Academic Year Studio Policy
2 September 2025 through 26 June 2026 

Lessons are available from Monday through Friday, generally during the afternoon and evening.

Attendance and Billing Structure

• The Studio functions as a private music school on its own 10-month calendar, independent of any public or private school district calendars. The academic year is divided into two 5-month semesters: Fall/Winter (2 September 2025 - 31 January 2026) and Winter/Spring (1 February 2026 - 26 June 2026).
• The Academic Year Calendar, posted throughout the year on the Mallimo Piano Studio website, lists all recital dates and days when the Studio will be closed.
• Students are required to take weekly lessons.  Regular attendance is expected for all other dates not marked on the calendar.
• As with other private academic or arts schools, monthly tuition will be billed as a flat, consistent fee. The amount due each month will remain the same, regardless of planned or unplanned absences or days when the Studio is closed.
• Tuition is not billed based on monthly attendance and does not simply reflect time spent with students during lessons.  Beyond the regular administrative responsibilities of running a business, much of the time and effort we invest in our students goes into activities outside of weekly lessons.  Before or after a full day of teaching, and on weekends, time is spent preparing material to be taught, choosing appropriate repertoire to be studied, planning a student’s curriculum, looking for resources to help learning, searching for or preparing arrangements of songs a student wants to learn, and providing or looking for performance opportunities.  Additionally, tuition reflects our expertise, education, years of performing and teaching experience, and the decades of practice we’ve invested in our own training.​
• Tuition may be paid via Chase QuickPay, Zelle, Venmo, or check (in person or by mail).  Checks should be made payable to: Mallimo Piano Studio.  Chase QuickPay and Zelle payments should be sent to [email protected].  Venmo payments should be sent to @Mallimo-Piano-Studio.
• ​Tuition payments are due upon receipt of an invoice and must be paid no later than the 10th day of the month.
  • If one month's tuition is past due, then a $15 late fee will be added.  As a courtesy, one month’s late fees will be waived once per calendar year.  However, all other late fees must be paid. 
  • If tuition is more than 2 months past due, a student will be removed from the schedule and placed on the waiting list.  Once the balance is settled, the student will be reinstated on the schedule, provided there is still an available opening. 

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Registration Plans and Tuition Costs

• Students must choose to enroll in a Semester Plan or a Month-to-Month Plan.
  • We prefer that students enroll in a Semester Plan, as we can better structure their curriculum when we know they will attend for an extended period.  It demonstrates a higher level of commitment from the student. 
  • However, we understand if a student must choose the Month-to-Month option.
• Students on a Semester Plan will pay a lower monthly tuition, but must commit to an entire 5-month semester. 
  • Students will not be allowed to withdraw between September and January, or between February and June. 
  • If a student withdraws mid-semester, they will be billed for the remaining portion of the semester.
• Students on a Month-to-Month Plan will pay higher monthly tuition but are not required to commit to a full 5-month semester.  
  • However, to avoid being billed for the next month, we must receive 1 month’s advance notice that you will be stopping.

Lesson Length	Semester Plan Monthly Tuition ​Payment	​Month-to-Month Plan Monthly Tuition Payment
​30 minutes (5 and 6 year-old beginners only)	$200	$225
45 minutes	$272	$296
60 minutes	$360	$380

Student Absences

• The studio operates on a full schedule; please do not assume we can offer an alternative time if you cannot make your regular lesson.
  • We will have an opening in our schedule only if someone else has canceled.
    
  • Consistent weekly attendance must be a priority to ensure a student’s progress.  Except in a legitimate emergency (e.g., death in the family, unexpected injury/illness, ER visits), cancellations are strongly discouraged.
• All cancellations are made at the risk of a lost lesson.  Make-up lessons for student absences are neither guaranteed nor easily arranged.
  • Make-ups will be scheduled only if possible.
  • While we cannot make up every missed lesson, we will give serious consideration to making up lessons missed due to a legitimate emergency (e.g., death in the family, unexpected injury/illness, ER visits).
  • Monthly tuition payments will not be adjusted to account for student absences.
• Same-day cancellations not due to an emergency will result in a lost lesson.
• The majority of scheduling conflicts are known in advance: medical or dental appointments scheduled far in advance, school events, commitments to other activities, playdates, parties, sports, field trips, or vacations/family outings.
  • If you need to miss for one of these reasons and do not want to chance forfeiting the lesson, you must contact someone in the studio directory and temporarily exchange times with them for the week in question.
• An asynchronous lesson is always the easiest way to make up for a student’s absence that was not a same-day cancellation.
  • A student will record a video of themselves performing the week’s assigned work and submit it to us before the scheduled lesson they are missing.
  • We will review the video and provide written or video comments, guidance, and instructions.
•  It is the student’s decision whether to attend any lessons scheduled on religious holidays when the studio is open. 
  • ​If they choose to miss in observance, the absence will be treated the same as an emergency.

