Please bear in mind that no two students are exactly alike, and children (as well as adults) learn at different rates of speed. Even brothers and sisters within families differ radically in motivation and temperament. Therefore, I approach students as individuals and attempt to challenge each according to their own unique potential. Music is not easy and may not always be "fun". However, given sufficient time and structured practice, it does become enjoyable to master the many different aspects of this art.

At MAI we dream of every student experiencing the joy and passion that comes with expressing themselves in music, learning their craft proficiently and becoming a success in their own right. So we need to know what success in your musical studies means to you! For some students music lessons are simply a part of a well-rounded education, for other students they provide a creative outlet, and for others they may be a fun activity or a way to build self-esteem, and yet for others they provide the foundation for professional musical pursuits. We are profoundly interested in what each student wants to accomplish through lessons, so that we can tailor lessons specifically for that student!

This is possibly the biggest key to success in lessons at our studio. Keeping communication open between students and instructors allows instructors to be able to continue engaging the student in the learning process.

Any and all electronic devices must be turned off before entering the piano studio. Such gadgets are extremely disruptive/distracting to students (and particularly annoying to me). Failure to comply with this ruling may result in the termination of lessons.

When the need arises, the studio shall determine which music books and supplies should be purchased. Music orders will require shipping, and may take some time. If any music needs to be ordered at the studio's expense, the studio needs to be reimbursed upon arrival of the music in order to prevent late charges.

SUPPLIES:

Students will be advised of the supplies/materials (method books, accompaniment tracks, sheet music, etc.) required for their lessons, and where they may purchase them. Students are responsible for purchasing these materials and for bringing the appropriate materials to each lesson.

There are only two national holidays when the studio will be closed, and for which there shall be no rate reduction: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The studio will be open for lessons on all other national holidays for those who choose to be here. If you will be gone on a national holiday, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may adjust my teaching schedule to better accommodate those who will be here. Again, please bear in mind that there are no "make-ups" nor rate reduction for those choosing to be absent on national holidays.

In addition, the studio is closed on each of the following holidays:

New Year's Day • Memorial Day • Independence Day • Labor Day

Lessons that fall on scheduled holidays (as listed above) will be rescheduled upon request. Many schools and businesses observe additional holidays (e.g., MLK, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, etc.). Please do not assume MAI is closed because public schools or other businesses are.

We do NOT follow the public school schedules. 

In addition to our closures for Christmas week and Thanksgiving week, each instructor receives two additional weeks (of his or her choice) of vacation time each year. These two additional weeks are built into the tuition, and tuition will not be credited or prorated due to these vacation weeks. The lessons that fall during these weeks will not be rescheduled. This is the reason that you are not charged extra when a month has 5 weeks 

Piano lessons continue as usual during the summer months. This is a private piano studio, and does not follow any type of "academic school year". If you and/or your family will be out of town at any time during the summer, please let me know well in advance so that I may adjust my teaching schedule.

If a student will be taking the entire summer off, I need to know at least two weeks in advance. I do not recommend this, however, since the student will lose so much progress during the hiatus. 

Although this is a private piano studio, and is not affiliated with any school district, it is no less an educational institution--and must be regarded as such. It is the position of this studio that piano lessons are to be treated with the same level of importance as any other subject your child may be studying in school. It is also the position of this piano studio that sporting events and other extracurricular activities are not considered valid excuses for not practicing during the week. As an instructor of piano, I would no more accept this reasoning than any other teacher at an educational institution. Sports and music may not always be mutually compatible, but need not be mutually exclusive. Please respect my curriculum and my commitment to your child's musical education by maintaining a priority level for piano studies equal to that of other school subjects--regard it as a "private extension" of academics that would otherwise be unavailable to your child.

Please park in my driveway, or the side road  in Pleasentview, but not in front of McLean Rd.

Please--do not use any of the neighbors' driveways for any reason. Don't forget, the studio is in a residential neighborhood.

The piano studio is part of art gallery and must always be regarded and respected as such. Please do your part to maintain the premises for the sanctity of the venue.

