Program/Tuition
HAPPY NEW YEAR ☺️
We are super excited for the new year of music making and welcome students we haven't seen all summer, new students, and current students!
At JPS we offer a program that will work for students who are learning to play and/or sing for just enjoyment up through advanced levels. Depending on where students fall on this spectrum, they can participate in all studio events, or just some. School age students will be taking weekly private lessons and five weeks a year will be in a group class setting instead of their private lessons.
This year we will be hosting a Halloween Piano Bash, an evaluations recital in November (hosted by SMMTA), an outdoor music celebration in the Spring (hosted by SMMTA), the Piano Monster Festival (Hosted by MaineMTA), and an all-studio Ensembles Recital in June and a summerjam in the summer which will showcase student projects (for students that participate in summer session). Adult students are invited to attend two “donuts and duets” piano jams and can also participate in the bigger studio recitals and MaineMTA events if they would like to.
Students are not obligated to participate in all of these events but we do encourage doing the group classes every other month and participating in at least one recital.
Other Programs offered besides Private Lessons:
Voix Choirs directed By William Sawyer for 5th-12 Grade singers. Choirs offered both in Cumberland and in Saco.
Baby and Toddler Music and Movement sessions throughout the year with Miss Ellie and a parent or nanny in Saco.
Safe School Policy
All students have the right to feel safe including those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. JPS affirms people of all gender expressions and gender identities and teachers will use preferred gender pronouns in person and/or in writing. JPS is committed to providing a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for students.
Student and Family Responsibility
Practice is never an easy task but it is very important to the student’s piano and voice study. It is up to the student and the student’s family to motivate the student to practice 5 times a week. When students don’t practice they don’t feel successful and they will not want to practice anymore. More practice equals a successful study.
If student is under the age of 7 they will be exploring music through CD's, some lesson material we send home from class, and songs they are working on. It is up to the student’s family to sit down with their child and go over their assignments 1-2 times per week. (More than that is great as well!) Wunderkeys students will also have workbook material to go over each week.
Piano students must have an acoustic piano or keyboard with a weighted action and a pedal at home to take lessons in order for them to practice each week.
**If something occurs at home or school that is affecting your child, let us know so that I can be more sensitive to the child during their lesson. **
Monthly Tuition Private Lessons
30 Min. Lessons with Jacqui: $172.00
45 Min. Lessons with Jacqui: $219.00
60 Min. Lessons with Jacqui: $298.00
60 Min every other week lessons for adults —$150
30 Min. Lessons with Will: $172.00
45 Min. Lessons with Will: $219.00
60 Min. Lessons with Will: $298.00
60 Min. every other week lessons for adults—$141
Voix Choirs —$280 for students not enrolled in the studio in private lessons. $220 for students in private lessons.
30 Min. Lessons with Molly: $172.00
45 Min. Lessons with Molly: $219.00
60 Min. Lessons with Molly: $298.00
30 Min. Lessons with Delaney: $141.00
60 Min. Lessons with Delaney: $231.00
30 Min. Lessons with Ellie: $171.00
60 Min. Lessons with Ellie: $298.00
Music and Movement Sessions: $168.00
*Rates are determined by Experience, schooling, certifications, and professional development and do go up a few dollars each year
Program/Policies and Tuition
What Does Monthly Tuition Cover?
Time spent with the student
Lessons, performance classes, group lessons
Time spent in preparation for the student which includes....
Trips to the music store, lesson planning, bookkeeping, development of curriculum, etc. It has been cited by professional music journals that for every hour enrolled in piano lessons, you are investing in at least 2 hours of the teachers time!Your teacher’s training and experience
Recital costs and preparations
Programs, refreshments, facility rental.Professional organization memberships--Memberships are maintained by the teacher to enhance their teaching skills and provide the student with opportunities for festivals, competitions, and performance events (MaineMTA)
Studio expenses
Copying, computer software, incentive programs, instruments, tunings, repairs, newsletters.Property taxes, self-employment taxes, insurance, business licenses, retirement
The IMT has no corporation to assist in providing health and life insurance by matching funds. Tuition helps cover the increased living costs of your self-employed teachersContinuing education
Lessons and classes that keep the teacher current on methods and techniquesCertification costs
Professional IMTs pay to be re-certified every five years provided they have met all the continuing education and studio requirements. This keeps the teacher accountable to a professional organization.Book and music club memberships
This enables many discounts to be passed to students.This model allows the studio to pay teachers for their time, even if students cancel their lessons
Payment Policy
Monthly tuition is calculated by multiplying the lesson rate by 36 weeks between September and June and dividing by 10 months. There are actually 38 weeks between this time but two flex weeks are included in case the teacher needs to be out for any reason (sick, death in family, etc). This means monthly tuition does not change if a teacher is out for up to two weeks. Summer Session includes 6 private lessons, a group class and a recital. If students do not continue in the summer we ask for a "hold fee" to hold lesson times. Otherwise we will fill the time.
