Membership Policies

PRIVATE LESSON MEMBERSHIPS & FEES 

The following items are included each month in the private music lesson membership:

1. A weekly reservation at your designated lesson day and time on our schedule.
2. Your choice of a weekly 30, 45, or 60-minute private music lesson membership tier with your selected Music Academy faculty member.
3. Access to attend unlimited membership music classes, performance & repertoire classes, workshops, and masterclasses designed exclusively for our private lesson students. (Click HERE for more details)
4. Access to participate in our annual student recitals in May as well as other performance opportunities throughout the year.
5. Early registration for ensembles, classes, seminars, and special events before they are open to the general public.

Membership Tiers:  The following Membership Tiers generally meet four to five times per month, depending on the calendar and the holiday/vacation schedule

Monthly Private Lesson Membership Fee for Weekly 30 Minute Lessons: $145.00
Monthly Private Lesson Membership Fee for Weekly 45 Minute Lessons: $212.50
Monthly Private Lesson Membership Fee for Weekly 60 Minute Lessons: $280.00

Registration Fee:  A $30.00 fee is due at registration. If more than one family member from the same household registers for private music lessons, you only pay one $30.00 registration fee.

Membership Lesson Status:  All private lesson membership students must declare either in-person or online membership lesson status. You can change membership lesson status at any time by contacting the Music Academy Director at 828-693-3726, ext. 5.

ENSEMBLE & MUSIC CLASS REGISTRATION & FEES: 

Ensemble and music class fees vary depending on group size and material costs. For details about current classes, fees, and semester dates, please visit our Ensembles page or Music Classes page. The spring semester runs from February to May, and the fall semester runs from September to December. Each semester lasts twelve weeks and ends with a concert. Some classes may have different start dates or durations based on the curriculum.

MEMBERSHIP POLICIES

PRIVATE LESSON MEMBERSHIP INVOICING & PAYMENTS: 

1. The following is the monthly membership fee invoicing schedule for all students currently enrolled in private lessons at the Music Academy of WNC:

15th of the Month: We will email monthly membership invoices for the upcoming month to all students.

25th of the Month: Membership fees for the upcoming month are due and must be paid in full. We collect monthly membership fees through a recurring payment system. Students who do not pay their membership fees for the upcoming month by the 25th of the month may forfeit their membership status and lose their current lesson time. We may assess a $25.00 late fee on past-due accounts if we do not receive payment in full by the 25th of the month. To continue your private lesson membership for the upcoming month, you must pay the $25.00 late fee, the upcoming month’s fees, and any other outstanding balance in full.

We process recurring payments early on the 25th. Please make sure you have funds available in your debit or credit account by the end of the business day on the 24th so your payment will process.

2. An Annual Fee of $40.00 will be assessed on all private lesson memberships each year in March. This Annual Fee is a per-household fee, so families with more than one student enrolled in private lessons will not be charged more than one Annual Fee. This Annual Fee will be included on the regularly scheduled March 15th invoice and will be due on March 25th, in accordance with Paragraph 1. This fee covers the costs of private music lesson memberships not included in the monthly fee. New and returning students registering during the first calendar quarter of the year will be exempt from paying their initial annual fee unless they register under a promotion that waives the current registration fee.

ENSEMBLE & MUSIC CLASS FEE INVOICING & PAYMENTS

3. Ensemble registration and fees are outlined on our Ensembles page. Ensemble fees are invoiced in three monthly installments over the duration of the ensemble, along with the private lesson membership fee, as outlined in Paragraph 1 of the Membership Policies.

4. Music Class registration and fees are outlined and administered on our Music Classes page.  All music class fees are payable and due upon registration.

ONLINE PRIVATE LESSON FORMATS & USAGE:

5. The Google Meet platform is available to private lesson members who declare online status at the Music Academy. All students registering for online lesson status must use Google Meet, have reliable Internet access at their lesson location, and have all computer equipment necessary for two-way, audio/video, web-based communication. We recommend that new online students schedule a test lesson with their instructor before their first lesson.

We do not offer full or partial make-up lessons, membership fee refunds, or credits to online students due to poor Internet service, connectivity issues, equipment failures or malfunctions, or any other technical issue at the student’s lesson location that prevents a private lesson from being conducted.

6. Students registering for in-person lesson status must have access to Google Meet, a reliable Internet connection at their lesson location, and all computer equipment necessary for two-way, audio/video, web-based communication in case the Music Academy is closed for inclement weather, government mandates, or any other reason outside the Music Academy’s control. In-person lesson students may use the online platform for a regularly scheduled lesson as outlined in Paragraph 13.

We do not offer full or partial make-up lessons, refunds, or credits to in-person students due to poor Internet service, connectivity issues, equipment failures or malfunctions, or any other technical issue at the student’s lesson location that prevents a private lesson from being conducted.

ADMINISTRATION OF MEMBERSHIPS, ACCOUNTS & STUDENT COMMITMENT:

7. The Music Academy Director oversees all private lesson membership invoicing, membership fee collection, and registration. If a student wishes to change their membership tier or cancel their monthly private lesson membership, contact the Music Academy Director directly at 828-693-3726, extension 5, to update enrollment and invoicing status by 5:00 PM on the 24th of the month for the upcoming month. Please notify the Music Academy Director (NOT the instructor) directly to stop the monthly recurring payment for private lesson membership fees.

