Policies & Guidelines

Arlington Suzuki Music School

2020-2021 Program Year

Violin Lessons and Zoom Group Violin Classes

Dr. Timothy Angel
Violin and Viola Lecturer
The University of Texas at Arlington

Policies and Guidelines

1) Program Year Schedule

The program year calendar allocates 36 weeks for individual lesson times beginning in August each year and ending in June. Weekly group classes for each student’s skill level and understanding will also accompany the individual lesson each week according to the calendar.

Please note the mandatory parent meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 7:00pm in the schedule below. This meeting will be held via Zoom.

2) Individual Lessons & Group Lessons

The core of the Arlington Suzuki Music School is the weekly individual lesson where a student participates in a one-to-one learning experience with a teacher.

Weekly Suzuki violin lessons and group classes will be assigned based on skill level of the student. Classes will be on Zoom for the time being. If you are interested in in-person lessons, please let me know. I have strict measures in place to ensure the safety of all parents and students. I hope to get back to regular in person lessons soon.

3) Attendance

It is very important for parents and students to recognize that their teacher has set aside a specific day and time for the student’s individual lesson time and/or group lesson time each week. Additionally, it is important that your child attend group class each week so that they can enhance the techniques and review the concepts they are learning in their individual lessons.

I will maintain a regular and consistent schedule to ensure the continued progress of your students. The same courtesy and commitment is required from the parent and student, and I ask that you keep cancellations or absences to a minimum.

Tuition pays for a weekly reserved individual lesson time on your teacher’s weekly schedule. Tuition pays for lesson time, not lessons. If a teacher misses an individual lesson time, the teacher will replace the individual lesson time. If the student misses an individual lesson time, the individual lesson time will not be replaced or made up.

If the student is feeling ill, but well enough for a lesson, the reserved lesson time can be used on Zoom. It is very important a student does not attend a lesson while feeling ill. If the student is out of town, the lesson time can be used on Zoom. If the student does not have an instrument or cannot play an instrument due to injury, the lesson time can be used to study music theory and sight-reading. If weather prevents the student from traveling, the lesson time can be used on Zoom. If the student is completely unable to use the lessons time, the lesson time can be used for parent education or a parent-teacher conference.

4) Cancellation and Makeup Policy

While I have been flexible during the summer months, I am not able to be flexible during the school year. With my obligations at UTA and my schedule at home merging for the year, I am very limited in my ability to make up lessons. Therefore, make up lessons will only be offered in the event that I need to cancel a lesson as the teacher. If an individual lesson time must be canceled, please let me know as far in advance as possible. I will make up individual lesson times canceled by the teacher. Individual lesson times canceled by the teacher will be made up at the next available opportunity, or added to the end of the school year (possibly during the summer months).

I reserve the right to reschedule one private lesson and/or two group classes each semester due to sickness or other events at the university. Lessons canceled during the year may be made up at the end of the year.

5) Trial Period for New Students

All new students are granted a one-month trial period. The monthly trial period will be 1/10th of the annual tuition rate, but the student will not be locked into the annual contract until after the first month is complete. Trial period extensions will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

6) Parent Responsibilities

The teacher-parent-student triangle is the concept that puts equal workloads on each of the three individuals in order to develop a well-rounded and respectable individual in the world.

Parents of young beginners will be required to attend the lessons and also required to take notes. Please be ready to try new approaches to working with your children and practicing exercises during the lessons in order to ensure success at home during the year.

Please make sure your child has all of their books/materials for the lesson. Listen to your CD. This is the best way to ensure your child will learn quickly and efficiently. Like learning a language, the CD is close to the most important part of your child’s success at learning musically. The best students in my studio listen to their complete CD once a day.

Please work hard. My assignments are not suggestions; they need to be carried out fully in order for your child to receive the most benefit they can from each lesson. During the year, if I don’t see progress from lack of practicing or listening, I will have a talk with parents to determine whether or not my teaching is right for their student.

7) Tuition

At the Arlington Suzuki Music School, yearly tuition is paid at a specific rate based on the length of the violin lesson and covers 36 lessons for each student during the year. Annual tuition rates mat be separated into 10 monthly payments over the whole year.

8) Payment Policy

Tuition payments are due by the first of each month. Any payments received after this time will result in a $20 late fee. Please plan to pay or send in tuition in an appropriate time and manner.

Cash and check are accepted; however, discounts are offered for scheduling recurring electronic payments, enrolling multiple students, or making an annual tuition payment. If you qualify for multiple discounts, you will receive the highest discount that applies.

