Studio Policies

Tuition
Tuition is based on a 40-week year and is due in 12 equal monthly payments. The remaining 12 weeks not charged in tuition cover breaks for national holidays, sick days, vacations, or other student or teacher cancellations not covered by make-up lessons (see below).

2026 Tuition Rates
30-minute lessons: $22.50/lesson ($75/month)
60-minute lessons: $42/lesson ($140/month)

Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. Invoices will be emailed one week prior to the due date. If payment has not been received by the end of the month, lessons will be suspended until all previous charges are accounted for. Payments may be made by cash, check (payable to Allycia Shepley), Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, and Zelle.

Tuition includes reserving the student’s weekly lesson time, lesson planning, recital preparation and attendance, supplementary sheet music and materials (personal lesson books purchased separately), student incentives and rewards, and any additional studio expenses. Tuition is not adjusted for student absences, but make-up lessons may be scheduled with advance notice (see below). Frequent late payments may result in student dismissal at the teacher’s discretion.

Holidays
The national holidays on which lessons will not be held are as follows:
New Year – full week off
Memorial Day – Monday off
Independence Day – July 4th off
Labor Day – Monday off
Thanksgiving – Wednesday-Friday off
Christmas – full week off

Cancellations & Make-Up Lessons
Tuition reserves a set weekly time for each student; therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to attend their reserved weekly lesson time. Please plan to schedule nonessential events around your reserved lesson time as rescheduling is not always possible. If you must cancel a lesson due to a conflict in schedule, please give at least a 24-hour notice of cancellation so the teacher can plan accordingly. Students who are absent for more than a month of lessons may forfeit their place in the studio schedule unless their lessons have been prepaid (see policies for summer break below).

Students may reschedule a missed lesson only if a minimum of 24 hours’ notice is given (exceptions may be made for emergencies on a case-by-case basis). The teacher will attempt to reschedule the lesson within 30 days of the cancellation, but make-up lessons cannot be guaranteed due to a highly limited studio schedule. If no spot is available within 30 days, the lesson will be forfeited. If a student misses a make-up lesson with little or no notice, it may not be rescheduled.

Out of consideration for the teacher and other students, please do not attend lessons if the student is experiencing any symptoms of illness. If a student arrives sick, the lesson may be cut short and the piano sanitized before the next student arrives. If illness or adverse weather prevents meeting for lessons, students may be given the choice to either have the lesson over Zoom/FaceTime or have a video recorded during their lesson time and sent as a YouTube link.

Summer Break
Though not required, students are strongly encouraged to continue lessons through the summer. Students who miss many consecutive lessons are less likely to feel motivated to practice, which results in loss of progress over long periods of time. The teacher also cannot reserve unpaid spots for months at a time, so spots left empty may be filled during the summer. However, if you do decide to take time off during the summer, several options are available to you.

1. If you want to continue through the summer but cannot attend regularly, lessons may be scheduled week by week at the base rate of tuition ($22.50/$42 per lesson). If specialty group classes are being offered, students may also reserve their spot by participating in available summer classes. This option is only valid from June-August. The full month’s tuition must be paid to reserve the student’s spot during the busier school months regardless of the number of lessons attended.

2. If you want to fully take off summer break but are concerned about losing your spot for the fall, you can reserve your spot by prepaying for the month of September. Extended breaks into the school year will be charged by the month to continue reserving the student’s spot.

3. If you want to take the summer off but do not want to prepay, you can reach out to reschedule your lessons in the fall. Students cannot be guaranteed the same lesson spot with this option. It is recommended that students who choose this option reach out before August to reschedule their lessons before the back-to-school rush. If no spots are immediately available, returning students will be given the option to join the waiting list and be notified when a spot opens up.

Discontinuing Lessons
If you wish to terminate your lessons, please notify the teacher before the 1st of the upcoming month. Students are not required to finish the current month after choosing to stop lessons, but refunds will not be issued for the remaining lessons if a student drops out mid-month. Students may also be dismissed at the teacher’s discretion for any of the following reasons: unpaid or frequently late tuition, excessive absences, difficult or inappropriate behavior, and unwillingness to participate in lesson activities.

Contact
Students and parents are welcome and encouraged to communicate questions or concerns with the teacher at any time.
Email: For invoices and formal studio-wide announcements, communication will be sent through email by ashepley@joyfulnoisepianostudio.com.
Phone: For quicker contact (last-minute cancellations, running late, etc.), please text (336) 932-2126. Quick responses cannot be guaranteed via email and phone calls will not be answered during other students’ lessons, so text is the best method for quick communication.
Facebook: For regular updates on what’s going on in the studio and related musical content, connect with us through Facebook.