West Suburban YMCA Creative Arts Department

Private Music Lessons Contract

Spring/Summer 2019


The following policies should be reviewed before each enrollment by the student and parents. If there are any questions, comments or concerns about any policy mentioned here, do not hesitate to contact us.


Overview

The WSYMCA Creative Arts Department is proud to offer many opportunities for musicians of all ages and all experience levels! With private lessons, students have the ability to study many different styles, genres, techniques, instruments, and more, with our acclaimed music staff. Whether your interest is performing, music theory, production, or something else, our instructors work one-on-one with students to construct a uniquely customized curriculum.

As of Spring 2019, the WSYMCA offers private lessons in the following areas:


  • Bass
  • Drumset
  • Guitar
  • Music Production
  • Music Theory
  • Percussion (drums & mallet)
  • Piano
  • Trumpet
  • Voice


Enrollment

Registration for private lessons is available on the WSYMCA website: http://registration.westsuburbanymca.org/cgi-bin/ymweb.pl. You can also register with the front desk at the WSYMCA in-person or by phone at (617) 244-6050. Please contact Sunny McGovern at sunnym@wsymca.org with any questions about enrollment.


Registration codes for lessons are located here:


Lesson TypeRegistration Code
Private Music Lessons: 30 minutesMUS830
Private Music Lessons: 60 minutesMUS860
Private Music Theory Lessons: 30 minutesMUS730
Private Music Theory Lessons: 60 minutesMUS760
Private Music Production Lessons: 30   minutesMUS930
Private Music Production Lessons: 60   minutesMUS960





Tuition

  1. Upon registering for private lessons, families must pay a non-refundable deposit of $33/child ($38 for non-members) for 30 minute lessons and $60/child ($70 for non-members) for 60 minute lessons.
    1. The remaining tuition cost must be paid within the first two weeks of the session. All late payments are subject to an additional 10% fee, enforced at the discretion of the Director.
  2. All private lesson fees are to be paid in advance before the first scheduled lesson. The WSYMCA reserves the right to charge you an administrative fee if your payment is not received in a timely fashion. The instructor will notify you when you need to purchase your next set of lessons.
  3. In order to receive member rates for programs, your membership must be obtained within fourteen days of the program start date and remain current throughout the entire program session. If the membership expires during the session and you do not wish to renew, you must pay the non-member rate.
  4. Please note that once a session’s lessons have started, no refunds will be issued to any participant. As stated above, certain excused absences are eligible for a make-up credit. Regardless of attendance, families agree to pay for 8 weeks of lessons.
  5. Early bird rates are available for all students who register and pay their entire tuition by April 22, 2019 at 5:00 pm.


The following is a breakdown of lesson costs for MEMBERS:

Lesson   TypeCostEarly   Bird Cost
30 minute   lessons (8 weeks)$264$231 (1   lesson free!)
60 minute   lessons (8 weeks)$480$420 (1   lesson free!)


The following is a breakdown of lesson costs for NON-MEMBERS:

Lesson   TypeCostEarly   Bird Cost
30 minute   lessons (8 weeks)$304$266 (1   lesson free!)
60 minute   lessons (8 weeks)$560$490 (1   lesson free!)


Financial Assistance

We are committed to this simple policy: Nobody will be turned away from our programs and facilities due to an inability to pay. Financial assistance for camps, memberships, and programs is always available. Download the application at the West Suburban YMCA website or stop by the front desk for an application and more information. All applications are kept strictly confidential.

If you currently receive financial aid from our YMCA, please note: The discount percentage applied to music programs may be different.



Attendance and Make-Up Policy

  1. All students are expected to attend all lessons at the times scheduled.
  2. The YMCA does not issue refunds or make-up credits when participants miss a class for personal reasons.
  3. In the case of cancellation, students and/or parents should make every effort to contact the Director or their instructor directly at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled lesson.*
    1. A make-up credit will only be given if a student is unable to attend a class due to a documented illness, injury, or emergency and notifies the Director prior to their lesson.
      • Only one make-up lesson as a result of student illness or emergency can be guaranteed for each session. The instructor is not required to make up any other lessons canceled by the student.
  4. If a student is marked as a “No Show” and does not attempt to contact the WSYMCA prior to their lesson time, they will not receive a make-up credit. More than one “No Show” in a session may put a family in jeopardy of discontinuing their lessons.
  5. If the WSYMCA cancels a class due to inclement weather, instructor illnesses, or some other unforeseen reason, all students will be contacted and issued a make-up credit.
  6. To redeem a make-up credit and schedule a lesson, students must coordinate directly with their private instructor. The WSYMCA will not issue refunds for unused make-up credits.
    1. Make-up credits expire at the end of the session during which they were issued; credits cannot be applied to a different WSYMCA program or a future session’s bill.


*Note: The instructor has reserved the time in their schedule to teach each student and is expecting to be paid for their time. If the proper notice of cancellation is given, the instructor will have time to attempt to rearrange their schedule to eliminate unpaid time. We appreciate your consideration of our instructors’ time.

Scheduling

Upon registering for lessons, the Director will coordinate with students and their families to pick a weekly date and time for their lesson based on the Music Studio’s existing online calendar of availability. Lessons are offered in 30 minute increments and are held in the Music Studio on the basement level of the West Suburban YMCA located at 276 Church St., Newton Corner, MA 02458

Holidays are followed by the Newton Public School calendar. All Federal holidays are observed. The academic calendar is available on the Newton Public Schools website: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/2#calendar1/20190321/month.