- Hilberts Music Tuition Studio Policy 2025 -
Thank you for choosing us for your piano tuition! In order to ensure that students get the most effective and creative teaching possible, we have established the following policies:
- Your enrolment will reserve your lesson place for the whole year. Current Term Dates can always be found on our website at hilbertsmusic.com
- Lesson Fees must be paid at the time of each lesson or in advance. Full term payment, by due date, gains you an additional discount.
- 'Buddy' Lessons: are weekly lessons where 2 students share a lesson. (Each student's family will be invoiced individually, except in the case of siblings).
- Lesson Length: Please take the correct lesson length for the grade/level the student is doing - ask your teacher for more info about this. (Note, there is an additional discount for longer lesson lengths, as part of our commitment to assisting families.)
- ‘Pupil Free’ School Days: Piano lessons will begin on the Monday in the first week of each school term. A pupil-free day at school won’t cancel your piano lesson. (Dates for each term can always be found on our website)
- Public Holidays: Lessons usually run at the normal times on public holidays, however if you have an unavoidable commitment due to the public holiday, please let us know a week in advance, and we will replace your lesson within the same week.
- Lesson Absence: Your lesson time is reserved for you, for the whole year - we guarantee to keep that lesson time just for you, and so when you are absent we cannot just fill that time with a new student.
However, we offer three alternatives to help you make the most of that time!
> Option 1: Use your absent lesson time for a phone lesson, or online lesson.
> Option 2: Use your absent lesson time by sending audio/video recordings to your teacher before the lesson, for feedback & practice help.
> Option 3: Swap lessons with another student - If you are interested in this option, you must put your name and phone number on the 'Swap List' beforehand! Please ask your teacher for more info about this. Alternatively, you can also use our Vacant Lesson List – ask your teacher for details.
For any planned absences please give one week's prior notice by email or text message (and as much notice as possible in the case of illness). All lessons, present or not, must be paid for.
- Teacher Absence: Very occasionally your teacher may be absent (for professional development courses, music competitions, exams, or due to illness). In this situation, lessons will be either carried out online at your normal lesson time, or rescheduled to a mutually convenient time, at the teacher's discretion.
- Music & Copyright: Original copies of current music for students must be purchased, otherwise parents/students are breaching copyright law. (Copyright fines in Australia are in excess of $1,000 per piece - For more info see: www.apra-amcos.com.au) We estimate that you need to allow about $100 per year for your music - however it may be a little bit more if the student is progressing more quickly! Buying music promptly helps students to progress & get the best value from your lessons. And of course, for 'studio licenced' or copyright-free materials) we are happy to provide sheet music free of charge.
- Students' midweek Practice time - In order to make reasonable progress learnign music it is important for students to play regularly at home between lessons.
> For beginners we recommend just five minutes daily.
> Through elementary levels daily practice 10 to 20 minutes are beneficial.
> Intermediate students (grades 2 to 5) need 20+ minutes daily.
> Advanced students (grade 6+) will need 60 to 90 minutes, 5 to 6 days per week.
We love to help students & parent make practice more engaging and effective – Please feel free to ask if you need help with this.
- Students will need an instrument at home to practice on each day. For beginners, a new or second hand instrument is fine. (For piano, a proper digital piano with hammer-weighted keys is fine too. Just avoid a 'keyboard' with spring-loaded key action as the touch is completely different, and doesn't allow students to develop hand and finger strength, or touch sensitivity, and this will significantly retard their progress. However, if you already have a 'keyboard', it can be used for the first few lessons, while sourcing a better instrument, ready to move on.)
- Please communicate with us either in-person, or by phone, email or text message (please avoid voicemail or Facebook, as these are not reliable).
If you have any queries about any points above, please feel free to phone Anne on 0402-824-353 to talk about it, we appreciate your feedback.
Congratulations on taking Music Lessons - There are many great mental, emotional, educational and neurological benefits gained in learning music!
The conditions above are not meant to be difficult or restrictive, but just to set out a good understanding from the beginning. This enables lessons to run smoothly, teachers to focus on giving creative & effective tuition, encouraging students to progress efficiently & happily in our music studio community. Thanks!