STUDIO POLICIES
Registration
Current students may reserve their preferred lesson time for the upcoming school year by submitting a non-refundable $40 registration fee per student. Early registration helps us maintain continuity in scheduling and gives returning families the best opportunity to keep their preferred lesson time.
New families are welcome to contact us to arrange a complimentary consultation. This gives us an opportunity to meet, discuss your child's musical goals and experience, answer any questions you may have, and determine the best fit for lessons.
Once you decide to join Blue Note School of Music, registration may be completed through our website.
Registration reserves a recurring lesson time in our teaching schedule for the school year. By registering, families are making a September–June commitment and agreeing to the studio policies outlined here.
Piano & Practice Equipment
Regular access to a suitable instrument at home is essential for progress.
We recommend a well-maintained and regularly tuned acoustic piano whenever possible. A quality digital piano is also acceptable, particularly for beginning and intermediate students, provided it has:
88 full-size weighted keys
Touch-sensitive response
A proper sustain pedal or pedal unit
Students should also have access to a working metronome. A traditional metronome or reliable metronome app is suitable.
Tuition
Tuition is based on enrollment in our 36-week teaching year from September through June. The monthly tuition payments are equalized over the course of the 10 months so the monthly tuition fee amount remains the same regardless of the exact number of classes in a given month.
Please refer to our current Rates page for lesson options and tuition information.
Practice Expectations
Consistent practice between lessons is one of the most important factors in a student's musical progress. Our goal is not simply to have students spend time at the piano, but to help them develop effective, focused and increasingly independent practice habits.
Every student is different, and practice expectations will vary according to age, level, goals and repertoire. As a general guideline:
Ages 5–7: approximately 20–30 minutes per day
Ages 8–9: approximately 30–40 minutes per day
Ages 10–13: approximately 45–60 minutes per day
Ages 14 and up: approximately 60 minutes or more per day
For younger students, shorter focused practice sessions may be more productive than one long session. Teachers will provide individualized practice guidance as students progress.
Most importantly, we encourage regular practice throughout the week rather than trying to complete all practice shortly before the next lesson.
Our teachers work hard to keep students engaged, encouraged and motivated while also helping them develop the discipline and consistency that lead to lasting musical growth.
In-Home Lesson Environment
To help students get the most from their lesson time, families are asked to provide a quiet, comfortable learning space where the student and teacher can work with minimal interruptions.
Students should be ready to begin at their scheduled lesson time with their music, books, and any other required materials prepared and easily accessible.
During the lesson, we kindly ask that the teaching area be kept as distraction-free as reasonably possible. This includes minimizing television, loud conversations, other activities taking place nearby, and interruptions from siblings, pets, or household members.
We completely understand that homes are busy, active places! Our goal is simply to create a focused environment for the duration of the lesson so that the teacher can give the student their full attention and the student can make the best use of their lesson time.
Attendance, Cancellations & Make-Up Lessons
We understand that throughout the school year, illnesses, appointments, travel, sports, and family commitments occasionally interfere with regularly scheduled lessons. While we will always do our best to accommodate changes when possible, make-up lessons and rescheduling are not guaranteed, as our teachers maintain full and carefully coordinated teaching schedules.
Cancelling or Rescheduling a Lesson
Families can view their lesson schedule at any time through their My Music Staff account. If a lesson needs to be cancelled, please make the change through your account whenever possible. The studio will automatically be notified.
You may also notify your teacher or the studio by email or text.
Whenever possible, we appreciate as much notice as you are able to provide. As a general guideline:
Vacations or planned travel: 3–4 weeks' notice
Sports, appointments, school events, or special occasions: 1–2 weeks' notice
Illness: as much notice as reasonably possible
Advance notice gives us the greatest opportunity to help families find an alternate lesson time.
Make-Up Credits
When a cancelled lesson is eligible to be rescheduled, the studio will issue a make-up credit through My Music Staff. A make-up lesson may then be booked based on available openings in the teacher's schedule.
Make-up credits:
Are subject to teacher availability.
Have no cash value and cannot be applied toward tuition.
Must be used within the same teaching term in which the original lesson was missed.
For example, if a lesson is missed during Term 2 (February–June), the make-up lesson must also take place before the end of Term 2. Unused make-up credits do not carry forward into the following term.
Illness
If a student has cold, flu, or other contagious symptoms but feels well enough to participate, the lesson may be conducted online via Zoom at the regularly scheduled time.
If the student is too unwell to participate, please cancel the lesson and, where applicable, use the make-up credit to arrange another lesson with your teacher.
Inclement Weather
If Surrey schools are closed due to snow or severe weather, piano lessons will generally continue as scheduled, as road conditions often improve by lesson time.
If road conditions, your street, or access to your home make an in-person lesson unsafe or impractical, the lesson will be conducted online via Zoom instead.
School Holidays
Blue Note School of Music generally follows the Surrey School District calendar for Christmas Break and Spring Break.
Lessons are not scheduled during these designated studio breaks, and families are not charged for these weeks as part of their annual tuition.
Discontinuing Lessons
We value the commitment families make to music study and encourage students to approach lessons as a September–June commitment whenever possible. A regular lesson time is reserved specifically for each student, and spaces that become available during the school year can be difficult to fill.
If circumstances require a student to discontinue lessons before the end of the teaching year, we require written notice and one month of paid notice. Any prepaid tuition beyond the notice period will be refunded or returned, as applicable.
Blue Note School of Music also reserves the right to discontinue lessons in circumstances involving ongoing attendance concerns, repeated cancellations, lack of reasonable preparation or participation, or overdue tuition.
We recognize that every student's musical journey eventually changes or comes to an end. Whenever possible, we encourage families to discuss the decision with the teacher in advance so that the student can finish their lessons with a positive sense of accomplishment and closure.
Staying in Touch
Clear communication helps us provide the best possible experience for our students and families.
Email or text is generally the easiest way to contact us.
If you would prefer to speak by phone, please call 604-345-0885 and leave a message. We will return your call as soon as possible.
Important studio announcements, schedules, recital information and reminders will be sent by email, so please ensure that we always have your current email address on file.
Families are also encouraged to follow Blue Note School of Music on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook for recital performances, tutorials, studio projects, announcements and other musical content.
Photography, Video & Multimedia
From time to time, photographs, audio recordings or video may be taken during lessons, studio activities, recitals and performances. These may be used for educational purposes, recital recordings, studio communications, lesson demonstrations, social media, promotional materials and Blue Note School of Music websites.
The studio takes student privacy and online safety seriously. Images and recordings will be used respectfully and appropriately and will never be sold to third parties.
Any photographs or recordings submitted to or shared with Blue Note School of Music may also be used for these studio purposes.
Families who have questions or concerns regarding the use of their child's photograph or video are encouraged to contact the studio directly.
One thing I would actually change beyond just wording: I would not say that photos “become the property of the studio and may be used at the discretion of the teacher.” For parents, especially with children involved, that sounds much broader than you probably intend.