Studio POLICIES
Private individual music lessons are provided on a weekly basis, with lessons for 30-, 45- or 60-minute sessions. Lessons are conducted weekly at a specific day and time reserved for each student. All lessons will take place at the Instructor’s home studio.
TUITION DEPOSIT
A $50.00 Tuition Deposit per student is needed to secure the student’s placement in the Instructor’s schedule at the beginning of each term. If the student completes the term without terminating lessons early, this $50.00 deposit will be applied as a credit toward the final tuition payment of the term. The Tuition Deposit will be forfeited if the student terminates lessons before the end of term.
TUITION
The 6-month tuition plan for private lessons is based on the Studio schedule starting Sunday, July 5, 2026 and lasting through Saturday, December 19, 2026. All specified holidays and other days the Instructor is unavailable to teach are subtracted from the total number of possible lessons for this timeframe. The tuition for the scheduled lessons is then averaged into 6 monthly installments, the first of which is due June 30, 2026. Upon payment of tuition, the Instructor, John Haggerty, will instruct the students in their concentration of choice and related subjects in scheduled weekly lessons.
Tuition for all students is charged as follows (based on 22 lessons offered this term, July 5—December 19, 2026):
30-minute lessons: $792 per term (or $132/month)*
45-minute lessons: $1,188 per term (or $198/month)*
60-minute lessons: $1,584 per term (or $264/month)*
*Students beginning lessons after the start of term are not required to pay previous months’ tuition installments; however, the full Tuition Deposit remains necessary upon registration to reserve the student’s placement in the Instructor’s schedule for the remainder of term. Monthly Tuition rates will remain as listed above and will not be prorated at the per-lesson rate of the term.
STUDIO CALENDAR
Sunday, July 5, 2026: First day of term (lessons begin)
Sunday, August 9 — Saturday, August 15, 2026: Summer Break (lessons resume Sunday, August 16, 2026)
Sunday, November 22, 2026 — Saturday, November 28, 2026: Thanksgiving Break (lessons resume Sunday, November 29, 2026)
Saturday, December 19, 2026: Last day of term (the first term of 2027 will begin in January; the exact date is TBD)
Each tuition installment is due in advance, and the Instructor reserves the right to withhold lessons if payment has not been received. Each installment is due on the last day of the month previous to the installment month—for example, tuition for August 2026 will be due July 31, 2026. An invoice will be sent on the 25th of each month to the primary contact email for the following month. Payments will be accepted via cash, check (made out to “John Haggerty”), or electronic payment via the Student Portal, Venmo (@John-Haggerty-3), Cash App ($jehaggerty), or ApplePay (443.852.3951). If enrolled in Auto-Pay, the card on file will be automatically processed on the 25th when invoices are sent. For manual payments, balances must be cleared by the last day of the month. Any payments made through the Student Portal (whether done manually or via Auto-pay) will incur a 3% convenience fee.
All students must have a card on file in My Music Staff. To add a card to your account:
Log in to the Student Portal.
Select “Account & Invoices” from the menu on the left.
Select “Manage Payment Methods” at the top of the screen.
Select “+ Add New”.
Enter your card information.
Check the “Auto-Pay” box to enroll in automatic monthly payments.
select “Add” to save your information.
The card on file will only be charged automatically if enrolled in Auto-Pay or in the event of a late payment. If payment is not received by the last day of the previous month, the card on file will be charged. Declined payments will incur a late fee equal to 20% of the monthly installment.
LESSON MATERIALS
Students, parents, and guardians are responsible for the purchase of their own instruments, books, and other lesson materials specified by the Instructor. The student must bring their lesson materials to every lesson. If the student does not bring their lesson materials, the Instructor may opt to cancel the lesson and the student will be charged.
PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS
Independent practice outside of lessons is essential for musical progress. Weekly lessons are designed to establish specific goals and instructional methods. Students are expected to work on these assignments at home to prepare for their next lesson.
When practice falls by the wayside, the next lesson becomes a review session rather than a step forward, which can feel frustrating to the student. Coming to a lesson unprepared can also cause unnecessary anxiety and dent a student’s musical confidence.
To help stay on track, the Instructor may ask students to log their time in the Student Portal if they notice practice slipping. A busy week is entirely understandable; however, to ensure the Instructor’s time is valued, a consistent lack of preparation may lead to the discontinuation of lessons.
MISSED LESSONS
Tuition credits or make-up lessons cannot be given if a student is unable to attend a scheduled lesson. Please note that students, parents, and guardians are reserving and paying for a specific time slot in the instructor’s schedule. That time is set aside exclusively for the student and is unavailable to other students or commitments, regardless of whether the student attends the lesson. While some missed lessons are unavoidable, please make every effort to attend all lessons to encourage optimal student development. If the student is unable to attend their in-person lesson, they may choose one of the following alternatives:
Virtual Lesson: Arrange a virtual lesson during their regularly scheduled lesson time.
