Tuition and Policies

Required Materials

An acoustic piano that is regularly tuned and maintained by a professional piano technician, or a full-sized (88 key) weighted keyboard with at least one pedal.
Lesson books and supplementary materials necessary for each lesson
A notebook with which to write weekly practice assignments
A metronome, or regular access to a metronome app on a smart phone or tablet.

Tuition

The following are the current weekly tuition rates based on time, effective with lessons beginning September 2nd, 2025:

15 minutes: $40
30 minutes: $70
45 minutes: $90
60 minutes: $120
75 minutes: $150
90 minutes: $170
105 minutes: $200
120 minutes: $220
150 minutes: $245

All tuition is collected once monthly in order to be more convenient for both the teacher and student. To calculate the tuition, simply multiply the number of lessons in the month by the tuition rate. Monthly tuition is due at the last lesson(s) of the previous month for the next month in the form of cash, check, or electronic transfer, i.e. Zelle, Venmo, or Paypal. Tuition received more than five days past the last lesson of the month may result in a $10 late fee.

Semester payment options are also accepted: one payment for Sept-Jan, and another from Feb-June lessons. A $25 discount will be applied to semester tuition payments received by August 15th for the Sept-Jan semester, and January 15th for the Feb-June semester. Tuition rates are subject to change each year with at least 1 months’ notice.

Lesson Attendance: Fall-Spring Attendance Policies

Students are permitted one missed lesson per student from the months of September through June, which can be used for any personal reasons. Beyond this, the studio shall assume no financial responsibility for credits for further missed lessons.

Make Up Lessons

Make up lessons can be offered as the teacher’s schedule allows. If a make-up lesson cannot be determined, the studio shall assume no financial responsibility for the missed lesson.

FaceTime/Zoom Lessons

On days when schools are closed due to inclement weather, FaceTime or Zoom lessons will be offered on these days. If students choose not to participate in this form of a make-up, they can use their complementary missed lesson if it is still available. Alternatively, an in-person make up lesson may be attempted to schedule. Otherwise, the studio shall assume no responsibility to make up or credit the missed lessons.

Teacher Absences

If the teacher should have to miss a lesson for any reason, the teacher will make every effort to make the lesson up as his schedule allows. If a make-up cannot be scheduled, the student will not be responsible for tuition on that day. If the tuition has already been paid for that lesson, the lesson will be credited toward the next month’s tuition.

Summer Attendance Policies

Students enrolled in Dr. Leifer’s studio are strongly encouraged to sign up for a minimum of 6 lessons during the months of July and August. This policy allows students to maintain progress without forgetting important musical concepts studied during the academic year, as well as ensuring that they keep their time slot for the fall. If summer lessons are not taken, there is no guarantee that the current time slot will still be available in the fall.

Grooming Requirements

It is expected that students’ hands are clean prior to beginning a piano lesson. Furthermore, students should keep their nails clipped short to ensure that their nails do not interfere with the student’s piano technique.

Performance Opportunities

There are two studio recitals held throughout the year: one in June and one in December. Students are strongly encouraged to perform in at least one of these recitals each academic year. It is strongly suggested that students only participate in the recital if they can commit to attending the entire recital from start to finish out of respect for the other performers. There are also many other performing opportunities throughout the year, including monthly studio classes, piano festivals, graded exams, and competitions.

Practice Expectations

The amount of time devoted to practicing largely depends on the age and level of the student. More important than a time frame is consistency throughout the week. Your child may need more or less time depending on factors like attention span, aptitude, and interest. Generally, practice time should coordinate with the lesson length: i.e. a student taking a 30-minute lesson should practice 30 minutes for 5 days each week. Practice rewards and incentives are entirely up to the parent, but the reward of learning to enjoy music is a priceless gift in itself!

Termination of Lessons

If all parties agree that termination of lessons is necessary, at least two weeks’ notice is required to end lessons. Please note that by terminating lessons, you forfeit your time slot to another student.

If you have any questions about these policies please do not hesitate to contact me.

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