General Policies
Specific Dates the studio will be closed can be seen on the Important Dates page and the Studio Calendar in the Student Portal for each semester.
Unfortunately, there are no makeup lessons. Instead, students may attend an extra class during any Collaboration Week.
If the teacher needs to miss a lesson, they will give adequate notice and reschedule the lesson in a timely manner.
As teachers usually have several students in a row, they will not be able to give a full lesson for late arrivals, so please be on time to your lesson.
Suncoast generally will not be able to change the schedule once the semester starts, so please let them know of any scheduling conflicts you foresee before setting lesson time for the semester.
Even if you are just trying out lessons, it takes at least a semester to notice real progress. Please treat lessons as a commitment for at least one semester, or better yet, a full school year. If there are extenuating circumstances that cause you to need to quit before the semester is up, please see the Lesson Termination Policy (bottom of page).
Tuition
Students are guaranteed 40 weeks of instruction. 35 weeks are during the school year, and 5 are during the summer. Tuition is divided equally over 12 months, and the responsible party will receive a monthly invoice from August 2024 - July 2025. See tuition page for pricing.
Collaboration Week (three per semester)
Only for students in private lessons: classes during collaboration week give students an opportunity to play with and for other. These weeks are designed to help students prepare for recitals and learn to play as a group. Each semester has three collaborative weeks included in the 40 weeks of instruction. Students may choose which day/time to attend and sign up on the calendar in the student portal. Classes are 1 hour in length with approximately five students. See the calendar for dates.
Inclement Weather (non-hurricane)
Suncoast will close if we deem it unsafe for students to travel to the studio. We will notify students via email and social media. Should the studio be closed due to weather, online lessons will be used.
Hurricane
Suncoast Music will follow school closures for hurricanes. If schools close, then Suncoast Music will also close. The first Saturday in January is hurricane makeup day.
June & July Lessons
Students are guaranteed five lessons over the summer. These may be scheduled using the calendar on the student portal. Three lessons may be applied towards one ensemble workshop.
June Ensemble Workshops
Ensemble workshops are designed to get students playing together, a crucial skill as a musician! Workshops are conducted over two days for 3 hours each day. Please reserve your spot using the calendar in the student portal.
Communication
We communicate primarily via email. Please do not text. You are responsible for checking your email to receive important information from the studio. If you have questions regarding billing or other issues, please email alison@suncoastmusicstudio.com.
Music and Materials
Your teacher will let you know what books or materials you need, which are easily purchased on Amazon. Students are responsible for purchasing all materials and bringing them to lessons.
Recitals and Performances
We will have a mid-December and late April recital. See Important Dates for exact dates and locations.
Termination of Lessons
If there are extenuating circumstances and a student needs to quit before the semester is over, 30 days' WRITTEN notice (email or letter) is required, and tuition will be charged for the lessons within that 30 day period, whether they are taken or not. Tuition is non-transferable.