If you prefer to pay by credit card, please contact me directly. Processing charges will apply.

See below for tuition rates and discounts.

9) Tuition Rates, Discounts, and Payment Schedules

10) Refunds

There are no refunds whatsoever in the studio.

11) Referral Policy

For each referral that ultimately joins the studio (after the one-month trial period), the referee will receive $100 toward their next tuition payment, or $100 cash, should the referee have paid for the year in an annual tuition payment.

12) Photo Consent

In order to promote the studio and grow in an educational format, I will take pictures and record videos periodically during the year. There is an electronic consent form that will go with this annual agreement. Please check the box yes, you accept or no, you do not accept. This will ensure I respect your privacy during the year.

13) Other considerations

If I feel uncomfortable in any situation with the student or parent, I reserve the right to stop lessons immediately and no longer continue with the remaining lessons for the semester without a refund.

14) 2020-2021 Program Year Schedule

The studio’s program year includes 36 weeks of lessons. Below is a breakdown of each week of lessons and group classes, scheduled breaks, and studio performances.

  1. Mandatory Parent Meeting – September 1, 2020 @ 7:00pm (via Zoom)
  2. Week 1 – August 30 – September 4, 2020
  3. **Labor Day Break – September 7, 2020
  4. Week 2 – September 8 – 12, 2020
  5. Week 3 – September 13 – 19, 2020
  6. Week 4 – September 20 – 26, 2020 (No group class this week)
  7. Week 5 – September 27 – October 3, 2020
  8. Studio Recital – October 4, 2020 @ 7:00pm
  9. **Week 6 – October 4 – 7, 2020 (No lessons on Thursday or Friday)
  10. **Fall Break – October 8 – 18, 2020 (Lessons will resume Monday)
  11. Week 7 – October 19 – 24, 2020
  12. Week 8 – October 25 – 31, 2020
  13. Week 9 – November 1 – 7, 2020
  14. Week 10 – November 8 – 14, 2020 (No group class this week)
  15. Week 11 – November 15 – 21, 2020
  16. Thanksgiving Break – November 22 – 28, 2020
  17. Week 12 – November 29 – December 5, 2020
  18. Week 13 – December 6 – 12, 2020
  19. Week 14 – December 13 – 19, 2020
  20. Studio Recital – December 14, 2020 @ 7:00pm (Monday evening)
  21. Christmas Break – December 20, 2020 – January 2, 2021
  22. Week 15 – January 3 – 9, 2021
  23. Week 16 – January 10 – 16, 2021
  24. *Week 17 – January 17 – 23, 2021
  25. *Week 17 – January 24 – 30, 2021
  26. Week 18 – January 31 – February 6, 2021
  27. Week 19 – February 7 – 13, 2021
  28. Week 20 – February 14 – 20, 2021 (No group class this week)
  29. Week 21 – February 21 – 27, 2021
  30. Week 22 – February 28 – March 6, 2021
  31. Studio Recital – March 7, 2021 @7:00pm
  32. Week 23 – March 7 – 13, 2021
  33. Spring Break – March 14 – 20, 2021
  34. Week 24 – March 21 – 27, 2021
  35. Week 25 – March 28 – April 3, 2021
  36. **Easter Break – April 4, 2021
  37. Week 26 – April 5 – 10, 2021
  38. Week 27 – April 11 – 17, 2021
  39. Week 28 – April 18 – 24, 2021 (No group class this week)
  40. Week 29 – April 25 – May 1, 2021
  41. Week 30 – May 2 – 8, 2021
  42. Week 31 – May 9 – 15, 2021
  43. Week 32 – May 16 – 22, 2021 (No group class this week)
  44. Week 33 – May 23 – 27, 2021
  45. **Memorial Day Break – May 28 – May 31, 2021
  46. Week 34 – June 1 – 5, 2021
  47. Studio Recital – June 6, 2021 @ 7:00pm
  48. Week 35 – June 6 – 12, 2021
  49. Week 36 – June 13 – 19, 2021
  50. **Make ups for any missed lessons – June 20 – 30, 2021
  51. Summer Break – July 1 – 31, 2021

*This week includes the expected due date for our child. I plan to take an entire week off of teaching at that time. Please plan to be flexible for this week of scheduled lessons.

**A missed lesson during this scheduled break will be made up at the end of the program year. See #50 for reserved make-up week.