If a lesson cannot be attended due to illness, bad weather, other activities, or if lesson is cancelled for any reason, tuition will remain the same. We will offer make up lessons during group class weeks, and make up lessons will pop up as students cancel on the online calendar and it is up to parents to register for make ups in the parent portal or reach out to Sarah at our office email. If student is only mildly ill or can’t get to the studio, we will always offer zoom lessons. Please don't come to the studio if student is sick or has a fever. Students can always mask if they are sniffly.
Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. Payment can be made by...
Electronic bank check to be delivered before the 1st of each month
Set up auto-pay or bank transfer within your online account
If a student quits lessons in the middle of a month, there are no refunds. You are not obligated to stay in lessons all year. If piano is just not going well for any reason at all we would not want to push a child to continue. Practice is a roller coaster though and students will have highs and lows. We do our best to communicate through email lesson notes and brief conversations between lessons, a couple lessons a year where parents are invited to join us and talk about how lessons are going and what our goals our, and also bi-monthly newsletters.
Materials Fee
There is a $100.00 Materials fee per student upon enrollment and every September (start of school year) which will cover ALL music and materials for the entire year. If students start in the middle of the year they will be charged half and if they start in the summer, they will not be charged until September. (You can pay half in September and half in February OR add $10 a month to monthly tuition if you would prefer
Family Account/Attendance Policy
We know that students will not be able to attend every lesson throughout the year, but we do expect to be given notice if a student will not be attending their lesson. If a lesson needs to be cancelled, please log into your parent portal and cancel on the online calendar.
If there is bad weather, a snow day, or teachers need to cancel for any reason, families will receive an email and a text if you have that set up in your parent portal
Make-Up Dates: 2023
October 24th
December 19th
February 20th
April 17th
We will also offer some during group class weeks
**Students will also receive extra time during their group classes throughout the year*
**A gentle reminder that monthly tuition pays for the whole program this year. While it may seem like you are only paying "per lesson", teachers work many more hours lesson planning, event planning, doing admin, and communicating about student success!**
Performance/Group Classes
Adult students don’t participate in group classes
Group Classes: for school age students -- Group classes encourage our community of musicians to get to know each other, collaborate together, perform for each other, play music theory games together, and grow up together! Learning an instrument is difficult and having the parent/teacher/community support triangle is important for highs and lows of practice.
There are no regular private lessons during group class weeks except make up lessons. All teachers will have make up lessons available during group class weeks. There are five weeks a year where students will experience an hour long group class instead of their private lesson.
There are no regular private lessons during group class weeks.
2022/2023 Dates:
October 23-26
December 18-21
February 12-15
April 9-12
June 18-21
Holidays/Vacations
Studio will be open on Monday Holidays-- Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Memorial Day so please let us know in advance if you will not be attending your lesson on these Holidays. There are no lessons during Thanksgiving Week, Christmas and New Year’s weeks, February Winter Vacation, and April Spring Vacation (besides make up lessons).
Studio families will receive a Calendar with Studio events and can check the online calendar at anytime. You will also receive newsletters in your email throughout the year.
BREAKS: 2023/2024
Thanksgiving Break: November 21st-28th
Christmas/New Years Break: December 24th-January 7th
February Break: February 19th-23rd
April Break: April 16th-22nd
Summer Break: June 25th-July 8th
Summer Session:
7 Week Session prorated
Monthly Tuition stays the same
6 private lessons/1 group class/summerjam concert at the end!
If you would like to take the summer off and hold your time, you can pay a hold fee which is $220
Meet and Greet!
If you agree with studio policys/philosophy of teaching, we will provide a meet and greet at the studio where we can talk about goals and go over the program. We can look over scheduling and also get an online account set up. This is no cost.
Communication:
Parents and adult students will receive access to the parent portal and online calendar as soon as they enroll in the studio. This has all the years upcoming events and lessons on it :)
You can also have a printed calendar of the year if you would prefer
We communicate regularly about breaks, group classes, events, etc in a bi-monthly newsletter
Sarah (our fabulous admin) is available 9 hours a week to answer any scheduling questions at jpsoffice123@gmail.com
Jacqui is always available by email directly-jacquispianostudio@gmail.com or by text message-207.232.9893
Teachers communicate weekly with lesson notes that are printed for students, emailed to parents, and also located in your parent portal for reference
We also have an instagram and facebook account along with a closed facebook group for families in the studio