Asynchronous Lesson: Send practice videos and/or questions to the Instructor prior to the scheduled lesson time. The Instructor will review these materials and provide feedback during the student’s scheduled lesson block.
If the Instructor must miss a lesson for a reason not anticipated by the Studio Calendar, the Instructor may opt to: (a) arrange a virtual lesson for the student at their regularly scheduled time, or (b) credit the lesson to your next bill based on the per-lesson rate of the term (e.g. a credit of $36, $54, or $72 will be applied per 30-, 45-, or 60-minute lesson canceled by the instructor). This remedy is at the sole discretion of the Instructor.
Take a look at this article below for an interesting perspective on lesson cancelations by economist Dr. Vicky Barham:
Make-Up Lessons from an Economist’s Point of ViewVIRTUAL LESSONS
To arrange a virtual lesson, the student, parent, or Guardian must contact the Instructor via text message (443.852.3951) before the scheduled lesson time. All virtual lessons will be held on Zoom (Meeting ID: 708 224 6155; Meeting Passcode: jRM02N). To maintain lesson quality, audio and video must be set up as follows:
VIDEO: a clear view of the Student and their instrument must be in frame.
Violin/Viola: Both hands must be in frame at all times. The bow arm should face the camera (i.e., the highest string should be the closest string to the camera)
Cello: Both hands and the entire instrument (from the fine tuners to the scroll) should be in frame at all times. The top of the cello must face the camera.
Piano: Both hands and all 88 keys should be in frame at all times. The camera should be positioned at the bass end of the piano at a downward angle.
AUDIO (VERY IMPORTANT!): Zoom features built-in settings that suppress or eliminate sounds perceived as background noise. Students must disable these features so their instrument can be heard clearly. On a computer, click the gear icon on the main Zoom home screen to open Settings, go to the Audio tab, and scroll down to microphone modes. Select “Original sound for musicians.” Below this option, check the boxes for “High-fidelity music mode” and “Echo cancellation.” Once enabled in your settings, this mode must be manually turned “On” during the meeting itself, otherwise Zoom will default to noise suppression. While in the meeting, look for the small upward arrow next to the microphone icon. Clicking that arrow reveals a Microphone Modes menu where Original Sound for Musicians should be selected and turned on.
ASYNCHRONOUS LESSONS
To arrange an asynchronous lesson, the student, parent, or guardian must contact the Instructor via text message (443.852.3951) before the scheduled lesson. Video/audio files (and/or a written text document with questions about practice materials) must be uploaded to the Student Portal before the start of the student’s scheduled lesson. To preserve the quality of the lesson, video files should adhere to the video instructions under VIRTUAL LESSONS. To upload materials, navigate to “Practice Log” in the side menu. Select “+ Add Time” and then “Add Manually.” From the Practice Session Details page, upload your file(s) as attachments. The Instructor will use the student’s designated lesson time to review the materials and provide feedback to guide the student’s progress for the upcoming week.
ILLNESS POLICY
If the student is sick, please cancel the lesson or arrange a lesson alternative (as outlined in MISSED LESSONS) by texting the Instructor (443.852.3951) prior to the scheduled lesson. Maintaining a healthy environment is vital; if the Instructor becomes ill, it has the potential to disrupt lessons for the entire studio. Please ensure that students are completely symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to in-person lessons. If a family member is ill, opting for a lesson alternative or wearing a mask is greatly appreciated. To protect the health of all students and the Instructor, the Instructor reserves the right to decline instruction if a student arrives showing obvious signs of illness. In these instances, the lesson will be forfeited.
TERMINATION OF LESSONS
The student must provide at least 30 days’ written notice before terminating lessons. Notice must be given at the end of the month to terminate lessons at the end of the following month. The student, parent, or guardian is responsible for the month tuition payment during this 30-day notice period. Lessons during these 30 days may be attended or forfeited at the student’s discretion. Without proper written notice, the student, parent, or guardian is responsible for a termination fee equal to one month’s tuition. If the Instructor must terminate lessons, 30 days’ written notice will be given to the student, parent, or guardian in the same manner.
The Instructor may terminate lessons for any reason, including but not limited to lack of practice, frequent absences, excessive tardiness, behavioral problems, attending lessons sick, delinquency of payments, or failure to abide by studio policies. All tuition and fees are non-refundable.
MEDIA CONSENT AND RELEASE
If permission is granted on the Registration Form, students and their parents or guardians authorize the Instructor to take and use photographs, video, or audio recordings of the student, their musical performances, and any related quotes. These materials will be used strictly for educational purposes and studio promotion in print, electronic, or online media.