Private lessons are offered year-round and tuition is billed on a monthly basis. Tuition is always the same amount regardless of illness, conflicting appointments, vacations, traffic, lack of practice, etc. There is a limited number of students I can take; with your tuition you are paying for a time slot in my schedule that is yours alone.

Tuition is fixed at $300 per month for weekly 45-minute private lessons, $400 per month for weekly 60-minute private lessons, or $600 for 90-minute private lessons.

Due Dates & Fees: Payments are due in full on or before the 1st of each calendar month. A late fee of $25 automatically applies if payment is not received by the 5th.

Accepted Methods: Payments may be settled via bank transfer, check, or digital invoice (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or Zelle).

*Extra lessons may be necessary to prepare for a special recital, competition, or audition. This will be discussed in advance.

*When I buy music for a student, or register them for competitions or events, you may reimburse me with the next month’s tuition.

*With few exceptions, we will always have 4 lessons in a month. The 5th week of a certain day in one month usually compensates for having only 3 weeks of that day in another month, due to a school holiday.

The tuition rate covers twelve lessons per semester and reserves a place in the studio. Missed lessons are not eligible for tuition reduction.

Lessons cancelled by the instructor will be rescheduled or a direct credit will be applied to the following month’s bill.

Prompt attendance is essential. Time will not be given to accommodate late arrivals. Every effort is made in the studio to stay on schedule.

Online lessons are available for any student who is not able to come in person to the studio.

Makeup Lesson Limits: Eligible lessons must be made up within 30 days during designated studio makeup hours. A maximum of one makeup lesson is permitted per 12-week semester.

Inclement Weather / Severe Volcano Hazards: In the event of severe weather or localized air quality hazards (high vog/SO2 levels) in Volcano, lessons will instantly pivot to an interactive online format at an agreed upon time.

Extended Vacations or Absences:

For absences shorter than 1 month all missed lesson must be made up either prior and/or after the scheduled absence dependent on the teacher’s schedule.

If the absence is longer than 1 month pre-payment is required for the month you will be  returning to reserve your spot.

If the absence is longer than 1 month it is highly encouraged for the student to continue lessons online during their absence.

If a student chooses to continue lessons online during their extended absence, they must pay for their lessons in advance and are subject to the same lesson cancellation and make-up policies as in-person lessons.

Students should come fully prepared for their lessons and classes. This means that students have practiced and completed their assignments a minimum of 5 days a week. Daily practice is key to success.

Practice Time Guideline

Students at the following levels should practice at a minimum the following amount per day, 5 days per week:

• Levels 1- 4: 45-60 Minutes each day

• Levels 5-7: 60-90 Minutes each day

• Levels 8-10: 90-120 Minutes each day

Parent Participation for Young Students

For students under the age of 12, a parent is highly encouraged to attend all lessons. A student’s success in music studies depends on the involvement of the parent. Because my time with your child during lessons is limited, I rely heavily on the parent to assist his/her child with practicing at home.

Parents  are encouraged to call if there are any questions that need clarification or to discuss their child’s progress and practice. Contact hours are between 9 AM and 3 PM either through text, phone call, or email.  Contact outside of these hours will be responded to at the teacher’s earliest convenience. During teaching hours responses may be delayed.

Students need daily access to a practice piano that is maintained and in good working order. If you do not have an acoustic piano, a full size, digital piano with 88-weighted keys is acceptable.

Because lessons take place in a residential setting, these clear guidelines maintain respect for the local community:

• Arrival Protocol: Students must arrive exactly at their scheduled lesson time. Do not arrive more than 5 minutes early, as this ensures the preceding student's lesson wraps up undisturbed and prevents driveway congestion.

• Parking and Drop-off: To preserve neighbor relations, all drop-offs, pick-ups, and waiting vehicles must park completely within the designated studio driveway lanes. Parking on the residential road shoulder is strictly prohibited.

• Waiting Policy & Space Limits: Lehua Piano Studio is a residential space. Parents of students under the age of 12 are welcome to wait quietly inside the designated studio waiting area. For older students, parents are highly encouraged to drop off their children and return promptly at the end of the lesson. For the safety of your children, please do not have your child waiting outside after the lesson. Students should be picked up immediately following their lessons.

• Property Care & Hygiene: Students must have clean hands and nails trimmed before sitting down at the studio instrument. No food, sugary drinks, or gum are permitted anywhere near the piano or in the teaching studio.

• Liability Release: By enrolling, parents and adult students explicitly assume all physical risks associated with attending lessons on residential property. The studio and homeowner are fully exempt from liability for accidents, injuries, or personal property loss occurring on the premises.

• Termination Notice: Every student stops taking lessons at some point. Ideally, this decision is made thoughtfully with plenty of discussion between the teacher, parent, and student so that lessons can cease with a positive sense of closure. For this reason, please give one month’s notice prior to discontinuing lessons. If a student discontinues lessons without providing 30- day notice, they will be responsible for paying any remaining lessons in their current payment cycle.Tuition remains due and non-refundable for the duration of that final 30-day notice period.

• Lehua  Piano Studio hereby has full right and authority to expel a student which has not qualified the teacher’s requirements for advancement OR for misconduct of the student or parent in behavior and attitude.

The instructor reserves the right to use photos taken during lessons, classes, and events for studio marketing purposes. Photographs featuring registered students are considered eligible for publication or public use unless the students (or parent/guardian of students under 18) submit a request for non-use in writing prior to the date when the photograph appears.