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School policies

Payments, makeup lessons, recitals, studio visits, and our Lesson Agreement.

Prices and payment buttons are on the Tuition page.

46-week plan (paid monthly over 12 months)

Our lesson “year” is 46 weeks spread over 12 months from the time lessons start, building in 6 weeks for vacation and other days off. This does not include winter break (December through January 1), spring break when schools are closed, or national holidays when schools are closed.

No lessons on national holidays, including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Typically no lessons are scheduled on October 31 (trick-or-treat) when it falls on a weeknight. These days can be rescheduled or counted as a vacation day.

The 46-week plan is our best value, with discounted rates for a year-long commitment from the month a student has the first lesson. This rate includes lessons over the summer months (mid-June through mid-September). Lessons and payments continue over the summer and payments are not suspended during this time. If a student cancels automatic payments for the summer but wants to resume in the fall, they will not keep the lower monthly rate, could lose their preferred time slot, and will be back-charged at single-lesson rates for lessons over the previous months.

When new students (school-age child or adult) sign up for monthly lessons, a 3-month minimum commitment is required at this rate. If lessons continue past 3 months, the same policy applies for payment over the summer months.

Stopping or suspending lessons

A four-week (one month) notice is required to stop lessons and discontinue payments. Tuition is not credited if lessons are stopped during a payment cycle. Our Lesson Agreement outlines the terms and conditions.

For students who have taken lessons for more than one year, a one-month notice is required for stopping lessons. You will be charged for the next month without a 4-week notice.

On the 12-month, 46-week plan, stopping lessons before the year is up can result in back-charges for the remaining hourly fee of the full tuition for lessons taken up to the point you leave.

Special circumstances and situations are always taken into consideration. It is better to have us suspend lessons if you want to continue later without penalties.

Lesson cancellation and makeup lessons

24 hours (or more) notice is required to reschedule a lesson that must be missed because of a schedule conflict. We are as flexible as possible with makeup lessons.

In the event of illness or a last-minute emergency, makeup lessons can be arranged with a grace period until the end of the month. Individual circumstances and how often lessons are missed are taken into consideration.

Makeup lessons can be on a different day the same week, including Fridays before 6 PM. In some cases a longer lesson, or lessons over the following weeks, can be scheduled. Each situation is taken into account.

Cancelling and rescheduling

For illness or a last-minute situation, please text your teacher. If you know in advance about plans that mean a missed lesson, please send a text to let the teacher know; the lesson can be rescheduled or counted as vacation time. Students can also tell teachers at their lesson that they will miss a lesson for vacation or other plans, to be confirmed later with parents.

Students are responsible for all scheduled lessons, whether they attend or not, if they remain on the schedule and do not give notice of missed lessons or of stopping lessons. Prepaid tuition is not refundable. Reminders are sent by text for rescheduled lessons (holidays or makeups); reminders are not normally sent for regular weekly lessons.

Teacher absence

Teachers will let students/parents know by text if they must cancel for illness, vacation or other time off, and will schedule makeup lessons for any regular lesson they cancel (there are no tuition refunds). There are no lessons over winter break, December through January 1. Teachers may be available over spring break for makeup lessons.

Recitals (twice a year)

Lessons at DenLee Music School include two student recitals a year. Recitals are an important part of the music-lesson experience. We do not charge recital fees, and taking part is voluntary.

The two recitals each school year are a Winter Holiday/Christmas recital (2nd or 3rd Sunday of December) and a Spring recital (late May before Memorial Day, or early June before school lets out). Recitals are on Sunday afternoons, start promptly at 4 PM, and last 1 to 1¼ hours.

Studio, online and in-home lessons

Studio lessons: most lessons are in person at our studio in Ambler, PA. We are a home-based music school and recording studio in the borough of Ambler.

  • Please arrive at your scheduled time rather than early (no earlier than a minute before); early arrivals please wait in your vehicle. Arriving late shortens the lesson.
  • Piano and vocal lessons: use the front door and ring the doorbell.
  • Guitar lessons: enter at the driveway entrance (bottom of the drive, where the recording studio entrance is).
  • Shoes off: please remove shoes before entering the lesson area. You may want to bring footies, slippers or socks (no bare feet, please!).
  • Drop-off and pick-up: there is plenty of free street parking. Parents can come in during the lesson (to observe, or wait in our comfortable waiting area with WiFi), or drop off and pick up at the end.