Please! No playing on the lawn, in the flowerbeds, around or in the water feature, etc. We work very hard to maintain these locations so that they may be enjoyed by everyone.

Parents:

Feel free to enjoy the sitting area by the deck before or during lessons if the weather is nice. If you should elect to sit outside during your child's lesson, the sitting area is an ideal location to read, relax, etc. Again, all we ask is that you respect the premises.

Obviously we will frown upon the disposal of gum and other debris on the premises. Please take your disposables of this sort with you.

Remember--the studio is part of an art gallery and must be regarded (and respected) as such. Please remove your shoes (check them before entering) during rainy weather or if they are dirty/muddy/gross underneath.

No food nor drink (except water) is allowed in the studio! Parents can seat in the kitchen area and feel free to prepare themselves a cup of coffee.

Please take personal responsibility to uphold this directive--it is very uncomfortable for us to have to continually remind people of this. If in doubt, don't bring it in.

Because the weather can change significantly from morning to evening, and because we keep hours that are generally opposite of school hours, we do not follow the closing schedules of local schools.

We make an independent decision regarding whether to close in cases where the weather and/or the roads pose a threat to our staff and students. If we close the studio due to weather, we will notify affected students via email, and we will happily reschedule cancelled lessons upon request. 

Our primary concern at MAI is the welfare and safety of our students, as well as that of our teachers and studio. For this reason, as well as for coaching and training purposes, we use visible, closed circuit security cameras and microphones in the studio. We encourage any questions regarding this; we have found that our students and parents appreciate this extra security measure.

PHOTOS & VIDEO:

From time-to-time, we take photos and video of students at performances or in lessons, for use in our online or print marketing. If you prefer that we not use your (or your student’s) likeness, please email us at sikora777@aol.com, and we will happily honor your request.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE:

All of the policies herein are subject to change at our discretion.

Have fun learning your instrument(s)! We are really excited about every student who joins MAI. We value every relationship, and hope that you will let us know if there is anything we can do to ensure you have a great experience with us!

We always welcome any questions you have. Simply call or email us and we'll be happy to help!

One-to-one education is very concentrated, and the bond between teacher and student can grow quite strong. Nevertheless, the studio reserves the right to terminate a student's lessons for the following infractions:

1. Inappropriate behavior toward the instructors on the part of the student. This includes violent outlashings, swearing, defamation of character, unacceptable advances or any other displays which fall outside the realm of common respect and decency.

2. Inappropriate behavior toward the instructors on the part of a student's parent(s). This includes all of the above.

3. Attendance at lessons in any type of intoxicated state.

4. Failure to pay monthly lessons in full.

If you should arrive early for your scheduled lesson time, please wait until no earlier than five minutes before your scheduled time before entering the studio. Further, please be prompt in picking up your child after his/her lesson if you must be absent during that time. Each student is entitled to his/her privacy during lessons--please work to extend to one another this very important courtesy.

Lesson time must remain as focused as possible--siblings are welcome to attend provided they remain still and quiet in the kitchen area. It is very difficult and tense if I have to teach while a sibling is walking/running/jumping around and making various noises during a lesson. Please take the initiative to remove a sibling from the studio should this situation begin to arise. Again, it is very uncomfortable for me to remind a parent of this procedure should the need arise, so please help me to keep the atmosphere of the lesson time free from such annoyances.

If a student and/or parent should decide to terminate lessons at any given time during the year, the studio requires a TWO WEEK WRITTEN NOTICE. Such notice must be delivered to Emmanuel Sikora, personally (or, mailed to our main office at 3090 Clute Rd., Cortland). The studio will not accept/recognize e-mails nor telephone messages as documentation for said notice. Regardless of when appropriate notice is given, such student/parent shall be financially responsible for the following two weeks/lessons, whether the student/parent chooses to attend or be absent.

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand what we expect from ourselves, our students and their families. We look forward to our musical journey together!

Sincerely,

Cortland Music, Inc. --Musical Arts Institute