How much do you charge?
Are there any contracts?
What payment methods do you accept?
What is your policy on makeups and cancellations?
Do you offer a discount for siblings or parent/child combos?
What is the youngest age you will teach?
Should I take half hour or full hour lessons?
I have a busy schedule – can I take lessons every other week?
Do I need my own instrument?
Do you host recitals or other performance opportunities?

_____________________________________________

How much do you charge?

We charge a flat rate by the month, due at the first lesson of each month.

A half hour lesson every week costs $70/month.
An hour lesson every week costs $130/month.

Students able to take lessons during normal school hours (M-F starting before 3:00pm) during the fall and spring school semesters can take $10 off the monthly rate! (NOTE: the school-hours discount does not apply to the months of June, July or August.)

Also note: students having their first lesson with Mike on or after the 1st of August, 2010 will be on a new rate system, of $80/month for half hour lessons, or $150/month for full hour lessons. These new rates will go into effect for all students beginning January 1, 2011.

Are there any contracts?

None – just pay at the beginning of each month. No need to sign up for more than a month at a time.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept cash or check. We can also accept Paypal, but with a 3% fee added to cover fees.

What is your policy on makeups and cancellations?

Our schedule is really full, so it’s very important that you give us as much notice as possible if you’re going to miss a lesson! (Also – we do prefer that lessons be made up instead of just canceled, since it can get expensive for Mike when weeks are missed and not paid.)

We WILL make up lessons…

• …missed for any reason with at least 24 hours’ advance notice
• …missed due to illness or emergency with at least *some* advance notice
• …missed due to Mike having a schedule conflict

We will NOT make up lessons…

• …missed with no advance notice

We WILL offer to waive the fee for lessons…

• …canceled by us, if a convenient make-up time cannot be found

PLEASE NOTE that while 24 hours is a general rule of thumb, it can be abused – so if you tend to cancel often with only a single day’s notice, we may not be able to make up every lesson missed. (Rule of thumb: GIVE AS MUCH NOTICE AS POSSIBLE, and we’ll be super-ultra-flexible.)

To give notice when you need to skip or reschedule a lesson, email Amy at amy@guitaraustin.org to figure out a new time.

Do you offer a discount for siblings or parent/child combos?

Yes – if both take half hour lessons, we can do the $130/month rate for both. If both do hour lessons, we can do $250/month for both.

What is the youngest age you will teach?

Generally, the best age to start is about eight years old, but we’ve had success with kids as young as six. However, with children that young, parents MUST be very involved in both lessons and practice at home! (Note: Currently we are not accepting new students younger than seven.)

Should I take half hour or full hour lessons?

Most younger kids do best with half hour lessons – any longer than that and they can start to lose focus. Adults and teenagers often make faster progress with hour lessons, and many adults with busy work schedules prefer the full hour, since they have less practice time at home throughout the week, and the full hour gives them a chance to really nail down new techniques before the lesson ends. If you’re not sure which is right for you, we can always start with half hour lessons, then move up to hour lessons later, or vice versa.

I have a busy schedule – can I take lessons every other week?

Afraid not – our monthly rate covers your time slot every week, so the cost has to reflect that. Otherwise, we’d end up with an empty time every other week that we can’t fill. In addition, it’s very difficult to maintain good forward progress with only two lessons per month! (However, if you pay for every week and only show up to half the lessons, that’s certainly your prerogative, but we can’t give a price break for that.)

Do I need my own instrument?

You can borrow one of ours at first, but you’ll need to practice at home, so you’ll need your own eventually. Mike’s happy to help you decide on the right guitar or bass before you buy, so just ask!

Do you host recitals or other performance opportunities?

Yes, at least twice per year, typically in our home or a local coffee shop. There’s no charge to participate, and parents are highly encouraged to bring friends and family to see their kids perform live!

And lastly, for students who train with Mike for a year and show sufficient dedication, we offer the opportunity to record in a studio, gaining real hands-on experience in the music business. It’s fun, exciting, and a LOT of hard work – but for those who do it, it’s amazing! There are additional fees for group practice time, studio rental and additional musicians if needed.