8. Student commitment for private music membership is month-to-month. We do not offer full or partial membership fee refunds or credits if a student withdraws from private lessons before the end of the calendar month in which the membership fees have been paid. We do not offer full or partial refunds or credits after the recurring membership fee payment is drafted on the 25th of the month for the upcoming month.

9. Student commitment for Ensembles and Music Classes is for the duration of the ensemble or class. We do not offer full or partial refunds or credits if a student withdraws from an Ensemble or music class after registration is completed.

10. All private lesson membership, ensemble, and music class fees paid by the student will be applied to the originally intended month, semester, or music class duration. We do not offer full or partial credits or “carry-overs” for subsequent months, semesters, or music classes unless authorized by the Music Academy Director.

11. All private lessons start and end promptly at the scheduled time. Lesson times will not be extended for student tardiness beyond the scheduled end time. Please be on time for each private lesson. All Ensembles and Music Classes will begin and end promptly at the scheduled time.

12. Students should practice six days a week while taking private lessons. If your lesson is 30 minutes, aim to practice 30 minutes each day. Of course, practicing more is always encouraged.

MAKE-UP LESSONS:

13. The Music Academy does not offer make-up lessons if a student misses a private music lesson. Please do your best to attend each week to get the most out of your lessons. If you cannot attend your lesson, please let your instructor know as a courtesy. We do not offer refunds, credits, or carryovers for missed student lessons.

If you can’t make your in-person lesson, you can schedule an online lesson for your regularly scheduled lesson time if you give your instructor at least 24 hours’ notice. Same-day requests may not be possible, so please plan. Online lessons follow the policies in Paragraph 6.

14. The Music Academy of WNC faculty comprises active professional musicians who may need to reschedule private lessons periodically due to professional obligations. If an instructor cancels a private lesson, the instructor will notify the student immediately and schedule an in-person or online lesson directly with the student for a day and time convenient for both the instructor and the student during the calendar month in which the lesson was missed. The Music Academy may also provide a substitute instructor, if available, so the lesson does not have to be rescheduled.

We do not offer full or partial refunds, credits, or carryovers for any lessons the instructor cannot attend, or for any scheduled faculty make-up lesson the student does not attend. Faculty make-up lessons must be scheduled in the same calendar month as the original missed lesson. If the student misses a scheduled faculty make-up lesson, it will not be rescheduled and will be forfeited.

INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSINGS:

15. The Music Academy of WNC does not follow the Henderson County Public School system’s delay or closing schedules for inclement weather. If the Music Academy is closed due to inclement weather, we will post updates on our website and on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. We typically post announcements on our website and on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by 10:30 AM. Please visit these social media links at the top of the page. We will also send a newsletter announcing any inclement weather closures. Click HERE to subscribe to our newsletter.

16. The Music Academy uses Google Meet for all in-person private lessons when inclement weather causes closures. Private lessons held on these days will be designated “Virtual Days” and will be conducted as scheduled via Google Meet. Music Academy faculty will contact students affected by inclement weather closures to conduct an online lesson at the student’s regularly scheduled time. All “Virtual Days” follow the same Membership Policies as in-person lessons held under normal operating conditions. Please visit our online connectivity page for details on how to connect to Google Meet. We will not grant full or partial make-up lessons to online students due to poor Internet service, connectivity issues, equipment failures or malfunctions, or any other technical issue at the student’s lesson location that prevents a private lesson from being conducted. In addition, we will not issue full or partial refunds or credits if an online private lesson cannot be conducted due to any technical issue originating from the student’s lesson location or if a student fails to log into their lesson.

17. All Ensembles and Music Classes will be canceled on the day(s) the Music Academy is closed due to inclement weather. No make-up Ensembles or Music Classes will be scheduled if the Music Academy closes due to inclement weather. We do not offer partial fee refunds or credits for Ensembles or Music Classes if the Music Academy is closed due to inclement weather.

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS & FACULTY VACATION:

18. The Music Academy of WNC DOES NOT follow the Henderson County School system calendar for holidays, teacher workdays, annual leave days, or other days when the Henderson County School system is not in session. The Music Academy will be closed during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Faculty members may also take one week during the year, at their discretion, for vacation. These four weeks are NOT included in our monthly private lesson membership fee, which is based on 48 lessons per calendar year, or an average of four lessons per month. The Music Academy is open for business all other days of the year, with lessons, ensembles, music classes, and other events following a normal schedule.

RECITAL PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES:

19. Our annual Spring recitals for private lesson students are held in May and are scheduled by the Music Academy Director. Ensemble recitals are held in December and May to conclude our fall and spring semesters. Faculty members and ensemble directors may also schedule additional performance opportunities throughout the year. All private lesson membership students are encouraged to perform at our recitals. Ensemble students must participate in recitals.

MUSIC ACCESSORIES, INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, & INSTRUMENT RENTALS:

20. Students are responsible for purchasing their own instruments, accessories, method books, and instructional materials. Students may purchase these materials from the Music Academy retail store. Payment for Music Academy retail store purchases is due upon receipt. Band and orchestral instruments may be rented or purchased through the Music Academy by clicking HERE. You may also rent pianos and keyboards through our partnership with Steinway of the Carolinas. We can also supply instruments such as guitars, keyboards, and drums. Please contact the Music Academy Director for details. You can also purchase accessories, method books, and additional instructional materials online through our Music Academy STORE. We will hold student purchases from our online STORE at the Music Academy for pickup. Your instructor may also require additional materials (e.g., notebooks, staff paper). Please check with your instructor for all lesson material requirements.

Now that we’ve covered all the details, let’s have some fun!