About Jacqui’s Music Studio
We are super excited to welcome new students and current students for our summer session and upcoming 2025/2026 school year!
At JMS 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), the Outdoor Music Celebration in Portland in the Spring (hosted by SMMTA), piano and voice recitals in June and a Summer Jam in which will showcase student projects (for students that participate in summer session). Adult students are invited to attend two Donuts and Duets piano and voice 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 Will Sawyer for 5th-12 Grade singers. Choirs offered both in Cumberland and in Saco.
Night of Talent, run by Will Sawyer and AP Nuri for students adult and kids alike to perform in public spaces at a curated open mic.
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 Costs By Teacher
*Rates are determined by teacher experience, schooling, certifications, and professional development. Please note yearly rates may go up a few dollars.
**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!**
Jacqui Savage
30 Min. Lessons with Jacqui: $181.00
45 Min. Lessons with Jacqui: $228.00
60 Min. Lessons with Jacqui: $305.00
60 Min. every other week lessons for adults—$156
Will Sawyer
30 Min. Lessons with Will: $181.00
45 Min. Lessons with Will: $228.00
60 Min. Lessons with Will: $305.00
60 Min. every other week lessons for adults—$156
Sharon Trace
30 Min. Lessons with Sharon: $181.00
45 Min. Lessons with Sharon: $228.00
60 Min. Lessons with Sharon: $305.00
60 Min. every other week lessons for adults—$156
Delaney Clifford
30 Min. Lessons with Delaney: $156.00
60 Min. Lessons with Delaney: $246.00
Miranda McDonald
30 Min. Lessons with Miranda: $181.00
45 Min. Lessons with Miranda: $228.00
60 Min. Lessons with Miranda: $305.00
60 Min. every other week lessons for adults—$156
Some important notes on tuition:
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Monthly tuition is calculated by multiplying the lesson rate by 38 weeks between September and June and dividing by 10 months. Bi-Weekly lessons include 18 lessons.
Monthly tuition is a program model. We calculate the number of lessons received, however, families are paying for a program which include group classes and recital/performance opportunity. Monthly tuition is paying for a reserved weekly lesson slot and the teachers time. Tuition does not change if lessons are cancelled as teachers will still be there and will be paid for their time at the studio. If teacher is sick, one of our qualified teachers will sub in. If there is not a sub available, families will receive a credit. This is an umbrella model for the studio and may change if a teacher wants to move their lessons.
Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. Auto-Pay is required. There are three ways payment can be made automatically
Electronic bank check to be delivered before the 1st of each month to 52 Tuttle Rd, Cumberland, Maine, 04021--checks will not be cashed until the 1st.
Set up auto-pay in your parent/online portal which does have a fee
Set up a bank transfer in your parent/online portal which doesn't have a fee
If a student quits lessons in the middle of a month, there are no refunds. Students are not obligated to stay in lessons all year. If private lessons are not going well for any reason at all we would not want to push a student 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. If students need to take a month off for any reason, we will give their time to students on our wait list.
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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.
We always work with families and students on this. For example, you can pay half in September and half in February OR add $10 a month to monthly tuition if you would prefer.
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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, and more.
Property taxes, self-employment taxes, insurance, business licenses, & retirement funds. (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 teachers.)
Continuing education for teachers to stay current on proper methods and techniques.
Certification 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 that include exclusive discounts.
This model allows the studio to pay teachers for their time, even if students cancel their lessons
Frequently Asked Questions
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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 portaland 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. We will also offer some during group class weeks.JMS is a program model. Monthly tuition pays for the 30, 45, or 60 minute lesson-time once a week or once every other week. In order to keep highly qualified teachers and respect their busy schedules, teachers are paid for their time regardless if students come to their lessons or not.
If a lesson is missed, teachers will take that time to lesson plan, send a short video lesson, and send lesson notes out, upon request.
If a teacher cancels, students will receive a credit on their bill the following month.The online calendar will still be available for students to "swap," so please cancel your lessons ahead of time if you know you can't make it so other families can grab those lessons. A make-up lesson is not assumed in the event of a cancellation.
This is an overall policy for the studio and teachers may have a slight variance in the way they make up time. Please speak with your teacher or reach out to enrollment@jacquismusicstudio.com if you have special rescheduling needs.
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Group Classe are for school-age students. They 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.
Group classes encourage our community of school-age 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 integral for navigating the highs and lows of practice.
There are no regular private lessons during group class weeks.
2025/2026 Group Class Dates:
October 19 - 23
December 14 - 18
February 8 - 12
April 12 - 16
June 14 - 18
**Schedule of classes for group classes will be given out in September. If designated times don't work for your schedule, we can try to accommodate by moving them into another class with similar ages and levels. We are planning to run groups in Cumberland and in Saco this year**
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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
Studio families will receive a Calendar with JMS events or you can check the online calendar at anytime. You will also receive newsletters in your email throughout the year.BREAKS: 2024/2025
Thanksgiving Break: November 25 - December 1
Christmas/New Years Break: December 21 - January 4
February Break: February 16 - 22
April Break: April 20 - 26
Summer Break: June 22 - July 5
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7 Week Session prorated
Monthly Tuition stays the same
6 private lessons
1 group class
1 summer jam concert at the end!
If you would like to take the summer off and hold your time, you can pay the hold fee which is $220 so we do not fill your spot with another student.
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Yes, if you agree with studio policies/philosophy of teaching, we can provide a meet and greet at one of our studio locations, where we can talk about goals, go over the program and/or meet with your potential teacher. We can look over scheduling and also get an online account set up. This is no cost.
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Parents and adult students will receive access to the parent portal and online calendar with MyMusicStaff as soon as they enroll in the studio. Your portal will have the year’s upcoming events and lessons on it. We also have a printed calendar of the year, if preferred.
We communicate regularly about breaks, group classes, events, etc in a bi-monthly newsletter.
If you aren’t yet a student and have questions about enrollment and the JMS studio use our contact form
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.
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Please check out our teachers’ bios and availability on our staff page here.