This is a general overview of the studio lesson policies. Students are accepted into the studio by interview and you will receive a personalized written contract at the time of registration.
The studio follows a two-term model – school term (10 months, September to June) and summer term (2 months, late June to August). The studio is closed for Ontario statutory holidays, Christmas break, Ontario March Break, and a summer vacation in August. Dates will be posted on the studio calendar.
Lessons may be scheduled as regular weekly or à la carte. Adult students at advanced levels may also choose regular alternate-week lessons. Depending on the student’s level, piano+theory lessons are scheduled as 45, 60, 75, or 90 minutes and theory-only lessons are scheduled as 30, 45, or 60 minutes. The appropriate length and frequency of lessons will be determined at your interview. Students receiving regular weekly or alternate-week lessons attend at the same day/time each week. À la carte lessons are scheduled based on my availability.
A student’s musical progress is a direct result of the quality and quantity of their practice. Students need to practise daily; a minimum of five days per week is expected. Parental support is needed during the week as a home practice coach and in scheduling practice time as part of your child’s daily routine. Individualized lesson notes with practice techniques, resources, and lesson recordings are available approximately 24 hours after each lesson. Students are expected to complete all theory homework as assigned and should upload their homework scans and video/audio files by midnight of the day before your lesson.
All piano and keyboard harmony students are required to have a piano at home for daily practicing. A tuned, acoustic piano is preferred, but in some instances a digital piano may be used. It must have 88 weighted keys and a damper-type pedal (not a switch pedal). fingernails should be at an appropriate length to not impede playing.
Students must purchase their own copies of music, textbooks, and practice exams. A book list will be provided. In addition, students require:
Piano students also require:
Exams offer further performance and assessment opportunities. Participation is suggested, but not mandatory. Input from students, parents, and the teacher is important in setting these goals. Students are responsible for exam registration fees.
Students should only register for exams after consulting with me. If a student registers for an exam but then does not complete the needed preparations to reach the required standard, the student will be advised to withdraw.
Lessons will be recorded and stored on a local drive. Lesson videos are available to students, and will be uploaded to their Google Drive folder and then deleted after one week. Lesson recordings are for personal use only and should not be posted to social media due to privacy and copyright issues. Resource materials you receive as part of your lessons are copyrighted by me and may not be shared or sold.
Online contact with a child will be at a time pre-arranged by the parent/guardian, for lessons only. Students under 18 should have an adult nearby at all times, but not necessarily in the same room. Young students may need a parent to participate in their lesson. Students should be dressed appropriately. The piano/keyboard should not be set up in a bedroom. If this is the only option, permission must be given by email for lessons to take place in this location.
Your personal information is used to provide customized lessons and communicate with you. Your information will not be sold. Your information may be shared with third-party service providers who assist in business operations, such as hosting providers and payment processors. You provide your consent to the collection and use of personal information when you register for lessons. You may withdraw your consent at any time. Please see the full privacy policy.
Please send notice of any absences by email.
Reschedules to a different day/time during the school term are not possible as the timetable is full. When you register you are reserving your regular weekly lesson time in my calendar for the entire school term.
Regular weekly and alternate-week lesson packages come with a limited number of make-up lessons and all lessons must be used by the last day of the term, as specified in your contract, or will be considered forfeited. A lesson may only be rescheduled once, i.e. a missed make-up lesson is not eligible for another make-up lesson. Extra time outside of regular teaching hours will not be created for make-up lessons. À la carte lessons are not eligible for make-up lessons.
For all other absences a video exchange lesson will be provided. The student provides video or audio of their current progress, and the student’s reserved lesson time will be used to review and prepare a reply video with feedback and direction.
Lesson time will not be extended for lateness. Power outages and internet failures will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Lessons cancelled by the teacher will be rescheduled.
If a student wishes to withdraw from lessons during the school term, please discuss this with the teacher as there may be alternate solutions to ending lessons completely. One month of paid notice is required. Tuition will be balanced, and any applicable refunds will be returned to you. No withdrawals will be granted after March 1. Summer-term and à la carte lessons are non-refundable.
I reserve the right to dismiss students who consistently do not practise, miss numerous lessons, make repeated late payments, or other reasons at my discretion. In such cases, remaining tuition (if applicable) will be refunded, less an administration fee, as specified in your contract.
Tuition for the school term is based on a set package of lessons and billed in Canadian funds using the secure Square payment platform. A non-refundable deposit is payable at the time of registration to reserve your lesson time. The balance of your tuition is paid in advance by one of the following payment plans:
Summer and à la carte lessons are billed by the total number of lessons and prepaid in one payment.
Accepted forms of payment are debit or credit card via Square and Interac e-Transfer.
A late fee will be applied to your invoice if payment has not been received by the 3rd of the month. If a Square instalment is declined, please take the appropriate steps to resolve the problem as soon as possible. No lessons will be conducted until your account is brought up to date.
The best way to reach me is by email, in which case I will reply or call you during normal business hours. I do not take phone calls while I am teaching, after 9 p.m., or on weekends. Newsletters and invoices are sent by email.
Email hello@kathleenprochnau.com with your:
I will reply with my availability and a personalized quote for your event. Rehearsals are conducted at my home in Stittsville unless otherwise arranged. Alternate rehearsal locations may be subject to a travel fee. Distant locations may be subject to a travel fee. Requests received with less than two weeks’ notice before your performance may be subject to a rush fee.
A 50% non-refundable deposit and PDF scans of your music are required to reserve your performance date.
A note about your music
Please send PDFs (not photos) and make sure the scans have clear resolution, with all piano staves visible, especially at the bottom of the page and inside corners of a book. Please also provide your preferred tempo markings and if applicable, links to reference recordings before your first rehearsal.
You are responsible for knowing the copyright rules of your event. A physical copy of the piano music is usually required in exam and festival situations.
Once I have received your deposit and music, I will provide a link to my calendar and you may book your rehearsal time(s) based on my availability.
Payment may be made by debit or credit using the secure Square payment platform or Interac e-Transfer. Your invoice will indicate a payment schedule of:
Rehearsals may be rescheduled with 48 hours’ notice by accessing the provided calendar link. Please note that during busy seasons, my availability becomes extremely limited. Rehearsal time will not be extended for late arrival.
Rehearsals cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice and no-shows will be charged for a 30-minute rehearsal. If your deposit has already prepaid your rehearsal time you will forfeit the timeslot and fee.
In the event that you cancel your performance for any reason, the 50% deposit is non-refundable and any outstanding rehearsal fees must be paid in full. In the unlikely event that I am unable to fulfill your performance, I will endeavour to find a replacement pianist. If applicable, your invoice will be adjusted to reflect the rehearsals completed to date.
