LEONIE SHAKER PIANO
Studio Policies
2025
TERM DATES for 2025
Term 1
Mon 28 January
Fri 4 April
Term 2
Mon 22 April
Fri 4 July
Term 3
Mon 21 July
Fri 19 September
Term 4
Mon 6 October
Fri 12 December
LESSON SCHEDULE
Lessons are taught during Victorian public school teaching weeks, unless otherwise advised. If a lesson is scheduled on a public holiday, it will be credited.
Most terms will consist of 10 weeks. However, in 2025, the second term consists of 11 weeks, and the third term consists of 9 weeks.
Lessons are offered in 30, 45, or 60-minute sessions.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students will be expected to attend all lessons at the given lesson time.
Missed lessons - It can be understood that there are occasions where students will need to miss a lesson if they are sick, or another occasional personal reason. Students will be allowed one missed lesson per term for any reason which will be given as a credit in the following term.
Beyond this, no makeup lessons will be given.
If I need to cancel a lesson, the lesson will be credited to your account.
If you arrive late to the lesson, the lesson will still finish on time.
Public Holidays – Lessons which occur on a public holiday will be cancelled and credited to the account.
ILLNESS
Students with any symptoms of illness such as cough, runny nose, fever, vomiting (within 24 hours) should not attend the lesson.
If a student is not able to attend a lesson, as much notice as possible will be appreciated. Thank you.
PARENT ATTENDANCE
Parents are welcome at any time to observe their child’s piano lesson. It is a good idea for a parent to sit in on a lesson at least once a term to facilitate effective support at home for the student. It can be especially helpful for beginners to have a parent attend the lesson, and be available to help the student at home. For younger beginners – under 7, it is my studio policy that a parent should attend all lessons.
PIANO PRACTICE
Of course, no student will progress well in playing the piano without some sort of effort. Even those who pick it up quickly will reach a place where they need to practice to keep progressing.
Unfortunately, if a student is too busy with other activities, it can often be the music practice that misses out. It can help if parents make practice a priority for a child. For example, no TV, or video games etc. until practice is done, or whatever works as motivation.
It is expected that students will be able to find the time to practice at least 5 times per week. The length of practice will obviously vary depending on the age and level of the child. A good rule of thumb is to double the age of the child, and count it in minutes. So, a 7 year old would aim for around 14 min, and a 10 year old would aim for at least 20 min. But that formula will not work for an adult….. Students preparing for an exam will usually need to aim for more time.
However, I am aiming for ‘free’ practice time where the students will fiddle at the piano, and work things out for themselves, and work out some tunes by ear that they like, and go beyond the assigned work. When a student begins to do that, I give a silent cheer, because that’s the aim of the game – to get students to enjoy what they are doing, and not count the time!
HOMEWORK
In addition to practice, students will usually be given some homework. Beginners will focus on notes and basic theory (hopefully in a way that engages them), and older students will progress onto music theory. This should take no more than 10 minutes or so per week at first, but can increase as a student progresses.
RECITALS
There will be a small informal recital twice per year and students are encouraged to prepare for and attend all recitals. Usually, students will prepare 2 pieces, depending on the length of the piece. This is such good experience for students. It gives them regular goals to aim for, and therefore a good reason to practice! It also gives them practice in dealing with nerves in a supportive environment, and realising that there’s really nothing to be scared of. Of course, the afternoon tea which follows the recital also helps to give purpose to the recital! Parents and students alike enjoy a relaxed time together. It’s great to watch the students getting to know each other, and realising that they are not the only one who is learning piano.
Upcoming Recital dates:
Term 2, 2025: Sat 24 May
Term 4: 2025 Sat 15 November
HOME SET UP
Students will need either a good acoustic piano or a good quality digital piano. Most teachers, including me, will only begin lessons if an adequate instrument is available for the student to use.
If you buy a digital piano, there are 4 things to watch for:
(1) weighted keys;
(2) at least one sustain pedal rather than a pedal footswitch;
(3) piano bench/stand (rather than a cross stand)
(4) preferably 88 keys. Beginners often have to play the lowest and highest keys of the
piano, and it can be very disconcerting to find them missing on a 76 key or 66 key piano!
I have recently played a few of the entry level digital pianos and written reviews of a few models, together with some approximate pricing. Please have a look at the Frequently Asked Questions page on my website for more information, or ask me to email you a copy.
A good digital piano should be adequate for a student for 4-5 years, and take them through to Grade 4/Late Intermediate level. At this stage it will be really important to change to an acoustic piano. Of course, if you are able to buy an acoustic piano when a student begins lessons, that gives them a fantastic start.
If you buy a piano, there are also things to watch for. The main one is to be careful when you see a free piano advertised. There is no such thing as a free piano. It is usually the recipient’s responsibility to arrange transport to the new location, and a tune will also be required. Some old pianos have not been tuned for years, and if that is the case, it usually not worth the effort required to tune it adequately. An old piano may also require a great deal of work to restore it to the state of a good piano again. Therefore, it’s usually advisable to get a piano tuner to inspect the piano before committing to take ownership of the piano. So, assuming the piano tuner gives the go ahead, there is a cost of $200-$250 for the piano tuner appraisal, removal cost of $200-$300, as well as one or two tunes once the piano is in its new home ($200-$250 per tune). Once you have a piano, you really should get it tuned every year if you want to look after it well.
If you are not buy a new piano, it may be better to buy a second hand piano from a dealer who will provide a warranty. The dealer will arrange for delivery and will usually include the first tune.
To sum it up, students need good instruments on which to practice. If a student has an adequate instrument, it can make a big difference to practice motivation.
MATERIALS & MUSIC BOOKS
Copyright laws are very tight, and for good reason. As such, I will supply all music for students. A rough cost estimate per student should allow up to $200 per year for books and materials, and more if the student is undertaking more advanced work. Music can come in a variety of ways which include lesson books, individual pieces, and music downloaded with a purchased studio license for distribution. I will also supply materials to help with various aspects of music theory, especially note learning, flash cards and games.
A materials charge of $10 will be payable per term, and will be invoiced together with the term fees.
Books will be invoiced when supplied.
EXAM PREPARATION
Piano and theory exams are of course optional. Whether a student chooses to do an exam or not, I endeavour to cover the material for each level to ensure that students are progressing well. Students who want to do exams need to demonstrate a willingness to put in the required extra effort.
LESSON LENGTH
Standard lesson: 30 minutes
Exam students: 45min to 1 hour, depending on the grade.
2025 Charges:
Lessons will be billed per school term.
Fees must be paid before the first lesson of the term.
$42 per half hour lesson.
$63 per 45 minute lesson.
$84 per 60 minute lesson.
Materials fee: $10.00 per term.
Fees must be paid before the first lesson of the term,
Fees may be paid either by direct deposit or cash. Invoices will be sent to your email address.
