INFORMATION & POLICIES

Updated August 1, 2024

The Music Studio of Noel Smith
Offering beginning & intermediate music lessons to students of all ages.

Click here to read about the benefits of music education

Location
Bellevue Society for the Arts
205 Maple Street, Bellevue, OH
"School of the Arts” small building

Studio Information

The studio features 3 lesson rooms with regularly tuned acoustic pianos.
The studio offers a comfortable waiting area, restroom, dance room, and costume shop.
The studio is outfitted with centralized heating and air conditioning.

Lesson Information
Lessons are offered for 30, 45, or 60 mins on a weekly basis year-round and are divided into 3 semesters.

Spring Semester (January-May)
Summer Semester (June-August)
Fall Semester (September-December)

**The IDEAL length of music lessons for most students is 45-60 minutes because it provides sufficient time to integrate a wide variety of musical concepts. However, 30 minute lessons are offered for very young beginners, students with attention difficulties, or students with financial restraints. With special approval from the instructor, adults and advanced students may be offered 60 minute lessons every other week.

Lessons Offered

Piano Lessons
Voice Lessons
Flute Lessons
Group Classes & Online Classes Coming Soon**
Click here for more information on lessons for Adults

Tuition Rates

30 minutes= $25.00 per lesson
45 minutes= $37.50 per lesson
60 minutes= $50.00 per lesson

Tuition Policies

Tuition is paid monthly and due one week in advance.
Lessons will not be given without payment.
Acceptable payment methods include cash, check, venmo, or paypal.
Any service fees or returned check fees must be paid by the student.
Students should expect occasional increases in tuition that reflect inflation rates and studio improvement costs.

Tuition Benefits

Tuition rates include the hours spent teaching lessons plus other studio events, activities, and the extensive responsibilities of the instructor behind the scenes
Click here for more information on tuition benefits

Materials

Students are responsible for purchasing their own materials.
Upon registration, the instructor will provide specific materials to purchase depending on the student’s age, abilities, and unique needs.
Most students can expect to invest around $100 on start-up materials.
Click here for information about keyboard recommendations & rentals

Practice Expectations

Students must have an instrument available to practice at home
Students who practice consistently will benefit most from their investment in music lessons and progress faster.
Weekly lessons are to learn new skills and concepts, while home practice helps students master those skills and concepts.
If consistent practice becomes a struggle, the instructor can aid in creating a positive practice environment at home.

Lesson Procedures

Students should arrive to lessons early to use the restroom and wash hands.
Students should wait until the previous student completes their lesson to enter the lesson room
Younger siblings are welcome if they are not distracting.
No gum, food, or drinks (excluding water) are permitted inside the lesson rooms
Students who are late will not receive additional time.
Students are responsible for bringing all materials to lessons. The instructor cannot teach quality lessons without materials and cannot guarantee backups are available.

Attendance

There are NO makeup lessons or refunds.
Any lesson time missed from tardiness or absences will not be compensated by the instructor.
During conflicts, please swap another student lesson times. Use the master schedule to contact other students and parents directly.

**When enrolling in lessons, students reserve a spot on the schedule. When students are absent the instructor must still be available, pay studio rent, and pay childcare costs. Just like enrolling in other extracurriculars like dance lessons, swim lessons, and sports, when students miss classes, practices, or games there are no refunds offered. Please give music lessons the same consideration and value.

Commitment

New students should commit to 1 full semester of lessons and 1 studio recital for maximum benefits.
Students who discontinue lessons for a semester will not be guaranteed a spot on the schedule when they return.
If there are no available lesson times, students are placed on the waiting list and contacted in order when a spot opens.
Click here for more information on keeping students committed to music lessons

Discontinued Lessons

Please inform the instructor as soon as possible if students wish to discontinue.
To allow lessons to end on a positive note and provide time to fill the spot, students must provide minimum 2 weeks notice or 2 weeks of tuition compensation.
There will be no monetary refunds if lessons are discontinued after tuition has been collected.
The instructor reserves the right to dismiss a student at any time for any reason, including inappropriate behavior, disrespect, violence, lack of practice, or failure to pay tuition.

