Tuition is billed monthly and is due by the 20th day of the preceding month (i.e. August tuition is due by July 20th, and so forth). Tuition is prorated during the first month of enrollment, and tuition remains the same for every month. EVSM is open year-round but takes 1 week off for Spring Break in March, Summer Break in July, Fall Break in October, and Winter Break in December. Extra (5th) lessons that may occur during some months are financially balanced by billing the same rate each month, even during months with a one-week break (ex: student receives 5 lessons in one month, then 3 lessons in a month when there is one-week break). We are unable to accommodate any other payment due date other than the 20th of each month. To help spread out initial payments, clients who are first charged tuition on or after the 15th of the month will have the second payment due on the last day of the month; billing will be on the 20th of each month thereafter.
All new students and returning former students are required to pay a non-refundable $59 sign-up fee. Books, accessories, and recital fees are charged separately.
An annual enrollment fee of $49 will be charged every year (12 months). This fee is non-refundable.
Join the 3-month or 6-month Music Masters tuition package to receive substantial tuition savings and a 10% discount on in-store book and product purchases.
Terms:
EVSM requires tuition payments to be collected automatically. Tuition payment must be received in full before the first lesson in the new month, and EVSM reserves the right to report unpaid tuition payments to a collection agency. Clients are required to fill out the Payment Method Form attached to this contract in order to enroll in lessons. Payment methods are listed below:
Tuition is due on the 20th day of each month. A $30 late fee will be added if tuition is not received by the last day of the month. If payment is not received by the last day of the month, then tuition will need to be collected prior to student’s next lesson. If payment is not received by the 7th day of the next month, student will be dismissed from the school due to non-payment.
The Client agrees that all payments made to EVSM are final. The Client agrees not to initiate any chargebacks, disputes, or payment reversals with their credit card company, bank, or payment processor for any reason related to the services provided, provided that EVSM has delivered the services as outlined in this Agreement. If the Client has a grievance regarding the services, they agree to contact EVSM in order to resolve any dispute and wait a minimum of 14 days in order to allow EVSM a reasonable opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue. In the event an unauthorized chargeback is initiated, the Client shall be responsible for all associated fees incurred by EVSM, and EVSM reserves the right to suspend services and report the delinquent account to credit bureaus.
Lessons may not be given by instructors at any location other than EVSM or online (as needed). Contact your instructor if you need to change your scheduled timeslot.
Clients are permitted to enroll in online lessons exclusively, however, unless otherwise agreed upon between instructor and student, lessons will be taught on location at EVSM. Occasionally under special circumstances, it may be requested that a student participates in an online lesson instead of in person.
For adult student absences, Instructor will make reasonable efforts to reschedule lessons missed due to illness, emergency, or mandatory work functions. Make-up lessons must be scheduled during Instructor’s assigned teaching days/times. Instructor is not required to guarantee rescheduling for all missed lessons.
Student is expected to stay committed to the same weekly timeslot. Please be respectful of your instructor’s schedule, and do not ask your instructor to reschedule your lesson to a different day/time in a given week.
EVSM allows a maximum of one skipped monthly tuition payment per calendar year (4 weeks) if a student is impacted by a serious illness or injury. If student is still recovering by the 5th or 6th week of missed lessons, Instructor will privately make up as many as 2 lessons. Documentation of illness or injury is required.
EVSM sends out periodic emails with important announcements and updates. Please read these emails to stay informed, and do not unsubscribe from our email list.
Upon enrolling in lessons at EVSM, student is required to have an instrument as well as other necessary accessories. Client will also need to purchase music as requested by instructor.
Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Please keep children in the waiting area and do not leave children unattended in the hallways. While in the waiting area, please keep noise to a minimum. Parents are welcome to sit in on lessons at any time, but siblings, infants, and friends of students are not permitted to sit in on lessons as it is a distraction to both the student and the instructor and compromises the learning environment. Anyone other than parents or the student taking the lesson will be asked to leave the room.
