The following is not a contract or "practice agreement."  Rather, it is our way of informing students and families - and your way of letting us know that you understand - that doing your best to follow these guidelines is the best way to ensure progress, enjoyment, and development.

Guidelines for Students

1. Enjoy the music you are making and the process of learning.
2. Make sure to bring your assignment book as well as all needed books, music, and theory assignments to your lesson each week.
3. Be engaged, attentive, respectful, and cooperative at your lesson; put your best effort into your work.
4. Complete all assigned theory work and mark your practice log.
5. Practice only on the days that you eat.  If this is not possible, aim for at least 5 days per week and stick to a consistent practice schedule.  
6. Most importantly, come to your lesson prepared each week:

• Work equally on all portions of your assignment; don’t “pick and choose.”  You may need to practice for at least the length of your lesson to do this; sometimes more, sometimes less.
• Follow all practice directions and work on sections, spots, or entire pieces as we did together in your lesson; playing something over and over again, or simply playing through something is not practicing.
• Work slowly at first, carefully and consciously listening to the music you’re making and thinking critically about what you hear; don’t just “go through the motions” mechanically.
• Work on the “Learn On Your Own” or “Get Started On” portions of your assignment as diligently as you would a new piece we began together in your lesson; trying something once or twice for a minute or so is not what is meant by these sections.
• Put the same level of energy, commitment, focus, and effort into your weekly lesson preparation that almost always surfaces in our work as we approach a recital; while this kind of attention is important leading up to a performance, it should be present in our day to day work as well.  

We understand that students will make the most progress by following these guidelines and we will do our best to meet them as often, and as consistently, as possible.

Guidelines for Parents

1. Review the weekly assignment (either online or in your notebook, depending on your teacher) for the student at the beginning of each week to allow for a full week of constructive practice.
2. Mark the online practice log daily to record what has been accomplished during the week.
3. Maintain a dialogue with us via e-mail regarding the student’s progress or interests, questions about assignments, and any other concerns. 
4. Set a regular daily practice time and keep to it at least 5 days per week; 6 or 7 is even better! 
5. No matter how busy things get, do not allow for two consecutive days of missed practice to occur. 
6. Keep the lesson a weekly priority and cancel only if absolutely necessary.
7. Make sure students arrive on time or even a few minutes early and ready to begin.
8. Silently observe the lesson to help out with practice; feel free to ask any necessary questions at the end.
9. Provide the same quiet and positive environment for practice that exists during the lesson.
10. Try to make sure the practice environment is free from distractions such as: television, tablets/cell phones, computers, eating/drinking, friends or siblings, pets, and answering the door/phone.
11. It is most important that a student complete their entire assignment and correctly follow practice directions more than it is that they spend a certain amount of time at the piano. Practice sessions may need to be as long as the lesson time, more, or less, depending on what needs to be done on a day-to-day basis.
12. Make sure all theory assignments are completed.
13. Provide an adequate instrument and keep it in good working order.
14. Encourage and prioritize participation in regular studio recitals as well as performance opportunities offered outside of the studio through teachers' organizations and festivals.
15. Please inform us in advance of performance opportunities a student may wish to participate in through school or community organizations so that we may prepare them sufficiently to ensure a positive experience for them.