Policies 2024-25

For policies pertaining to workshops or programs that do not run through the full school year, please see General Policies and read all workshop descriptions carefully. 

Lessons are considered a standing commitment, for both student and teacher. Your lesson time, once you have booked it, is yours. When enrolling in regular weekly lessons or small-group classes for the school year, students are automatically enrolled from the time of registration through the end of May. If you need to stop before then, you can do so at any time with 30 days’ notice. Please see the WITHDRAWAL section below for more details.

Tuition covers weekly lessons—except scheduled breaks and holidays—from the time you enroll through May 31. Tuition is based on the assumption of 32 regular lessons from September 3 to May 31. This allows for teachers or students to miss lessons when absence is unavoidable –for example due to illness or planned personal absence, in addition to scheduled breaks and closures. 

For students who enroll mid-month, tuition for the first month only may be prorated.

For regular weekly 1:1 lessons, tuition is as follows. 

30-minute weekly lessons - $130/month

45-minute weekly lessons - $160/month

60-minute weekly lessons - $195/month

Tuition for all other programs and classes is listed in the class description for those programs. Please email director@grinnellschoolofmusic.orgif you can’t find the tuition information you’re looking for

A once-annual books and music fee of $75/student enrolled in 1:1 lessons will be added to your September invoice, or your first monthly invoice upon enrollment. 

This fee covers workbooks, repertoire books, printed sheet music, pedagogical resources, reproducible copyrighted materials, MP3 tracks for at-home practice, recital participation (including accompaniment fees), and more – everything you will need for one year of lessons. We can access bulk-order discounts and subscription services that save our students' money as well as the hassle of having to order your own resources. 

Our tuition is based on the assumption that both teachers and students may need to miss lessons for illness or planned personal days; therefore no makeup lessons  are offered. 

If extenuating circumstances require a student or teacher to miss an extraordinary number of lessons, makeups may be offered and/or tuition will be reduced or pro-rated. This decision lies at the sole discretion of the Executive Director. 

Please review our Illness Policy and do not come to the School of Music if you are ill. Voice students affected by seasonal allergies, vocal fatigue, or other non-contagious voice issues should still come to lessons! You can still benefit from a “NON-SINGING SINGING LESSON” which may include gentle vocal health exercises, repertoire study, active listening, music theory, or more.

 

Associate Teachers  will do their best to avoid canceling your lessons... but please remember that they have numerous other commitments and their own families, too. Instead of cancelling outright, your teacher may also find a substitute teacher who is available at your regularly scheduled time or  provide an asynchronous makeup lesson. 

Please notify your teacher of unavoidable absences as soon as possible; ideally at least 24 hours in advance. Lessons can be cancelled on the online platform, fons. If you are ill and need to cancel less than 24 hours before your scheduled lesson, please email your teacher ([firstname]@grinnellschoolofmusic.org), and call and leave a message at the School of Music: 641.888.0342. 

 Repeatedly missing lessons, or failing to notify your teacher and/or Grinnell School of Music of missed lessons, may result in forfeiting our lesson time and/or ineligibility for financial aid. 

 To cancel or withdrawal from your regular lessons, 30 days advance notice is required. This allows us to fill your spot. Once notice is given, your remaining tuition is prorated accordingly. For example, if your invoice is paid on the 1st of every month and you cancel on October 15, you’ll receive four more weeks of lessons and your November invoice will be prorated accordingly.

Students enrolled  in a group class (such as Mini Keys and Jam Band 101) are encouraged to consider their bandmates and any upcoming performance dates when stopping mid-year. Bands work hard in preparation and it’s difficult for the whole group when a member is not able to play. 

The doors to all teaching studios remain unlocked at all times and are equipped with windows. Depending on the age and needs of young students, parents may drop off and pick up students, wait in the designated waiting areas, or stay to observe lessons.  Please discuss with your  student and their teacher(s) any concerns you have about your students’ learning style, and whether you plan to sit in on lessons, either regularly or occasionally.

Your teacher will discuss at-home practice expectations and goals during lessons. While 15 minutes may be enough for beginning or younger students, older and more advanced students might be expected to practice 30-60 minutes a day. Parent guidance during practice is essential for young students. 

After each lesson, your teacher will enter notes into the "Conversations" section on fons. You can also use this feature to log practice time, record observations, or make note of any questions that arise between lessons.