Online lessons are available when road and weather conditions are not safe for travel, if a student is not in the local area, or if meeting online is more convenient. We generally use Zoom; students schedule the Zoom lesson through their own accounts for better results. You need good WiFi and an up-to-date laptop or phone. Please:

  • Keep a pencil and eraser, a colored highlighter, and (optional) sticky notes or tabs by your instrument to mark pages for weekly practice.
  • Position the camera so the teacher can see the student's hands and instrument: from the front or side of the piano (not the student's back), and a full front view for guitar/ukulele.
  • Choose a quiet spot, free of background noise (family conversations, kitchen sounds), which makes hearing and concentrating hard.
  • A parent may need to help younger students (ages 6–8) during the lesson.

In-home lessons: there are limited openings for lessons in your home, weekdays 11 AM–3 PM and some evenings after 6 PM. Higher tuition rates for in-home lessons cover travel time, and a window of 10 minutes past the scheduled time is allowed for traffic. Online lessons can replace in-home lessons in bad weather, or makeup lessons can be arranged if possible.

Health and video lessons

Everyone visiting the studio washes hands on arrival, and we wipe down surfaces such as the piano, door knobs, railings and bathroom. The house has a whole-house filter with 3 commercial UVC lights in the ductwork, plus UVC lighting in lesson spaces.

If a student has a cold, flu or other contagious illness, or their school is closed for the same reason, please help protect other students and your teachers by joining us for a video lesson at your regular time instead. There is no extra charge. Text your teacher to set it up.

UVC lights in the studio ductwork

Lesson Agreement

New students on the 46-week / 12-month plan receive this Lesson Agreement when they enroll. Students over 18, or parents/guardians, are asked to sign two printed copies: one for DenLee Music School and one for your records.

Lesson Agreement with DenLee Music School: 46 weeks (paid monthly over 12 months)

  1. I agree to attend, or have my child attend, music lessons throughout the entire calendar year, from the month when starting lessons ____________ through ____________.
  2. I understand that I receive a discounted monthly tuition rate on this plan. I understand that as a first-time student, the student has a grace period of 3 months at this discounted rate to decide whether to continue or discontinue lessons.
  3. I understand that if I continue lessons after 3 months but stop before the 12-month cycle on this plan, I will be charged the full single-lesson tuition amount for lessons taken after the 3-month grace period, up to the time lessons stop.
  4. I understand that 6 weeks are built into this plan for vacations or time off. This does not include winter break, spring break or national holidays when DenLee Music School is closed.
  5. I understand that under this plan, students continue lessons during the summer months, and that payments will not be suspended for lessons missed beyond the 6 weeks of time off in the 46-week plan.
  6. I understand that automatic payments are processed the same week each month from the time I enroll. If another digital payment method is used, I agree to pay by the due date.
  7. I understand lessons are scheduled the same day and time each week and that it is my responsibility to remember scheduled lessons.
  8. I understand that to miss a lesson and schedule a makeup lesson, a 12-hour minimum notice is required by text to be guaranteed a makeup lesson. In the event of illness or emergency, a makeup lesson can be arranged the same week or as the teacher's schedule allows. Outside of illness, makeup lessons cannot be guaranteed without 12-hour notice.
  9. Teacher cancellations: when a teacher must cancel a lesson or take vacation time, makeup lessons are scheduled (no refunds).
  10. Lesson reminders: reminders for rescheduled lessons (holidays or other makeup lessons) are sent by text. Reminders are not normally sent for regularly scheduled weekly lessons.
  11. I understand that to stop/discontinue lessons, a four-week (one month) notice is required if I wish to stop lessons and discontinue payments. Tuition fees will not be credited if lessons are stopped during a payment cycle.
  12. For students who have taken lessons for more than one year, a one-month notice is required for stopping lessons. I will be charged for the next month if a 4-week notice was not given.
  13. On the 12-month, 46-week plan, discontinuing lessons before the first year is up can result in back-charges for the remaining hourly fee of the full tuition for lessons taken up to the point I leave.
  14. Special circumstances and situations will always be taken into consideration for stopping lessons. It is preferable to have the school suspend lessons if I wish to continue lessons later without penalties.
  15. I understand that I am responsible for knowing the DenLee Music School policies found at denleemusicschool.com/policy/.

I agree to the terms of the 46-week Lesson Agreement.

Student name: ______________________________
Parent name: ______________________________
Signature: ______________________________ Date: ____________
DenLee Music School teacher signature: ______________________________ Date: ____________