendance.
Absences with less than 24 hour notice will not be given a makeup lesson.
However, you have two built-in weeks off per year (September - August) for student absences, usually taken during spring break and summer, but may be used anytime during the studio year. As a reminder, these absences are already factored into the tuition, so you won't miss any lessons you've paid for. If you don't use these weeks off, you'll simply receive two free lessons for the year!
Options to avoid missing a lesson:
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Swap List (most popular option, this option is currently unavailable, but will resume once Oakland location opens)
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Opt-in to be on the Swap List for the opportunity to switch lesson times with another student (See Swap List for details)
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Asynchronous Lesson
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Send a video of your assignments before your regularly scheduled lesson. Your teacher will use your lesson time to review and provide personalized feedback, keeping you on track.
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Progress Call
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Use your reserved time slot to chat with your teacher about your student's progress. It's a great way to stay updated and involved.
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What do I do if...
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I didn't have time to practice? – It's okay to have occasional weeks where we have less time to practice–life can be busy! This is a great opportunity to still have a lesson and discuss how to break up your pieces and practice more effectively and efficiently during hectic weeks.
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I have a vacation planned? – For vacations outside of studio breaks or beyond your two week built-in absences, using the Swap List is a great solution. While payment adjustments and makeup lessons are not offered for these absences, the Swap List and Cancellation List can help you avoid missing out on your weekly lesson.
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I have extracurricular activities? – While missed lessons due to practices, concerts, games, etc. are not provided makeup lessons, this is another great opportunity to use the Swap List or Cancellation List and ensure you don't miss your weekly lesson.
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I have an injury or broken bone? – This is a great opportunity to dive into topics we don't always have time for, like ear training and theory. We'll keep lessons going to ensure you continue to grow and enrich your musical skills!
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I am late or forgot my lesson day/time? – While a makeup lesson cannot be provided for a forgotten lesson, if you're late, you can still enjoy the remaining time of your scheduled lesson, though we won't extend beyond your reserved slot.
Thank you and I look forward to a great year of making music with you!