Studio Policies
1. Tuition and Payment
The following rates apply to all lessons, except the first free 30 minute trial: $50 for 30 minutes, $70 for 45 minutes, $90 for 60 minutes.
Payments can be made either via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), card via the Student Portal, or cash in person. Please note that if you pay in cash, you must pay at the lesson. All other payments (card and EFT) are to be post-paid every month via invoices.
Card payments induce a 1.75% surcharge; the invoice will categorise this as a “convenience fee”. This fee is imposed by the payment processor, not myself.
Late invoices are subject to a 5% fee, which is applied 7 days after the original invoice due date. Overdue invoice reminders are sent via SMS and email 3 days after the invoice due date.
Payments are non-refundable, however I offer make-up lessons/time as stipulated in 6. Make-up Lessons/Time.
2. Lesson Scheduling
Lessons are scheduled through the Student Portal on my website magillmusictuition.com.au/login.
Lessons take place at my home, and usually occur at a ‘fixed’ weekly time, e.g. every Tuesday at 4pm.* If either party believes it is necessary to move the lesson to another scheduled time, I will do my best to engage in a discussion with you about when the best time would be, however, this policy is subject to my discretion. Lesson times are not 'owned' by the student, and there is no guarantee that a lesson time will not change to better suit a greater number of people.
Lessons can be either 30, 45, or 60 minutes in length. If you choose to increase your lesson time, it may be necessary to move your scheduled lessons to another time as the increase may clash with another lesson.
3. Cancellations and Rescheduling
Student-initiated cancellations:
To be eligible for a make-up lesson/time, the student (or parent) must either cancel their lesson through the student portal or contact me either by email, text, or phone call at least 24 hours prior to the start of the lesson.
Failure to attend the lesson or cancellations with less than 24 hours’ warning will not be refunded or rescheduled, with the only exception being if you are ill.
Sick policy:
Please do not attend the lesson if you or your child are ill. A make-up lesson/time will be scheduled instead, even if the cancellation occurs within 24 hours.
Teacher-initiated cancellations:
Make-up lessons/time is guaranteed and will be made-up at the earliest possible time.
4. Termination Policy
Either party may terminate the relationship at any time for any reason, however, if the student/parent cancels, any prepaid lessons will not be refunded, and all lessons that have occurred (post-paid) must be paid for.
If I terminate the relationship, all prepaid lessons will be refunded except in cases where the student/parent violates the 13. Zero-Tolerance Abuse and Disrespect Policy.
5. Holidays and Breaks
My studio does not follow holidays or the Victorian school calendar, however students/parents are welcome to simply not schedule lessons during such times.
6. Make-up Lessons/Time
Make-up lessons are complete lessons that occur at a different time to the usually scheduled lesson as a result of a valid cancellation or reschedule.
Make-up time is an alternative way of having that lesson, where the lesson time is split and added to several lessons, e.g. a 30 minute lesson is cancelled, therefore the next three lessons are 40 minutes to make up for that time.
This is done in cases where it is possible/the preference of both parties; it may not be feasible if my next scheduled lesson begins immediately after.
7. Late Arrivals
Students should expect lessons to end at the scheduled time, regardless of late arrival though at my discretion I may choose to teach the entire lesson’s length.
If the student is more than 15 minutes late, the lesson will be forfeited and is non-refundable.
8. Trial Lesson Policy
30 minute trial lessons are given free of charge for first-time students. This applies to multiple children of the same family, so that each child gets a fair chance to see if they enjoy lessons with me.
Students will use (but not keep or rent) a spare violin during the lesson, and will receive photocopied sheet music to take home. I will have an example music theory book appropriate to their age/level on hand to show and explain how the music theory component works, but students are not allowed to take this home.
Students/parents will be provided with all the necessary information to know where and how to acquire the violin, sheet music, and theory book in preparation for their first paid lesson.
Trial lessons can only be rescheduled once, and this offer will be forfeit if you do not give at least 24 hours of notice before cancellation, as per 3. Cancellations and Rescheduling.
9. Parental Attendance
The attendance of parent(s)/guardian(s) at the lesson is not only accepted, but actively encouraged, especially for younger children.
Regardless of parental attendance, I will send home an email after each lesson that recaps the lesson and the practice/homework that’s expected of them during the week.
10. Communication
The order of preferred contact methods is as follows:
Email,
Text,
Phone call.
Please do not contact me via phone call between the times of 8pm-8am. Emails or texts at any time are fine.
11. Studio Rules
Students are expected to:
Arrive on time,
Wash hands before playing (I will provide everything necessary),
Have short fingernails, no longer than the tips of their fingers,
Buy, use, and bring their own sheet music, theory books, and instruments,
Have anyone else in attendance wait quietly,
Be polite and kind to myself, their parents (if applicable) and other students.
12. Forget Something?
In the case that the student forgets their:
Violin; I have one spare violin in every size as backup.
Sheet music; I will (most likely) have a copy in my studio.
Theory book; there is not much I can do as I keep my theory books’ pages clean, but I will assign more homework regardless.
13. Zero-Tolerance Abuse and Disrespect Policy
To maintain a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment, this studio has a zero-tolerance policy regarding abusive, threatening, or disrespectful behavior.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Verbal abuse (e.g., yelling, insults, intimidation),
Physical aggression or threats,
Inappropriate or invasive behavior,
Bullying or harassment of any kind,
Disrespect toward the teacher, students, or other families.
Violations of this policy may result in immediate dismissal from the studio without refund of any prepaid lessons.
This policy applies to all students, parents/guardians, and visitors. We are committed to providing a positive and supportive space for music education.
14. Studio Policy Updates and Pricing Changes
I reserve the right to update studio policies, lesson offerings, and tuition rates at my discretion. Any changes will be communicated in writing via email, and it is the responsibility of each student or parent/guardian to stay informed of any updates.
Continued enrollment in the studio constitutes acceptance of the most current policies and pricing.
Last changed 04/09/2025