Parental Responsibilities

Parents are responsible for the supervision and safety of their children and are urged to remain on the premises during lessons. There is no administration and studio doors remain unlocked. The instructor is focused on teaching music lessons. Parents who leave the premises assume all risks of their children and agree to hold the instructor and studio harmless of any liabilities.
Students should not be dropped off more than 5 minutes early and should be picked up on time.
Parents are encouraged to attend and participate in their child’s music lessons to learn how to assist students at home. Parents should sit with students during home practice sessions to guide students and ensure all assignments are practiced for the first several months.
Click here for more information on the importance of parental participation

Communication

Communications are primarily through email. Please regularly check your email before lessons.
Open communication can help the instructor personalize music lessons by providing a deeper understanding of a student’s life experiences (Examples: learning disabilities, chronic illnesses, family challenges, recent accomplishments, personal interests, hobbies, goals, etc.)

Scheduling

The schedule is adjusted at the beginning of each semester and updated as needed.
Students must provide a minimum of FOUR available times to be registered for lessons.
When possible, the youngest students are scheduled during earlier times as a courtesy to their development and bedtimes. As children get older, please stretch their availability later into the evenings.
Click here to view the current schedule

**The instructor attempts to give scheduling preference to students with seniority but is not guaranteed. It’s impossible to give every student the perfect time and you may be asked to be flexible for the overall success of the studio. The goal is to be fair and accommodating to all families and students.

Calendar

A calendar of lessons, holidays, and events will be provided and updated as needed.
There are lessons during some school breaks because our studio includes students from various districts and adults with differing schedules.
If the instructor cancels scheduled lessons for any reason, you will be notified through email and refunded.
Click here to view the current calendar

Performance Opportunities

Studio Recitals: There are 2 music recitals per year. Participation in recitals is highly encouraged. Each student will showcase several pieces they have mastered during lessons.
Click here for more detailed information about recitals.
Solo & Ensemble: Middle School & High School students who have reached an intermediate level may participate in Solo & Ensemble through the “Ohio Music Education Association” in conjunction with their school district. Students perform for an adjudicator and receive feedback on their performance in the form of a rating (1-5) and constructive comments.
Additional Opportunities: Students are encouraged to seek out additional performance opportunities. Students may wish to perform at school programs, churches, nursing homes, hospitals, holiday parties, social events, festivals, awards ceremonies, etc.

Photo Release

To highlight the accomplishments of students and to demonstrate the skills music lessons provide, occasionally photos, videos, and recordings of students will be taken.
Upon registering for lessons at The Music Studio of Noel Smith, students and parents agree that all media obtained related to participation in music lessons can be used in any print and online publications including social media.
If students wish to be exempt from the photo release, please inform the instructor directly.

Curriculum

Each curriculum focuses on developing well-rounded, knowledgeable musicians.
Each curriculum includes a specific selection of books that have been skillfully chosen by the instructor to instill proper fundamentals while offering a broad variety.
By teaching from a specific selection of materials, the instructor can teach expertly, proficiently, and provide high quality lessons.
Students are welcome to explore other music at home, but the instructor requests that music lessons are centered around selections from the curriculum.

Realistic Expectations

Many new students enroll in music lessons expecting to be transformed into Mozart or Taylor Swift after one semester, but there are no magical shortcuts that squeeze many years of training into a few months of learning
Musical training is a long-term process and it can take years to become highly skilled. Music lessons should be a steady progression through the beginning, intermediate, and advanced phases.
Having realistic expectations will prevent students from becoming easily disappointed and quickly losing interest

Registration

To reserve a spot on the schedule, students must register online and submit first months tuition
Click here to register