with Lori Cummings

Lessons with Lori Piano Lessons & Tutoring

Policies & Expectations

 

Covid-19 Prevention or Illness

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​Masks MUST always be worn (to be provided by the students, please). If you come without a mask, you will forfeit your lesson for that day. 

1.    Students are not to come if they have any sign of illness or have been in contact with anyone who has had any symptoms of Covid-19.

2.    Students are to wait in their vehicle until I come to the door to indicate that it is okay to enter.  

3.    Antibacterial lotion is to be used before touching the piano. 

4.    Students MUST use the washroom at home as my washroom is for my family use only. 

​​Please do not come if you have any signs of illness: fever, cough, sniffles, sneezing, vomiting, rash, etc.  I am immunocompromised and cannot risk getting sick.  

 

 

Studio Policies & Expectations

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• ​Payment is always due the FIRST day of each month. Payments are be made by e-transfer to lori.cummings44@gmail.com .  Invoices will be sent by email around the 24th of the month and receipts will be issued once payment is received.  

• ​Missed lessons are still charged.  I reserve this time for you.  While I will try to reschedule the lesson for you within reason, rescheduled lessons will not be guaranteed as I teach with a full schedule.  You will need to pay for the missed lesson whether it is rescheduled or not.  This includes not coming online for your lesson.  I will only wait for 10 minutes.  After that, the lesson is considered cancelled. If you are having difficulties getting online, please contact me within those 10 minutes so that I can help to resolve the issue.

• ​Storm Days:  In the event that the roads are not suitable to come to lessons due to weather, then lessons for that day will switch to an online lesson. I will be in contact with each parent/adult student that day to confirm the online lesson and send a Zoom link

• ​Cost: The cost per lesson is $23 for each 30-minute lesson, $34.50 for a 45-minute lesson and $46 for an hour lesson.

• ​The Lesson Year runs September 12th to June 21th, 2024.  Students are expected to attend lessons until June 24th and will be charged accordingly.  If a student decides to discontinue lessons early, one month’s notice or one month’s pay must be given.

• ​Statutory Holidays: I close for all statutory holidays as well as during the school break at Christmas.  March Break lessons are optional.  Please note that I am still open when schools have Professional Learning days.

• ​​Vacations: Any vacations taken outside of the times that I am closed will still be charged, with the exception of July and August.

• ​Summer Lessons are optional.  Payment is made at the beginning of the month, but the number of lessons times are flexible to accommodate vacations, summer camps and day trips.  Students do not have to pay for weeks that they are away during the summer.

• ​Please come prepared with all your books, theory homework completed, practice times recorded on your homework sheet, your binder with your music, a pencil.

• ​Sheet Music: I compose and arrange a wide variety of sheet music, all of which is available on www.sheetmusicplus.com and www.sheetmusicdirect.com.  I do not charge my students for my work.  However, If I purchase a song for you that is over $6.00 that you request, I will request payment for that song.  For online students, I will send the link for any online songs that are not my work for you to purchase and print off. 

• ​Books: Students are required to pay for all books.  An invoice will be issued with the amount owed for the books.  This amount will be due by the next lesson. I may request that parents go purchase the books at Tony’s Music Box on Queen Street.  They carry all the books that I use.  Terri George is the person that stocks their books, so she would be able to help you.

 

Practice Expectations:

♫    Practice plays a vital role in becoming a successful pianist. 

♫    Form your routine early:  First thing in the morning, after school, before supper, after supper or before going to bed. Even make it part of your homework routine.

♫    Practice the same time daily so that it becomes a habit. 

♫    Parents should help younger students, guiding them as they practice and helping them to stay focused yet having fun. 

♫    Students are expected to practice a minimum of 5 days a week. 

♫    Students record their practice times on their weekly homework sheet, then receive stickers for their practice. 

♫    After 20 stickers, they will receive a prize from the Treasure Box. 

​Practice  Expectations by Age Level

 

​Grades K-2

♫    Beginners:  Each song 5x a day = 1 sticker

♫    Experienced: 15-20 minutes a day, every 10 minutes = 1 sticker

Grades 3-5:

♫    Beginners: 15-20 minutes a day, every 15 minutes = 1 sticker ​

♫    Experienced: 30 minutes a day, every 15 minutes =1 sticker

 

Grades 6-12, Adults:

♫    30-45 minutes a day. 

♫    For those who want to do the Treasure Box, every 15 minutes  = 1 sticker​

 

Online Lessons

​Online lessons are taught over Zoom using my digital piano and interactive program that enhances the learning environment of the students.  Students can use a phone, tablet or a laptop that has a decent connection to the internet.  Online lessons allow you to stay in the comfort of your home without having to go out to have your lessons.  You just need to be set up that I can see your hand position on the piano.  They are held following basically the same procedure as above, except that they are held at your home with your keyboard and a few little changes:

 

• ​Starting the Lesson: I will send you the invitation to the Zoom Lesson the day before the lesson.

• Sheet Music: I will send you the music the day before your lesson either by email or by Messenger for you to print off at home.  Please have it printed double-sided (except for 2-page songs), holes punched in it and inserted into your binder at the back before your lesson. 

• ​​Materials you will need at home:  a binder for your music, a hole punch to put holes in your music to put in your binder (sheets should be put in order that we learn them), a sharpened pencil to be kept on your piano, highlighters in a case in the following colours: pink, green, blue, orange, yellow, purple and a thin red marker.   ​

• Parent Involvement: For students ages in Kindergarten through Grade 3 (minimum), I do request that parents be present during the lesson to help in case the student needs a bit of extra help on their end.  This also helps to keep them focused during the lesson.  While I do what I can to keep their attention, sometimes they need that little extra help to focus or to follow their music. Sometimes interpreting from the screen to the keyboard can be a bit difficult, so the extra help of a parent can help them to have success.

• ​Rewards: Students will still be expected to practice as mentioned above.  We will keep track of their practice. I will keep the Sticker Chart here and show them each week how many stickers they get. As they complete each column of their Sticker Chart, they will win one prize from the Treasure Box. We will choose Treasure Box items 3 times a year. Parents can then make arrangements to come pick them up at my place.