How lesson billing works is a common question, so I have detailed it below. I aim to be as transparent as possible.
For students enrolled for ongoing, weekly lessons, I do not charge on a per-lesson basis. (Casual lessons are charged on a per-lesson basis, and have a surcharge applied).
Instead, I charge a flat fee every month. I do this for 2 reasons:
- You know how much to expect to be charged each month, and when (7 days before the start of the next month)
- I have a consistent income every month, which helps me to keep teaching a viable source of income (teaching is my primary job, and I rely on this income to live)
So instead of some months having 5 lessons, if there happen to be 5 Wednesdays that month instead of 4, and some months having fewer lessons if there is a public holiday like Christmas, the same fee is charged every month.
How the flat fee works
How this works is that the total cost of 46 lessons for the year is divided evenly by 12 months. By charging for 46 lessons instead of 52, there are 6 absences built into the fee structure.
For this to work, it does require a 12 month commitment to lessons. This option is not available to adults, since they generally cannot make this commitment.
- You can miss up to 6 lessons during the year without worrying that you are paying for something you aren’t receiving
- I will be away for a week in May 2024 to attend a conference; this is included as one of these absences (and why I increased the absences from 4 to 6 in 2024)
- You receive free access to my Piano Maestro subscription so that students can get additional practice even on holidays, if they have an iPad handy
- I have also provided a growing repository of other practice resources for you to use
- You will not be charged anything extra for books / sheet music
- Intermediate students can access additional pieces that I have arranged by request in the Student Portal
- If you don’t miss any lessons, you get to enjoy 6 free lessons
Billing & Invoicing
Lessons are invoiced automatically.
- MyMusicStaff sends invoices out 8 days before the start of the next month.
- Your card will be charged when the invoice is sent.
Unfortunately MyMusicStaff does not cater for invoices to go out prior to charging a card. I would prefer to be able to send out a reminder, so it is a shame that the software cannot cate for this. But my hope with having a flat fee on a set date is that you know what to expect and when.
The only additional charge that may arise will be:
- Eisteddfod fees
- Exam enrolment fees
Eisteddfods / music festivals and music exams are entirely optional. Any participation in these, and charges for them, will be discussed well in advance.