​Teacher Absences

• On the rare occasion that we need to cancel (for illness, emergencies, performances, etc.), students will be guaranteed a makeup lesson (scheduled at a mutually convenient time and before the end of the semester in which we were absent) or an asynchronous lesson.
• An asynchronous lesson is always the easiest way to make up for a teacher’s absence.
  • A student will record a video of themselves performing the week’s assigned work.
  • We will review the video and provide written or video comments, guidance, and instructions.

Inclement Weather

• In case of inclement weather, we will offer remote lessons instead of in-person lessons (if you usually come to the studio).
• Please do not assume that if school is cancelled, the studio will be closed.
• Monthly tuition payments will not be adjusted due to inclement weather.

Permanent and Semi-Permanent Schedule Changes During a Semester

• Please do not assume there will always be an open slot in the schedule to move to if you need to change your regular lesson time. ​
  • If you do not want to risk losing your place in the Studio Schedule, please contact us or check the Studio Schedule in your Family/Student Portal before making any commitments that would require you to give up your current time slot.
•  If you want to make a permanent or semi-permanent schedule change, there are several options:
  • Move to an open spot in our schedules, provided one exists.
  • Contact someone in the Studio Directory to arrange a permanent or semi-permanent switch.
  • Continue with asynchronous lessons until the schedule issue is resolved (and try to have a physical lesson whenever possible).
  • Continue paying tuition to hold your spot (without attending in person or completing asynchronous lessons), with the understanding that it may not be possible to make up every missed lesson.
• If none of these options is preferable and you still wish to relinquish your place in the Studio Schedule, you will be added to the waiting list after everyone currently on it.

Recitals and Performance Opportunities Outside of the Studio

• Unless it is too early in a student’s work, or for some reason they are not prepared, all students will have the opportunity to play in the Annual Spring Studio Recital and the themed Video Recitals.
  • Students performing in a recital may not miss any lessons in the 3 weeks leading up to the recital, except in an emergency.
  • Students who are not prepared may be asked to wait until the following recital to perform.
• Students who are interested and willing to commit to adequately preparing also have the opportunity throughout the year to:
  • Perform in festivals sponsored by our teachers’ organizations.
  • Perform in special events sponsored by our teachers’ organizations.
  • Enter competitions sponsored by various organizations.

Summer Lesson Requirement

• Students who wish to return to the Studio in September 2026 must register for either the 8-week or 6-week session during the Summer Term, or the Place-Holding Fee/4-week plan.  Please refer to the Summer Policy & Calendar for additional information.
• By choosing not to register for the Summer Term, a student is voluntarily relinquishing their place on the studio roster for the next academic year.
  
  • The places of all unregistered students will be offered to new students who wish to start over the summer.
    
  • Unregistered students will be placed on the waiting list with new students for the fall and offered a place on the studio roster only after the next academic year’s Fall Schedule has been completed, provided there is room. ​

New Student Trial Period

• Regardless of whether a student chooses the Semester Plan or the Month-to-Month plan, the first month for new students is always considered a trial period; that is, we won’t expect a commitment to the entire semester or continued month-to-month study until after the first month. 
  • At the end of the first month, the student or we may decide whether to continue our work together.

Studio Expectations

• A student putting their best effort into their work as often as possible, both in a lesson and at home during practice 
• A student engaging with the same respectful, cooperative attitude and behavior expected in any other learning environment
• Consistently paying tuition promptly
• Consistent weekly attendance
• Participation in annual recitals

Books, Materials, and Event Participation Fees

• We will provide a link to purchase all required books and materials, or we can purchase them on your behalf and issue an invoice for reimbursement.
• Most organizations require a single check from the teacher for participation fees for festivals, events, or competitions outside the studio.  We will issue a studio check covering the costs and provide you with an invoice afterward so you can reimburse us.

Student and Family Portals​

• All registered students and their families will receive an emailed invitation to set up a portal. 
• There are family and student portals, and except for really young students, it’s recommended to set up both.  The primary difference between the two is that the family portal will contain billing history records, whereas student portals do not (except for adult students).
• Families with multiple students will find it much easier for each student to access their assignments and log their practice when each student has their own portal.
• The Studio Calendar and Directory are accessible in everyone’s family and student portals.  Regular use of the directory will ensure that almost no lessons are actually missed or lost.  If you are unable to arrange a switch, the absence will be made up only if possible.
• Student Assignments and Practice Logs are accessible in everyone’s family and student portals.  Regular use of these will help a student maintain a consistent practice schedule and ensure they are working through everything correctly to achieve the best possible results.​
• Important Studio News and Announcements will be shared through and visible on the home pages of the student and family portals.
• Other Important Items available in student and family portals include: Helpful Articles and Suggestion Lists about practice for families and students, Billing History, Shared Files, Records of Borrowed Items, and Contact Information.   

All policies are subject to change.