Student Policies

Our Guarantee to You:

At the Boston Music Academy we believe in providing our students the the absolute best music instruction possible. In order to insure that both you and your teacher are perfect fit we offer a two week assurance policy. If, within the first two weeks, you feel that your teacher is not the right fit for you or your child(ren) you can either withdraw completely and be refunded for any unredeemed lessons, or request a different teacher if one is available. If you choose to be placed with a different teacher, the same two week policy applies. At the Boston Music Academy we believe that we provide the absolute best in music education and want you to feel confident that we will deliver just that.

A Note on Student Policies:

At The Boston Music Academy we go to great lengths to audition and hire the absolute best teachers. As a measure of respect to these teachers we have established these policies to ensure that all of our teachers are treated fairly; and to guarantee our teachers' financial security, safety, and provide them with a situation where they can focus on delivering you the best music education possible.

Lesson Times and Duration:

• Lessons are scheduled weekly at the same day and time for the duration of the session. The schedules are based on each student's written time/day requests, as well as location. Because we are traveling to you, lesson times can vary by up to ten minutes + or - depending on weather, traffic, etc. 
• Your lesson begins when the teacher walks in the door and ends when they leave. Our teachers are scheduled with just enough time in between lessons to get from house to house. If you need to talk with your teacher, please do so at the beginning of the lesson, so that they can be on time for their next student. Please do not be offended if a teacher has to cut a conversation short..they are not being rude.. just considerate to the next student scheduled.  
• If a teacher arrives late for a lesson, they will continue to teach for the entire lesson time unless other arrangements need to be made. 
• If a teacher arrives, and no one is home, the teacher will only wait for fifteen minutes past the scheduled lesson time before leaving. In such a case, no makeup will be granted. If you know you will be late, please notify your teacher as quickly as possible so they can wait for you. Your lesson will be shortened accordingly.  
• Established lesson times are nearly impossible to change once a schedule is complete. Please remember this when signing up for other activities that may conflict with your lessons. Openings in a teacher's schedule are very rare. If you wish to request a time change, please notify The Boston Music Academy directly (not your teacher), as we handle all scheduling for our teachers. The request will be put on a list, and you will be notified of any possibilities as they become available. If changes cannot be made, you will forfeit any missed lessons beyond the one makeup you are granted per session.

Lessons Canceled by the Student:

• Each student is granted one makeup lesson per session. Notice must be given to The Boston Music Academy and/or your teacher no later than 12:00 noon on the day of your lesson in order to qualify for a makeup lesson.  
• There are four designated makeup days throughout the year. In addition, we schedule many makeup lessons during normal teaching hours. If several attempts have been made, and you are still unable to do a makeup through either of these means, you may forfeit the makeup lesson. 
• If you need to cancel after 12:00 noon on the day of your lesson, please notify your teacher directly at the number listed on the card enclosed with your enrollment package. 
• Should you need to cancel an already scheduled makeup lesson, another will not be offered. 
• Please cancel lessons if your child is sick and contagious to avoid risk to the teacher and his/her other students. The teacher reserves the right to leave a lesson if a student is ill. In such a case, no makeup will be granted.  
• Because the end of the year is so busy for everyone, cancellations in the last three weeks of Session 2 will not qualify for makeups. Likewise, students canceling in the last three weeks of Session 1 will only qualify for a makeup if they will be continuing in Session 2.

Lessons Cancelled by the Teacher:

• Lessons cancelled by your teacher are in addition to the one per session granted to each student. Your teacher will reschedule these directly at the soonest possible time. By contract, teachers are only permitted one personal cancellation per student, per session (this does not include snow days.) 
• There are occasions when a teacher needs to cancel more than the one lesson permitted. Naturally, they are responsible for making the lessons up. However, if you prefer to be refunded for any additional cancellations, rather than scheduling makeups, please notify The Boston Music Academy as soon as possible and we will gladly refund you for the missed lesson.

Winter Weather:

• Your teacher will notify you by 1:00 pm if they will not be teaching due to inclement weather. "Snow Days" will be made up at the end of the year on the designated days (see schedule.) **Please note that your teacher may choose to teach, even if school is cancelled. 
• PLEASE make sure that your driveway and walkways are clear of snow and ice to allow your teachers to enter without risk of injury. If it is too dangerous or difficult for the teacher to get into your house, he/she reserves the right to leave. A makeup will not be granted.

Progress and Practicing:

• Parents are always encouraged to communicate with their teachers either by phone, email, or at the beginning of the lesson for progress and practice information. 
• Students should practice their instruments as often as they can during the week. It is not enjoyable for the teacher or the student if they have to repeat the same things every lesson. The more the student puts into lessons, the more he or she will get out of them. As a general guideline new students are encouraged to practice a minimum on 15-20 minutes a day every day. Better results are achieved through consistent shorter practice sessions then one or two longer sessions that total the same overall length of practice time. 
• Many of the teachers write arrangements and/or transcribe music for their students. At no time should this music be reproduced or distributed without permission from the teacher.

Performances:

• Performance opportunities provide students with a tangible goal to work toward and allows them to experience the satisfaction of performing on their instrument for an audience. Each of our teachers will organize an end of the year recital in which all of their students are encouraged to attend and perform in. In addition to the performance benefits these recitals allow students to meet and connect with other students of the same instrument and hear some of our more advanced students. The details for the recital will be provided by your teacher as the end of the year approaches. All students are encouraged to attend the recital, but not required to participate.  
• Many of the teachers hold their recitals in one or more of their families’ homes. If you are interested in hosting a recital in your home, or can recommend another location, please contact your teacher or the office to let us know!

Tuition and Other Fees:

• Tuition is non-refundable unless you are unable to be scheduled according to your written time/day requests listed on the enrollment form. The only exception to this rule is outlined in our two week guarantee out lined above. 
• You will not be scheduled for lessons, nor will you receive lessons until tuition is paid in full. 
• Tuition for students starting mid-session will be pro-rated accordingly. 
• There is a $25.00 fee for returned checks. 
• Costs for lesson materials (lesson books etc.) are in addition to the tuition fees and are different for every student. Your teacher will discuss these with you directly.  
• There may be a small fee collected by your teacher to cover rental costs of a performance space for the end of the year recital. The amount depends on the cost of the space chosen, and is only applicable if you will be attending.