Effective 1^st of July 2023.

Lesson Duration

A standard lesson is for 30 minutes. However, I do offer 1 hour lessons for students who need extra time or are preparing for an exam or performance. I also offer shorter lessons for the very young or for special circumstances at my discretion (please enquire with me).

I normally work to your state’s school terms. I will notify you if there is a change to the next term before I invoice you. I can normally take students over the school holidays (Online lessons or at the Bethanga Studio) if desired, but lesson times may vary without sufficient notice. Please enquire if you are interested.

For the first lesson, I prefer if a parent or guardian can accompany the student for the full duration of the lesson.

Lesson Materials

Face to face lessons

I normally have most of the books on hand but if not, I can normally get them in before your next lesson. (Please see special books later on for special orders.) You can also opt to source the books yourself.

Online Lessons

I will provide you with all the information for you to supply your own books. These books need to be exactly what is specified otherwise I will not be able to teach the student.

Lesson Notes

Lesson notes will be taken during the lesson in My Music Staff and you can access them after the lesson. (Please see below for full details on My Music Staff.)

Please note that I have a form of dyslexia so my spelling may be wrong from time to time. Most students do not have a problem with this, but if you or your child are having trouble understanding what needs to be done, please let me know. Also, due to dyslexia, I will from time to time check things on my phone. I will only do this when I feel it is necessary. Thank you for your understanding.

Lesson Fees

Bethanga Studio and Online Lessons

Trial lesson 30 min $30

Lessons paid for by the full school term only:

30 min $40 per lesson

1 hour or Family Rate $75 per lesson

Studio Fee per Term $20

Next year’s lesson Deposit $100

If you have paid for the term and need a 1 hour lesson, I will charge the extra $35 when you need the lesson.

I also offer families with more than one student attending the 1 hour lesson discounted rate. Please enquire if you have more than 2 students looking for lessons.

Next term’s lesson fees need to be paid for by the last Wednesday of the previous term or 3 weeks before the start of the first term of the year.

I charge a studio fee. This fee covers printing costs, various teaching materials and electronic overheads and is not refundable.

Next year’s lesson deposit is to guarantee your lesson time for the next year. The deposit will be credited to the first term’s invoice. If you decide not to pay the deposit, your lesson time will not be guaranteed and you will forfeit any rights to retain your existing lesson time.

Thurgoona Community Centre

Trial lesson 30 min $40

Lessons paid for by the full school term:

30 min $40 per lesson

1 hour or Family Rate $75 per lesson

Studio Fee per Term $20

Next year’s lesson Deposit $100

Next term’s lesson fees need to be paid for by the last Wednesday of the previous term or 3 weeks before the start of the first term of the year.

I charge a studio fee. This fee covers printing costs, various teaching materials and electronic overheads and is not refundable.

Next year’s lesson deposit is to guarantee your lesson time for the next year. The deposit will be credited to the first term’s invoice. If you decide not to pay the deposit, your lesson time will not be guaranteed and you will forfeit any rights to retain your existing lesson time.

Please note for all studios:

All term fees are for that term only and will be billed for the number of weeks in the term. All lessons are to be taken within that term with a maximum of 2 makeup lessons offered for missed lessons. All makeup lessons must be taken before the commencement of the next term. Any outstanding lessons not taken will be forfeited. Please note that all makeup lessons will be held at the Bethanga Studio or online.

Makeup Lesson Bookings:

I open up any cancelled lessons and open slots on the calendar.  You can see the calendar at home and book a makeup lesson on the student portal. It will be up to you to check the calendar and book the makeup lesson. Please check at least weekly or every day to see if there is an open slot for the next day.

You can find the number of make-up lessons you have in the student portal. If you can’t access the student portal please let me know and I will reset your password for you. 

To book a makeup lesson go to the student portal, select the calendar under the left-side menu, select the time you would like and follow the prompts. Please note the location of the lesson and type of lesson as weekend lessons will only be online. I will be opening up two to three sessions towards the end of every term on the weekends to allow you to book your makeup lessons. All makeup lesson bookings need to be booked 12 hours before the time of the lesson.

Payment

Once I have received your completed application form, I will issue you an invoice.

I will issue an invoice 3 weeks before the end of the previous term or 4 weeks before the start of the first term of the year. Payment is to be made in full for all lessons by the last Wednesday of the previous term or 3 weeks before the start of the first term of the year. If lessons are face to face and paying by card, please notify me before the due date and I will take payment at the start of your lesson.

You can make payment by

Cash, Eftpos, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay (Face to Face Lessons Only), Direct Deposit, Afterpay and Paypal.

If you would like to pay by EFT, my bank details are as follows:

BSB / Account No: 633-000 115221996

Account Name: Elizabeth Houston

Osko/PayID: 0429 382 102

Paypal: info@docemusic.com.au

Please note all payment descriptions with the student’s name.

Please notify me by email, phone or text, the date and amount paid when you have made a payment.

If you wish to use Afterpay please let me know before your due date and I can organise your preferred payment option. You can pay in person or I can send you a link so you can pay with Afterpay.

There is a 7% surcharge for Afterpay to cover their processing and administration costs.

If you start halfway through the term, you will be charged for the remainder of the term from your starting date.

For all online lessons, payment is to be made in advance by Osko/PayID, Afterpay or Paypal.

Exam or competition entry and speciality book orders

I require all exam and competition entry fees to be paid in full before the entry can be placed.

For speciality book orders I require a deposit of $20 to be paid before the order is placed. Please note speciality books are books that I do not normally use or stock.

