My responsibilities
I enjoy teaching students from middle school to high school, and also adults. I can address all levels and strive to provide the best possible music education for every student. I decide on song selection after a vocal warm-up. I make a great effort in ensuring that this piece reflects the students vocal range and interest level. Once selected, lessons are structured in 15/15/15 format, comprised of a vocal warm-up, speaking the text, and then fine tuning the melody. I will record the customized vocal warm-up and chosen song's melody line. I will email the performance track and backing track of this song, once a certain mastery is achieved. The goal is to incorporate all 3 of these elements to create a worthwhile experience for the student and his/her audience! Music study is a great way to build discipline, which is a basic building block for success in life. The study of beautiful music is enjoyable, and I hope each of my students will find a joy in music study that will last for their entire life.
Your responsibilities
Schedule
Students are scheduled for 36 lessons per year (18 per semester), with a summer break. While the school calendar is followed, there are days I plan to teach where schools are off including but not limited to Presidents day, Columbus Day, and some teacher in service days. If your family plans to travel during one of these days, please let me know and we’ll schedule an additional lesson for the last week of May.
Recital: At the end of each semester, students perform at Legacy Assisted Living across the street. It gives residents a chance to experience live music and it is also a great opportunity for your child to showcase their skills to visiting friends and relatives.
Parental attendance at lessons: Drop-off/pick-up is the preferred option. It’s important that lessons are not interrupted. Failing another option, parents are invited to wait in the living area of my home. Siblings can play quietly with parental supervision. Another great waiting option is the Grotto Pool, or the Nature Trail behind my house, a short distance away.
Cancellations
Try to choose a lesson time in which you feel confident. Please understand that the tuition you pay reserves an exclusive weekly time in my schedule for your child. To help accommodate an occasional unavoidable change in student's schedules, you can choose to be part of the email Swap List. (Please let me know if you do not want to be included in the list.)
Makeup lessons are only given in the following circumstances:
Makeup lessons for the above three reasons will occur either as times become available during regular teaching hours (see studio Calendar) or the week of May 25 - 29, 2020. No school year makeups will be given after May 29, 2020.
Tuition
Tuition covers not only the actual lesson time spent with the student, but the time spent preparing for each student as well. Tuition rates for 2019-2020 school year are $150 monthly for weekly 45 minute lessons.
Tuition also includes:
Tuition is due monthly and by the first of the month. After the first of the month, a late fee of $10 will be applied. Repeated late payments or failure to pay will result in discontinuation of lessons. Payments may be made by via Stripe (debit or bank transfer) on www.kategarrison.com. Automatic payments are billed and paid on the 25th of the month.
Tuition is not reduced for student absences of any kind. Discounts are not given for multiple students in the same family.
Discontinuation of lessons
Students are expected to commit to the full year of singing study, August through May. If you need to discontinue lessons for any reason, please give 30 days notice. The 30 days notice is to provide the student with a well designed send off experience to cap what has been learned and often to provide additional study materials.