Studio Policies

Upon inquiry, we schedule a free initial consultation with Mrs. Flonta-Randall, the founder and program coordinator of The Language of Music Piano Studio, Inc. The student's abilities and level will be assessed, and a short interview will be conducted in order to get to know the student's personality, get a sense of their interest in committing to lessons, and establish a lesson length appropriate for their age. Moreover, the program coordinator will recommend a set of materials suited to each student's level and needs. After the initial consultation, you will be matched with a teacher that best fits your needs. If you would like to book a lesson with one of our teachers before committing to ongoing lessons, you will be charged the regular lesson rate, as we want to be respectful of the teachers' time and expertise. 

If you are interested in signing-up for ongoing lessons after the initial consultation, you will receive a registration form, along with the contract. There is a $30 registration fee for each new family that signs-up for lessons.     

The school year will be divided into three semesters: 

• Fall Semester: September 6th – January 29th 

• Spring Semester: January 30th – June 18th

• Summer Session: June 26th – August 27th

**There will be no lessons during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, February Break, April Break (based on the Framingham Public Schools calendar). Lessons will be held during all other holidays and/or vacations.

We strongly believe that meeting on a weekly basis enables students to build a strong foundation. Over time, students will not only progress in piano, but they will also achieve important life skills, such as perseverance, hard work, and dedication. In our experience, if a family cancels lessons regularly, the student’s interest and progress is often disrupted, therefore often decreases considerably. Since the teacher reserves a time slot for each student every week, the schedule gap from a cancellation causes wasted time and inconvenience for the teacher. 

Every semester, each student has a limit of 2 excused cancellations that must be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. If a lesson is cancelled (1) by the teacher, (2) due to weather conditions, or (3) due to severe illness of, or injury to, the student or teacher, you will not be charged for the lesson.

No-shows and last-minute cancellations that do not meet the exceptions mentioned above, as well as any cancellations beyond the 2 excused cancellations allowed per semester, will be charged half of the lesson amount - no exceptions! The teachers' time is valuable, and they are paid for their time that they set aside for the lessons. 

The regular cancellation policy does not apply during the Summer session. However, 24-hour cancellation notice is preferred, in order to avoid gaps in the teacher’s schedule.

Lessons cancelled due to COVID-19:

All in-person lessons will switch to remote lessons temporarily if either the teacher, the student(s), or their household members show COVID-19 symptoms, or test positive for COVID-19. All lessons cancelled due to COVID-19 that are not rescheduled to remote lessons will be charged half of the lesson amount, unless the teacher cannot accommodate your availability for remote lessons. Remote lessons are offered through Zoom, FaceTime, and Google Meet. The program coordinator will handle any necessary changes to your schedule accordingly.  

There are no makeup lessons offered. 

Here is why:

1. The teacher will need to provide extra availability out of their free time. Usually, teachers have extra time for makeup lessons during the weekend, and often times families have other commitments on the weekend. 

2.  It creates a lot of confusion, and often times students forget about their makeup lessons.

3. We try not to schedule 2 lessons so close together, because the student doesn’t have enough time to practice in between lessons. 

4. If only one student needs a makeup lesson one week, the teacher spends a lot of time on the road for just one student. 

5. It takes a lot of coordinating to figure out a time that works for both the student and the teacher.

The lesson time will not be extended as a result of tardiness or unpreparedness of the student. It is encouraged that the student is at the piano, with all materials ready, and with hands washed before the start of the lesson.

If the teacher is running late due to heavy traffic, they will contact you directly, and  adjustments to the lesson time will be made. 

**Please note that traffic or road conditions can sometimes be unpredictable, therefore the teacher might be running behind schedule sometimes. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

To avoid confusion and to prevent the parent/guardian from purchasing the incorrect materials, the program coordinator will email the links to the correct materials that need to be purchased. The program coordinator will purchase the sheet music of fun songs that the student chooses to play, at the best price reasonably available. The cost for the materials that the program coordinator will purchase for the student will be invoiced to the parent/guardian. 

Example of materials needed for the lessons: method books, assignment notebook (letter-size paper), staff paper, sharpened pencils with eraser, flash cards, sheet music of fun songs, etc.

**Please note that the price of the materials is not marked-up from the price the program coordinator pays to purchase the materials. 

The parent/guardian will receive an email with the detailed invoice at the beginning of the month for the previous month, and the payment is due two weeks after the invoice was sent. There is a $10 late fee per month for past-due payments, and a $25 fee for returned checks. The payments can be made by check, payable to The Language of Music Piano Studio, Inc. Electronic payments available through Venmo @Ioana-Flonta-Randall, and Zelle at 617-467-8910. Please write the month on the memo line if paying by check, or in the comment section if paying electronically.

Excellent progress is achieved only if the student practices regularly. While playing the piano is fun, it is important to understand that a lot of hard work and effort goes into developing the skills to become a well-rounded pianist. The teacher will develop an effective practice routine based on each student’s individual needs. The parent’s/guardian’s encouragement is crucial in motivating the student to stick to their practice routine. A quiet learning environment is expected during lesson and practice time, which will allow the student to stay focused throughout. 

There are two annual recitals: the Winter Recital (December) and the Spring Recital (June). 

All students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate, for a variety of reasons: 

1. It provides a goal to work towards during the semester.

2. It is an occasion for the students to share and celebrate their hard work and progress.

3. It deepens the students’ appreciation for music.

The parent/guardian will be emailed detailed information about each recital approximately one month before it takes place. Confirmation of performance is due two weeks before the recital, so the program can be prepared and finalized. 

Please consider referring your friends and family to The Language of Music Piano Studio, Inc. You will receive a credit of $50 for each family you refer to us that successfully signs up for lessons.

The Language of Music Piano Studio, Inc. reserves the right to take photographs, videos, and/or audio recordings of you and/or your child during lessons, recitals, and other events for archival purposes and for promotional use, that may be displayed on the studio’s website, social media accounts, and other promotional materials.