Cancellation:

If you need to cancel or change your lesson time for a one-off, I prefer to have 1 week’s notice, but please let me know as soon as you can and we can try and make other arrangements. Please note that there are extremely limited options for changes. 

Lessons paid for by the term may have a maximum of 2 makeup lessons offered for missed lessons per term. All makeup lessons must be taken before the commencement of the next term. Any outstanding lessons not taken will be forfeited. Please note that all makeup lessons will be held at the Bethanga Studio or online.

I send a free SMS reminder service that is sent 3 hours before your lesson time.  Please note this service is turned on automatically. This option can be turned off on request.

If I need to cancel a lesson, I will endeavour to give you as much notice as possible.  There will be no charge if I must cancel a lesson.

Cancellation due to illness or emergency only:

I understand that kids and adults get sick. It goes without saying that if you are too sick for school or work, you are too sick for a lesson. Please do not share those germs around, we all do not need to get sick.

Anyone who attends a lesson that is sick will be turned away and will not be offered a makeup lesson. If anyone is feeling sick before their lesson, please contact me as soon as you can and we will rebook you for an online lesson or a makeup lesson if possible.

I require 2 hours notice of lesson cancellation for you to be able to have a makeup lesson.  You may either call or SMS.  If I am in a lesson or do not answer my phone, please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.  If I have not received some form of communication from you within 30 minutes of your lesson time, you will not receive a makeup lesson.  I take special circumstances into account on a lesson by lesson basis.

Refunds:

If you have paid for the term and have to stop lessons for unforeseen circumstances, I will give you a refund at my discretion.  I required written notice 2 weeks in advance stating the reason for terminating lessons. I will not accept that the student has had enough etc. as the reason. When you pay for the term, I expect a commitment for that term. If you are attending the Thurgoona Community Centre and have paid for the full term you will receive a refund at my discretion of the remaining lessons at the time of cancellation minus any incidental costs.

Termination of Lessons:

I require written notice a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the end of the term to terminate your lessons.

If you decide over the summer holidays to not return, please let me know as soon as you can. I require a minimum of 3 weeks written notice before the start of the term for you to receive a refund of your lesson deposit.

Terms and Holidays:

I work to your state’s posted school holiday schedule. If you need to change any of the term times, please contact me four weeks before the end of the term before you need the change.

Because of the differences between the states, I will be working all public holidays except National Public Holidays and all lessons will be billed accordingly.

Studio Time Zone and Daylight Savings:

Due to the majority of my students being in the AEST (AEDT) region, I run the studio on this time zone. Students in states that do not observe daylight savings time will have to adjust their lesson times to suit the changes or look at another timeslot if available. It is up to you to contact me about any changes you may require.

Practice:

I expect all students to practice. No practice, no advancement. Five days a week is optimal, but I understand this is not always achievable. As a guide, for the very young, 5 to 10 minutes of supervised practice and for older students at least 20 to 30 minutes. I will set out what targets need to be achieved in the student’s music diary.

For younger students, a parent or guardian needs to ensure the student is practicing regularly. If you are having trouble with this please let me know and I can give you some suggestions or resources that may help.

Attendance:

When you start your lessons, your lesson time is allocated to you until you change that time (if other options are available), even for the next year. Please arrive on time or be waiting in the online meeting room so you can get the most out of the lesson as I try to run to a strict time schedule.

If you need to speak to me, please do so during your lesson time or give me a call. If you need to speak to me in the lesson, do not leave it until the lesson is over and please give me notice that you need to talk with me so we do not run over time as I normally have the lesson planned out in advance. 

I require 2 weeks notice to change your permanent lesson time (if other options are available). Please let me know as soon as you can if you need to change your time. I cannot guarantee that you will be able to get the time of your choosing, but I can always put you on a waiting list for that lesson time.

My Music Staff:

I use a program called My Music Staff to run my studio. This program has a student portal where students and parents can log in to see various information. I will send an email with a link to log in and set your password.

The portal is where your lesson notes will be available for you to access. There is also a section to log practice.   

Covid-19 policies and procedures for face to face lessons if required:

If a requirement, everyone attending a lesson must be signed in using the appropriate government check in app and use the relevant QR code at the entry. I must sight that the sign-in has been completed.

If either Victoria or New South Wales are placed into lockdown (depending on the location of lessons and the restrictions) all lessons will move online and there will be no refund or makeup lesson offered if you decide not to take lessons online.

All lessons will be held on a digital piano due to Covid-19 cleaning requirements.

All students and anyone attending with the student will be required to wear a face mask. This is due to the fact we have a lot of trouble maintaining the 1.5m distance during lessons. This is for everyone’s safety. If there is a medical reason for not wearing a face mask, please contact me.

Students and persons attending lessons please wait in the car at the Bethanga Studio and wait at the room door of the Thurgoona Community Centre. I will come out to get you when it is your lesson time. This is to ensure that cleaning is completed from any previous lesson and there is no crossover with other students leaving.

All students and any persons attending a lesson with a student will be required to sanitise their hands before entering and upon leaving the premises.

Anyone who attends a lesson that is sick will be turned away and will not be offered a makeup lesson. If anyone is feeling sick before their lesson, please contact me as soon as you can and we will rebook you for an online lesson or a makeup lesson.

If required, anyone that attends a lesson understands that their details will be passed on to the appropriate authorities for contact tracing if there is a suspected case of Covid-19 and they have attended the suspected premises during the infectious timeframe.