About the Studio

Getting Started

1. Piano students (“students” refers to minor students and their parents, or adult students) must have acoustic pianos at home for practicing.
2. One parent will observe the lessons of students who are 2nd grade and under. This parent will commit to coaching daily practicing.
3. All students must practice according to the requirements in the Student Handbook; practicing is not optional.

Performance Opportunities and Events

1. Optional performance opportunities and events may include recitals, festivals, competitions and written music theory exams. These may have registration fees.
2. The teacher will determine the appropriateness of events for each student and is not obligated to register students for events. The teacher reserves the right to withdraw students from events if they are not prepared or if they discontinue lessons through The Piano Spot. Event fees are nonrefundable.

Studio Schedule

1. Students will be scheduled for weekly lessons beginning August 17, 2025 – May 17, 2026, with the following exceptions. Lessons will not be taught: November 23 – 30, December 20 – January 4, March 8 – 15.
2. Although unlikely, this schedule may be changed by the teacher. Lessons may be changed by the teacher to virtual lessons in the event of unforeseen circumstances (e.g., teacher illness, pandemics, etc.). Students agree to take these virtual lessons as scheduled if this occurs. Students may choose to have virtual lessons instead of in person lessons during the year for any reason.
3. During the school year, a maximum of three cancelled lessons per student with prior notice can be rescheduled in the following summer.
4. During the summer, students will take a minimum of four lessons in addition to rescheduled lessons from the school year. The four summer lessons are factored into the monthly tuition payments. Students (especially beginners) are encouraged to take weekly lessons throughout the summer. Additional summer lessons will have per lesson fees.
5. For summer cancellations or summer rescheduling, please give 48 hours’ notice unless there is a sudden illness or emergency. Missed summer lessons without notice will not be rescheduled or refunded.

Tuition and General Studio Information

1. The monthly tuition payments are for lessons between August 17, 2025, and May 17, 2026, and four summer lessons. Tuition has been averaged into eleven equal monthly payments regardless of the number of lessons per month.
2. Tuition payments are due the 1st of the month, August through June. Monthly tuition fees are $140 for 30-minute lessons, $190 for 45-minute lessons, and $275 for 60-minute lessons. Tuition payments are paid through Zelle.
3. There is a $10 late fee for payments not received by the due date. Lessons will be cancelled and not rescheduled or reimbursed if they have not been paid for in advance due to a late payment.
4. Books will be obtained by the teacher and paid for by the student.
5. Students may discontinue taking lessons with 30 days’ notice. If a student discontinues lessons during the school year, the student’s cancelled lessons from the school year will not be rescheduled or refunded.
6. The teacher may discontinue teaching a student at any time. If this occurs, the student will be reimbursed for prepaid lessons not taken. There are no reimbursements for instruments, books, or other materials that the student purchased.
7. Lessons will start and end at the scheduled lesson time.
8. If a student, student’s sibling(s), parents, or other individuals the student brought to lessons or Piano Spot events cause damage to The Piano Spot property or to other venues/property, the student agrees to pay for the damage.
9. Students and those in attendance with students (e.g., friends, family) at lessons, recitals, competitions, or other events through The Piano Spot, KMTA or other hosting organizations, agree to hold harmless Kathleen Daugherty, the property owners of The Piano Spot studio and/or owners and operators of other related venues and functions from all liability pertaining to but not limited to physical, personal, emotional injury and/or property damage.
10. The teacher reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. The policy will remain in effect until further notice. If the policy is changed, students will be notified in writing.

Lesson Procedures and Etiquette

1. Enter the studio when it is your lesson time or 2 minutes prior but not earlier. Silence all electronic devices.
2. Siblings and/or friends of students may be present for lessons if a parent is present and the children remain seated and quiet. Toddlers and babies cannot be present for lessons.
3. No food or drinks will be allowed except for a drink that an adult caretaker may have. Students may not chew gum.
4. Have nails clipped short prior to lesson and keep nails short for practicing. Remove all bracelets, rings, and watches prior to lesson and when practicing.
5. For students 2nd grade and under, at least one parent or adult must remain in the studio during the lesson, although all parents (regardless of student age) are welcome to be present for the lessons.
6. Parents present for the lesson should be silent observers unless there are questions about the assignments. Ask questions prior to the end of the lesson.
7. If there are questions outside of the lesson regarding assignments, ask the teacher at the next lesson.
8. Be organized – Bring all necessary materials to every lesson and ensure that practice logs have been filled out.
9. Students are expected to behave appropriately and be respectful. In the event that a student is behaving inappropriately, the lesson may be concluded early by the teacher. The student will not be reimbursed for this lesson.
10. Discussions regarding student progress should occur during the scheduled lesson time.

Practicing Environment

1. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that students practice. Practicing cannot be optional.
2. Do not let young students practice without assistance. Ask the teacher whether or not your child is ready for independent practice sessions.
3. Keep your acoustic piano in a clean, quiet, organized place in the home. Have your piano tuned by a professional piano technician 1-2 times per year or as recommended by a technician.
4. Ensure that students sit with proper posture when they practice, at a proper height on a piano bench. Have an adjustable bench or “pads” available to students.

Practicing Requirements and Strategies

1. For minimal progress, practice daily 5-6 times per week, 30 minutes each session, mastering assignments on the Google Doc Lesson Sheet. A minimum of 45 minutes to an hour daily is ideal, especially for advancing students, and highly recommended.
2. Students with poor practicing habits may not be scheduled for upcoming recitals and/or other performances.
3. Practice everything on the lesson sheet every day. The lesson sheets are available online via EverNote. Students should especially focus on “practice zones.”
4. Students should work toward fluency (playing without mistakes, pauses, stumbling, etc.), accuracy, and performing at a “Level 4” for lessons. See the “Practice Levels” hand-out for specific practicing steps and performance diagnosis solutions.
5. If a student has mastered everything on the assignment sheet, the student should play their assigned songs repeatedly, play review songs, start learning a new piece, sight-read through pieces or play more technical exercises. Note: Rates of progress are directly related to 2 things: (1) The amount of time spent practicing every day and (2) The quality of practice time. Students will progress at slower rates if their practice time is lacking in one of these aspects.

This is a portion of the Student Handbook. Contact Ms. Kathleen for the complete Student Handbook.