Student is required to attend lessons regularly and practice consistently. Student is responsible to practice the minimum minutes assigned by instructor, and parent is strongly encouraged to assist younger children in practice at home. Music lessons are a serious commitment, and EVSM cannot hold timeslots for students who are unable to attend and/or practice on a regular basis. Instructor will notify parent if student is consistently absent, not practicing, not completing theory assignments, or misbehaving during lessons. If issues are not resolved, student will be placed on a 4-week probationary period, after which they may be dismissed from EVSM. Students who miss 3 consecutive lessons without communicating with their instructor or the office will be dismissed with no refund.
EVSM offers two formal recitals for students throughout the year, and instructors may also offer additional performance opportunities.
Formal recitals include our Holiday Recital and Spring Recital, which are held in our performance hall.
EVSM is a service-based business that reserves instructor timeslots for students. Because of this, students are expected to attend lessons regularly, and lessons cannot be placed on hold for vacations, business trips, or similar absences.
East Valley School of Music operates year-round. If a student withdraws for summer travel, their current timeslot may not be available upon return, and a $59 enrollment fee will be required to resume lessons. Under the Summer Travel Policy, students who are away for 5 to 8 weeks between May and August (excluding EVSM’s one-week break during the first week of July) may pay half tuition to keep their weekly timeslot and remain enrolled. During that period, they may also attend Master Group Make-up Classes, but private make-up lessons are not offered for missed lessons. The discounted tuition will appear on the July invoice. If you plan to travel during these months, please contact the office in advance to submit a Summer Travel Policy form.
EVSM requires a 30-day notice of withdrawal from lessons at any time. For this reason, an initial 2-month commitment is expected. In order to officially withdraw, Client must inform the EVSM office and complete a Notice of Withdrawal Form, which is available in person at the front desk, or the office can email a link to fill out online. (It is not sufficient to only inform your instructor.) EVSM will continue normal billing until the Notice of Withdrawal Form is received. The final lesson date will be confirmed once the form is processed, and tuition will be prorated for the number of lessons received in the final month.
Extra (5th) lessons that may occur during some months are financially balanced by billing the same rate each month, even during months with a one-week break. This helps EVSM to keep the billing as simple as possible. If a student discontinues lessons prior to a one-week break, they may need to be billed for an extra (5th) lesson if one has accrued.
Due to the nature of coordinating the schedules of instructors and students, it may be necessary to reassign a student to another instructor. Students assigned to an instructor who leaves EVSM will be reassigned to another EVSM instructor (the 30-day notice of withdrawal policy will be strictly enforced).
Furthermore, in accordance with the instructor contract with EVSM, current instructors and former instructors are NOT permitted to teach EVSM students privately apart from EVSM. The instructor contract with EVSM states: “During the term of this Agreement and for a period of one year following termination of this Agreement, Contractor agrees that he or she will not, by himself or herself or with or through others, directly or indirectly solicit any business from any prospective, current, or former EVSM Client.” Legal action may be taken by EVSM if there are any breaches of contract by Instructor or Client.
As part of developing a strong community of music-makers, we ask for your permission to showcase your child’s musical successes. EVSM may film or photograph your child during their lessons or performances. As your child’s parent/legal guardian, we are asking your permission for EVSM to use these photos/videos of your child for any legal use, including our website, social media, and print/digital marketing. No royalty, fee, or other compensation shall become payable to you for such use. EVSM will not use your child’s last name or any other identifying information when using photos/videos of your child.
Do you agree to this optional Media Release? ___Yes ___No
EVSM reserves the right to modify and update the terms of this contract with reasonable advance notice.
I, ____________________________________________________________, agree to the
terms of this contract.
I understand that failure to comply with any of the terms of this contract may result in dismissal from
East Valley School of Music.
If you have any questions regarding our school, please feel free to contact us with the contact information below.