Policies

Enrolling at Irene’s Music studio means your understanding and in agreement of the following terms:

An enrollment link is provided at the bottom of this page.


The mission statement of the Simply Music program.

(Materials we use at Irene’s Music studio):


“We are committed to revolutionizing our teacher’s success in having students

acquire and retain music as a lifelong companion. In essence, the reasons

behind the global success of the Simply Music Piano method are:

  • The quantity and quality of music that our piano students play

  • How quickly and easily our students learn to play piano”

Simply Music Method has four primary goals for each teacher to be able to equip their students with:

  • Experience music as a natural self-expression

  • Play a broad repertoire of great-sounding music

  • Have a highly positive, self-affirming experience

  • Develop the ability to self-generate and progress on their own.


As such, a three way commitment is needed from Teacher, Parent and

Student, in order to retain music as a lifelong companion.


TEACHER (Music Coach)

Your music coach is fully committed to your success as a student at Irene’s Music

Studio. He or she will always:

  • Be prepared for class with appropriate material

  • Be punctual for class time.

  • Be patient, enthusiastic and encouraging.

  • Maintain consistent, open communication with parents and student body.

  • Offer opportunities through recitals, events and volunteering for the student to share his or her musicality.


STUDENT

CLASS:

  • TRUST THE MUSIC COACH, even if you don’t understand, don’t agree, or if it’s inconvenient for you.

  • Class will begin at the scheduled time. Students and Parent must schedule accordingly to attend all lessons. If you will be absent from the lesson, the student and/or parent is responsible for notifying the teacher, and the teacher will email or text homework for the missed lesson. Alternatively, the student may attend the lesson via Google Meet, if they so choose. (Your teacher will send the link). The only time there will be a refund for a lesson, is if the teacher has canceled the lesson, and has not rescheduled it.

  • If the student is under 18, a parent, grandparent, or caregiver MUST attend class.

  • No gum, food, or other distracting items in class. (May bring water) Do not play with the equipment or doors unless given permission. Cell phones must be on SILENT.

  • You are welcome to hang coats, and take off shoes when you enter, if weather dictates. You may bring “inside” shoes or slippers. 

  • Participation is a requirement, not an option. Be ready to be involved in the whole lesson, as well as any piano performances that are offered.

HOME:

  • Practice time is established during the 1st lesson and must be completed 5 days a week. 15-20min a day, and 30-35minutes after Foundation 1 and 2 are mastered. PRACTICE TIME IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. Any scheduling conflicts must be discussed with the teacher before the student defaults on practice time. 100% effort is required, not 95%.

  • The playlist must be kept alive on a daily and weekly basis. Your teacher will give you the appropriate way to keep track of your playlist.

  • Relay all communication for your teacher through email: hello@irenestephenson.com text/call t: 905 246 9995. If this changes, your teacher will notify you in class, or directly through your email.

  • Complete all your weekly assignments, following your teacher’s specific instructions.

  • Keep open communication with your teacher and feel free to ask any questions for better understanding during the week.

  • DO NOT WATCH AHEAD ON VIDEOS. Videos must be watched AFTER the teacher has gone through the specific song in class. The teacher knows specifically how much home practice a student can handle during the week, and how much intentional review each song requires before it goes into the students’ subconscious mind, where it can then be played effortlessly. Going ahead without the consent of your teacher will inhibit this process.


PARENTS (LIFE COACH)

  • We need a partner we can count on in you. TRUST THE MUSIC COACH, even if you don’t understand, don’t agree, or if it’s inconvenient for you.

  • Attend and participate in lessons discussions and music performances.

  • At home, ensure that the student is completing assignments and keeping the playlist alive. We expect you to be sitting with your child during practice periodically during the week for at least the first six months. (Some students will require much longer, depending on their age)

  • Adhere to payment policy. (See payment requirements)

  • Relay all communication for your teacher through email: hello@irenestephenson.com, phone/text: 905 246 9995.

  • Relay all absences through text.

  • Please be sure our email is coming into your primary inbox: Hello@IreneStephenson.com

  • Email will be utilized for any

    • FAQ’S

    • Upcoming events

    • Announcements

    • Inclement weather announcements. In the event of bad weather, please be ready to participate with your child via Google-meets. Your teacher will text you, to notify you that classes will be on Google-meets that day.

  • BE FLEXIBLE. In the event of a student progressing more quickly than the group, or needing more review than the speed of the group, talk with the teacher, if the teacher has not yet approached you with options that will be conducive to the student’s progress. The teacher may evaluate the student’s needs and have the student switch groups as necessary, providing the best fit for everyone.

Each student’s success in any given week is entirely dependent on how committed you as a parent are to seeing them be successful through peaks, plateaus, and valleys during practice time. Who will you be for your child during the valleys?


PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Application Fee: $25/student.

(New students only)). Students who

continue to be enrolled, will be exempt from this fee.

2023 School year Rates: (Sept 1/23 thru Aug 31/24)

GROUP RATE: 3-4 students in a class.

$98 per student/month

SEMI-PRIVATE: 2 students in a class.

$118 per student/month

PRIVATE: 1 student in a class.

$138 per student/month

Ten percent discount for 2nd and 3rd child in a family.

SCHEDULING:

To enroll At Irene’s Music studio, you must sign the studio policy, pay the

application fee and two months of lessons (First and last) at the time of enrollment.

