Studio Policies

Our commitment to you:

• We promise to provide you with the tools needed to continually progress in your lessons.

• We promise to build up your confidence so that you can be the best performer you can be.

• We promise to bring a positive attitude to each lesson.

• We promise to accept you for who you are and where you’re at on your journey.

• We promise to always be 100% committed to your success.

Your commitment to us:

• You promise to come into each lesson with an open mind and willingness to try new things.

• You promise to put in work outside of your lesson time towards your goals.

• You promise to treat us with respect.

Please read the following policies carefully in order to determine what this means for you and let us know of any questions that may arise.

What does your private lesson investment include?

• Private lessons on days that Birchwood Music Company is open.

• Flexible scheduling up to 4 hours prior to your lesson time utilized one time per month.

• Participation in 2 studio recitals per year.

• Communication with your instructor and studio manager via email or google chat during regular business hours.

Private lesson tuition extras. These can be added into a custom lesson plan for you or you can email us to use these on a one time basis.

• Extra flexible scheduling

  • Any flexible schedule needs after utilizing your allocated one per month will be an extra $30 per reschedule.

• Asynchronous video feedback

  • Any video sent to your instructor to review and give feedback on outside of your lesson time will be an additional $25 per video.

• Warm-up tracks

  • Any warm-up tracks or accompaniment tracks that you would like your teacher to send you for practicing at home will cost an additional $10 per track.

• Extra time onto the front or back of an existing lesson

  • If your teacher has time and you would like to add additional time onto your existing lesson to continue working you will be charged an additional $15 for the first 10 minutes and an additional $5 for every 5 minutes after that.

What does your investment not include?

• Music books

  • We will purchase any books for you required by your teacher and add the cost to your next invoice.

• Sheet music

  • We will purchase any sheet music for you required by your teacher and add the cost to your next invoice.

• Accompaniment tracks

• Accompanist fees

• Fees for festivals, competitions, or other performance opportunities

What does your Music Together® investment include?

• Weekly 45 minute classes during either an 8, 10, or 12 week session.

• Professional recording and songbook of the current song collection in both digital and hardcopy to use at home.

• Experience four different song collections throughout the course of the year.

• Access to educational content in the Family Music Zone and Music Together app.

• Instruments to take home and make music with the whole family outside of class time.

What does your Steps to the Stage: Just Getting Started investment include?

• Ten classes

• Guaranteed spot in the ensemble of the next musical

• 1 black binder

• 1 singing straw

• 3 group songs

• 3 choreographed numbers

• 3 scenes

• Full Voice Workbook

• Exclusive access to our platform of warm-up tracks and videos

• Headshots

What does your Steps to the Stage: Into the Thick of It investment include?

• Ten classes

• Guaranteed spot in the ensemble of the next upcoming musical

• 1 black binder

• 1 singing straw

• 3 group songs

• 3 choreographed numbers

• 3 scenes

• Exclusive access to our platform of warm-up tracks and videos

• Headshots

• Resume creation and edits

• Honest conversations about goals

Summer Private Lessons

Lessons will continue over the summer. If you will be gone for an extended period of time we can either create a custom lesson package for you or you can put down a $200 deposit per student to secure your spot for the fall. If you do not take lessons over the summer or put down a deposit we cannot guarantee you a spot in the fall.

We will be closed the following dates.

Labor day - Monday, September 4 2023

Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 23-Sunday, November 26 2023

Winter Break - Monday, December 18-Monday, January 1 2023/2024

Spring Break - Monday, March 18-Sunday, March 24 2024

Good Friday/Easter - Friday, March 29-Sunday, March 31 2024

Memorial Day - Monday, May 27 2024

Independence Day - Thursday, July 4 2024

If your teacher is available to teach during these closures we will send you an email letting you know that there are lesson slots available.

Private Lesson Cancellation & Reschedule Policy

• You may cancel or reschedule your lesson for any reason up until 4 hours prior to your lesson time once per month.

  • This must be done by texting (512) 641-3653

• We cannot guarantee that there will be available slots to reschedule your lesson, this is based on your instructor’s availability.

• Lessons may be scheduled up to 24 hours in advance of your desired time slot.

• Keep in mind that we do not offer make-up options, refunds, or credits for any reason so please utilize your flexible scheduling option wisely.

Music Together® Cancellation & Reschedule Policy

• You may cancel your spot in class for any reason up until 24 hours prior to class start time.

  • This must be done by you via Acuity. Find you email confirmation or log into your account to reschedule any classes.

• We will offer one bonus class at the end of the semester for any reschedules.

• We do not offer refunds for any reason, however if you do need to cancel multiple classes we will offer you a credit towards the next session.

Teacher Absences

• If your teacher needs to miss one of your scheduled private lessons you will be offered either a rescheduled lesson or a refund for this one lesson depending on the circumstance of the absence.

Payment

• Private lesson investment is billed on a monthly basis on the date of your first subscription payment.

• Music Together® investment is billed on a semester basis unless we have discussed a different payment plan.

• Steps to the Stage investment is billed on a session basis unless we have discussed a different payment plan.

• There will be a yearly 3% tuition increase to combat inflation that goes into effect on September 1st.

Communication

• You may communicate with the center director or your instructor via Google Chat during business hours.

• Email communication is always available and we will do our best to reply within 48 business hours

  • Center Director: info@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Haley Szajkovics: haley@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Allison Byrom: allison@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Mak Palacio: mak@birchwoodmusic.com

• We can accept text and phone call through our business number. Text is preferred and we will reply during business hours.

  • (512) 641-3653

• Business hours

  • Monday-Friday - 1:00pm-7:00pm

  • Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm

Illness

• If you are taking in-person lessons or classes and you or a family member are sick please do NOT come to in-person lessons.

• We reserve the right to turn you away at your lesson or class if you arrive sick and it will count as a no call/no show and you will not have the option to reschedule.

• If you are ill, please utilize one of the following options

  • Cancel or reschedule your lesson or class up to 4 hours prior to your scheduled lesson time. Use this time to rest!

  • If you take private lessons and are only mildly ill but feel well enough to sing, play piano, or do some music theory, please text (512) 641-3653 to set up a Zoom lesson at your usual lesson time that day.

• Lessons cancelled for any reason within the 4 hours prior to your lesson will be considered a no call/no show and will not be allowed to reschedule.

Tech Issues

• Some days we may have tech issues with Zoom or Google Meet for any number of reasons. We will establish a backup lesson platform together and if that fails. to work, a video lesson to be done asynchronously will be substituted.

Tardiness

• If you are running late your lesson will not be extended past the regular end time.

• Please text the business number as soon as you know you will be late.

Inclement Weather

• In the case of inclement weather, private lessons will be taught online via Zoom or Google Meet at your regular lesson time.

• In the case of inclement weather classes will be rescheduled to another date.

Discontinuing Lessons

• Your lesson time is reserved for you for a full semester so we ask that you give us 30 days notice for discontinuing lessons or classes so we may work to fill that space.

• There are no refunds or credits for missed or cancelled private lessons.

• If you discontinue your Music Together® classes with 30 days notice we will offer you a credit for the remaining classes to the next semester.