Studio Policies

Our commitment to you:

• We promise to provide you with the tools needed to continually progress in your lessons.

• We promise to build up your confidence so that you can be the best performer you can be.

• We promise to bring a positive attitude to each lesson.

• We promise to accept you for who you are and where you’re at on your journey.

• We promise to always be 100% committed to your success.

Your commitment to us:

• You promise to come into each lesson with an open mind and willingness to try new things.

• You promise to put in work outside of your lesson time towards your goals.

• You promise to treat us with respect.

Please read the following policies carefully in order to determine what this means for you and let us know of any questions that may arise.

What does your private lesson investment include?

• Private lessons on days that Birchwood Music Company is open.

• Flexible scheduling up to 24 hours prior to your lesson time.

• Communication with your instructor and studio manager via email or Slack during regular business hours.

Private lesson tuition extras.

These can be added into a custom lesson plan for you or you can email us to use these on a one time basis.

• Warm-up tracks

  • Any warm-up tracks or accompaniment tracks that you would like your teacher to send you for practicing at home will cost an additional $10 per track.

What does your investment not include?

• Music books

• Sheet music

• Accompaniment tracks

• Accompanist fees

• Fees for recitals, workshops, festivals, competitions, or other performance opportunities

What does your Music Together® investment include?

• Weekly 45 minute classes during either an 8, 10, or 12 week session.

• Professional recording and songbook of the current song collection in both digital and hardcopy to use at home.

• Experience four different song collections throughout the course of the year.

• Access to educational content in the Family Music Zone and Music Together app.

• Instruments to take home and make music with the whole family outside of class time.

What does your Musical Theatre Class investment include?

• Weekly 2 hour classes

• Singing instruction: including vocal technique, harmonization, and music reading

• Dancing: including stretching/strengthening, technique, and choreography

• Acting: including improvisation, scene work, and character building

• 2 Performances with 4 comp tickets per student per performance

Summer Private Lessons

Lessons will continue over the summer. If you will be gone for an extended period of time we can either create a custom lesson package for you or you can put down a $200 deposit per student to secure your spot for the fall. If you do not take lessons over the summer or put down a deposit we cannot guarantee you a spot in the fall.

We will be closed the following dates.

Labor day - September 2, 2024

Thanksgiving - November 25-29, 2024

Winter Break - December 23, 2024 -January 3, 2025

Spring Break - March 17-21, 2025

Good Friday/Easter - April 18-20, 2025

Memorial Day - May 26, 2025

Independence Day - July 4, 2025

If your teacher is available to teach during these closures we will send you an email letting you know that there are lesson slots available.

Private Lesson Cancellation & Reschedule Policy

• You may cancel or reschedule your lesson for any reason up until 24 hours prior to your lesson time. This must be done by you via Acuity. Find your confirmation email or log into your account to reschedule any lessons.

• We cannot guarantee that there will be available slots to reschedule your lesson, this is based on your instructor’s availability.

• Keep in mind that if you email or text to cancel within 24 hours before your lesson we do not offer make-up options, refunds, or credits for any reason. We will, however, email you a few activities to work on upon request.

Music Together® Cancellation & Reschedule Policy

• You may cancel your spot in class for any reason up until 24 hours prior to class start time. This must be done by you via Acuity. Find you email confirmation or log into your account to reschedule any classes.

• We do not offer refunds for any reason, however if you do need to cancel more than 4 classes we will offer you a credit towards the next session.

Musical Theatre Cancellation & Reschedule Policy

• We must know about all conflicts well in advance and cannot accept last minute cancellations for any reason other than illness.

• If you are sick, please let us know at least 6 hours prior to class and we will do our best to get you the information you missed.

• If you cancel your Musical Theatre class registration 4+ weeks prior to the start date you will receive a full refund. If you cancel 3 weeks prior to the start date you will receive a 75% refund, 2 weeks prior is a 50% refund, 1 week prior is a 25% refund, and after the class start date we do not offer any refunds or credits for any reason.

Teacher Absences

• If your teacher needs to miss one of your scheduled private lessons you will be offered either a rescheduled lesson or a refund for this one lesson depending on the circumstance of the absence.

Payment

• All classes are billed on a monthly basis on the date of your first subscription payment.

• There will be a yearly 3% tuition increase to combat inflation that goes into effect on September 1st.

Communication

• Email communication is always available and we will do our best to reply within 48 business hours

  • Center Director: info@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Haley Szajkovics: haley@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Allison Byrom: allison@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Mak Palacio: mak@birchwoodmusic.com

  • Cambrie Priesmeyer: cambrie@birchwoodmusic.com

• Slack is the best way to get ahold of us. If you are a current student and have not yet been invited to Slack, please send us an email and we will add you in!

• We can accept text and phone call through our business number. Text is preferred and we will reply during business hours.

  • (512) 641-3653

• Business hours

  • Monday-Friday - 1:00pm-7:00pm

  • Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm

Illness

• If you are taking in-person lessons or classes and you or a family member are sick please do NOT come to in-person lessons.

• We reserve the right to turn you away at your lesson or class if you arrive sick and it will count as a no call/no show and you will not have the option to reschedule.

• If you are ill, please utilize one of the following options

  • Reschedule your lesson or class up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled lesson time. Use this time to rest!

  • If you take private lessons and are only mildly ill but feel well enough to sing, play piano, or do some music theory, please text (512) 641-3653 at least 6 hours prior to your lesson to set up a Zoom call at your usual lesson time that day.

  • If you fall ill within 24 hours of your lesson or class time and to not feel well enough to hop on a Zoom call, please send us a text or email letting us know that you’d like an asynchronous lesson sent over and we will complete that during your regularly scheduled lesson time.

• Lessons cancelled for any reason within the 24 hours prior to your lesson will be considered a no call/no show and will not be rescheduled.

Tech Issues

• Some days we may have tech issues with Zoom or Google Meet for any number of reasons. We will establish a backup lesson platform together and if that fails. to work, a video lesson to be done asynchronously will be substituted.

Tardiness

• If you are running late your lesson will not be extended past the regular end time.

• Please text the business number as soon as you know you will be late.

Inclement Weather

• In the case of inclement weather, private lessons will be taught online via Zoom or Google Meet at your regular lesson time.

• In the case of inclement weather classes will be rescheduled to another date.

Discontinuing Lessons

• Your lesson time is reserved for you for the full school year (September-May) so we ask that you give us 30 days notice for discontinuing lessons or classes so we may work to fill that space.

• There are no refunds or credits for missed or cancelled private lessons.

• If you discontinue your Music Together® classes with 30 days notice we will offer you a credit for the remaining classes to the next semester.

• If you discontinue Musical Theatre classes after the class start date we do not offer any refunds or credits for any reason.