These fees are non-refundable.

Once you agree to your class day and time, and prepay the application fee and two

months lessons (first and last), that is your weekly class time and will only change

based on your teachers discretion.

We accept credit cards only for monthly payments. The first installment will pay

for your first and last month of lessons.

To enroll:

Monthly Rate x 2

This pays for September and June lessons in the 2023, 2024 school year.

PLUS

Application Fee $25

October - May Monthly Payments:

Prices listed above

INSTALLMENTS

Payment installments are managed on a month to month basis via Square. A credit/debit card on file via Square is required for enrollment and installment payment. The monthly installments pay for four lessons, regardless if there are three, four, or five lessons in a month. Ten equal payments paying for forty lessons for the year, will be required. Payments are due and automatically withdrawn from the card on your account on the 29th day of the month to reserve your class spot for the following month. If payment is not received by 11:59pm on the 29th of the month, a $2/day late fee is charged for the following four days. If payment is still not received by four days after the due date, the card on file will be charged the total in late fees, and the student’s scheduled lesson time is forfeited and is open to the student body. Weekly rate is subject to change on an ANNUAL BASIS.

PLEASE NOTE: TERMINATION OF LESSONS:

If you find it necessary to terminate lessons before the end of the school year, I ask for one month WRITTEN notice be given directly to your teacher. All payments following the 30 day notice period will be stopped. This may include a prorated amount from the date of your last payment. Your teacher may request some exit feedback, as well as a conversation with the student and parent. We encourage you to continue to attend lessons during the 30 day period. The reason for this, is to give the student an opportunity to “end” piano lessons on a positive note, instead of abruptly quitting. Here at Irene’s Music studio, we want to make sure that all students have a positive experience while taking piano lessons, from the beginning, right to the end. With a months’ notice, this gives the teacher a chance to make sure the ending of piano lessons is as positive as possible for each student.

PRIVACY POLICY

The following is the privacy policy and terms of use with Square, or Credit Card processor. Please familiarize yourself with it if you have any questions or concerns.


https://squareup.com/ca/en/security.



ATTENDANCE

In case of absence, student must notify teacher before scheduled lesson time. The student/parent is responsible for gathering missed lesson material from a fellow student, or their teacher. IRENE’S MUSIC STUDIO DOES NOT OFFER MAKE UP LESSONS. When you enroll into lessons, you are paying to secure a specific time, on a specific day. This is your time that you are paying for, and this time is set aside for you. As such, classes missed for any reason cannot be credited or made up.

WHY? Irene’s music studio charges on a subscription based model. It is imperative that we know the number of students scheduled on a month to month basis, for budgeting purposes and planning ahead for the future. Colleges, private schools, dance, swimming lessons, fitness centers, and hockey activities, do not offer refunds or reimbursements for missed classes. Your teacher has made a commitment to each student and parent to consistently attend, plan and teach every lesson, so naturally we require 100% commitment of every student and parent.


MATERIALS

Irene’s music studio uses SIMPLY MUSIC materials to teach students, as well as supplemental materials of the teachers choosing. During enrollment with Irene’s Music studio, you agree to the following confidentiality agreement with Simply Music:

“Simply Music and/or its delegates” (PSM”) offers a unique “method of music instructions for students and teachers including specific approaches, ideas, techniques, musical compositions, written, electronic and audiovisual materials. Trade and Service Marks, and business or technical information (“The Program”). The program is presented to you solely for your personal use. You will receive proprietary materials that, along with your lessons, ensure that you are being provided with the highest level of support that is possible. The program has been developed as a result of the investment of significant time, effort and expense, and is a highly valuable, special and unique asset that provides SM with a distinct and significant competitive advantage. By signing this form, you agree not to copy, alter, modify, reverse engineer, reproduce, replicate or create any imitation or abstraction of the program, or attempt to derive the composition or underlying information of The Program. You declare that you will not use The Program for commercial application, nor use it to influence the development of any music educational program that in intended for commercial application. You acknowledge and agree that due to the unique nature of SM’s Program, there can be no adequate remedy at law for any breach of its obligations hereunder, that any such breach may allow you or third parties to unfairly compete with SM resulting in irreparable harm to SM and, therefore that upon any such breach or threat thereof, SM shall be entitled to injunctions and other appropriate equitable relief in addition to whatever remedies it may have at law. SM shall also be entitled to recover all the SM’s costs, disbursements and legal fees incurred in seeking or obtaining enforcement hereof.”

Your teacher will inform you when and how to purchase your materials.

Student Home Materials (SHMs from Simply Music) are a required part of students’ learning experience and these are acquired from time to time as directed by your teacher.

“All digital SHMs, once purchased, will reside in each student’s account on the Student Intranet, where they can access them 24/7 – anywhere and anytime as long as they have an internet connection. Video files streaming only, whereas audio files can be downloaded and readable files (PDFs) can be printed.

  • Foundation Levels 1-9 $35 - $45

  • Development Levels 10 – 18: $10

  • Special Programs: $8 - $25

  • Supplemental Programs: $5 - $25


QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS

If you would like to discuss anything with me that is not related to the “lesson” please email or call me during my office hours. If I do not answer directly, I will get back to you within twenty-four hours.  


Do you think you’re a good fit?

Let’s get started!