Studio Policies

Home Play
Piano should be fun, exciting, and rewarding.  My main goal for children is to play every day. Period. Some days might be longer, some days might be shorter, but, I find it's better to play regularly than to do a marathon practice session the night before lessons.

Beginning students can usually practice about 2 times their age in minutes. So, a 4 year old may only practice 8 min./day while a 10 year old can be practicing 20  min./day.  The more advanced a student gets, the more time they will need to spend on practice, and it is not uncommon for older/advanced students to play 30 min to hours a day. I will have incentives for students who meet their practice goals and/or go above and beyond what I ask (ie memorize songs, write in the counting, etc.).

It is imperative that parents take an active role in helping their children achieve their goals. Parents should give positive daily support, and students should have fun and enjoy the piano!

Tuition
Tuition payment is due the first lesson of the month and remains the same regardless of the number of lessons actually attended.  You may make checks out to Celia Brasfield or pay in cash if you prefer. I charge $60/mo. for 30 min. lessons once a week,  $85/mo. for 45 min. lessons, or $110/mo. for an hour. 45 min. lessons are suggested for intermediate and advanced students.  As with dance lessons or a soccer league, you will not receive any refund for lessons missed that month. Make up lessons may be scheduled in advance and are subject to availability.

Recitals
Performance opportunities are very important for goal setting and a sense of accomplishment. I strongly encourage siblings and friends of the students to attend as well as the parents. We have 2-3 themed recitals throughout the year. I like children to play songs that are meaningful and exciting to them within the theme given; because not all music is available in beginning or intermediate levels, I often arrange a chosen piece to fit their level if possible. Examples of past recital themes are Classical, Show tunes, and Christmas music, Halloween music, etc..

Lesson Materials
Lesson materials and prices are not included in monthly tuition. I will let you know what books you will need to purchase and where you can purchase them. Students younger than 7 will usually use Music for Little Mozarts series. Beginning and Intermediate students ages 7 to 12 will usually use Piano Adventures by Faber and Faber, and older students will either use Faber's Accelerated Piano Adventure series or Bastien's Older Beginner Piano Course in addition to repertoire pieces I assign. I may provide or require additional music and books based on the student's musical preferences and goals.