BOLTON COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL STATEMENT OF POLICIES
Private Lesson Tuition
$30 / half hour lesson , weekly
$45 / 45 minute lesson, weekly
$60 / hour lesson, weekly
Violin/ Piano Program
Suzuki Violin Program—Group class is offered at no charge on a bi-monthly basis as a part of the program
Beginning Piano Program-—Group class will be offered at no charge, times and frequency to be arranged.
Recitals—No fee unless otherwise notified. Usually there is no extra charge for performances organized by the school, but on occasion students might be asked to chip in to rent a more expensive performance venue.
School sign-up procedure
1. Initial meeting with instructor—Answer questions, go over policies, over-view of program/school, evaluate instruments for suitability, recommend method books, etc.
2. Sign contract. Commit by semester to Fall and / Spring. First month payment holds your place in the lesson schedule.
3. Payments—if monthly, due by first of the month. Late payments result in bigger bills for the school when we can’t pay our utilities on time!
Missed lessons
Make-up policy—We consider your lesson time important. We save that time for you and prepare suitable materials for your lesson. Please respect the instructor’s time and professional commitments. Each student has one make-up lesson/semester for each instrument that they study at B.C.M.S. no matter what the reason. Make-ups are scheduled at the instructor’s convenience. Advance notice is appreciated.
For increased flexibility, parents/students can list their names, emails, phone numbers and swap lessons with each other. The teacher is not responsible for these swaps, it is totally between students. But, as long as the lesson times match- 30 min. or 45 min. etc.- it's fine.
Snow days and instructor cancellations
If Nashoba Regional schools are closed for inclement weather, Bolton Community Music School will also shut down for the day. Instructor will arrange with the students to schedule a make-up lesson . This policy will also apply in case of instructor absence due to illness or to an unforeseen professional commitment. Instructors will make all reasonable efforts to contact students as soon as they become aware of a situation that will cause them to miss a scheduled lesson - usually by email.
Recital attendance
All students are encouraged to participate in semester’s end recitals and other performances that we organize. These performances are fun . Preparing for a performance gives motivation and a near-term goal for a student’s work. Preparing ensemble pieces for performance with the group classes is a great way to develop students’ musical and social skills. As the recital or concert date approaches we will ask you if you intend to perform in the upcoming event. No one is required to participate, but if you do commit to perform, please remember that the other members of the community—instructors, fellow students, friends, family—are counting on you and looking forward to hearing you play.
Musical instruments
We do not sell any musical instruments at Bolton Community Music School, but we are glad to advise you when necessary on acquiring and maintaining your instrument. Having a decent, appropriately sized instrument in good repair is a requirement for enrolling in any music program. Please bring your instrument, if you have one, to the initial interview. We will check the instrument for any problems that could hinder your progress. We will also measure the young violinists to determine the appropriate size violin to get.
We recommend that beginners buy or rent an inexpensive instrument from an established dealer in musical instruments. Any decent music store should have acceptable new and used guitars, electric basses, and electronic keyboards on hand. We much prefer acoustic pianos to electronic keyboards, but if you do get one, electronic keyboards should have full-sized keys and “touch sensitivity.” Do not waste your money buying any musical instrument at a department store or big-box discount house.
VIOLINS AND ACOUSTIC PIANOS SHOULD COME FROM A FULL SERVICE SPECIALTY DEALER ONLY. Regular music stores do not have the expertise in house, nor do they have the capital to maintain an adequate inventory of quality instruments. Our students have had good experiences with violin rentals from Spencer Brook Strings in Maynard, and Johnson String in Newton.
As students advance, they will recognize and desire the improved sound quality and playability of more expensive upper-end instruments. The above advice about instrument dealers still applies, but at this point the savings possible through a well-researched private or online purchase, makes these methods a viable, if problematic option. Study up and get a professional appraisal before investing in an expensive instrument.
Music lessons for violin, guitar, bass, and piano in Bolton MA, located close to Stow, Hudson, Harvard, Boxboro, Acton, Clinton, Lancaster, Sterling, Sudbury, Ayer, Shirley, Lunenburg, Berlin, Maynard, Marlborough, Leominster.
We are located Exit 27 off 495, head .5 miles east (toward Stow) on Route 117. We are in a white colonial farmhouse at the junction of Route 117 (Main St.) and Long Hill Road.
This website was designed and optimized by Ladybugz Inc. Bolton MA
Comments