Student Policy
All students are required to read and agree to the Elite Music Student Policy
Elite Music Hours
Opening Hours The Elite Music office is open from 12pm-8pm Monday to Thursday & until 6.30pm on Fridays.
Elite Music lessons operate (generally) from 3.30pm to 8pm Monday to Thursdays & 3.30pm to 6.30pm on Fridays. Earlier lessons from 1pm are available subject to teacher availability.
Dates we are OPEN
Elite Music is open ALL year (see dates we are closed) & we do not close for school holidays. If you intend to be away during this time, cancellations must be made via the student portal with at least 24-hours’ notice.
*See 2023 Elite Music Calendar
Dates we are CLOSED Elite Music only closes for Public Holidays & 3 weeks over the Christmas holidays. Usually, we start back on January 9th each year or the closest Monday.
*See 2023 Elite Music Calendar
Contact
Contacting Elite Music We contact & inform of important updates predominantly via email. Please make sure our emails aren’t going into spam by marking them as a trusted source.
Where to contact for:
• Cancellations/Make-Up bookings via the Student Portal.
• General enquiries, issues, feedback through to discontinuing lessons are best sent to contact@elitemusic.com.au
If you would like to call, please ring 43656636. If we cannot answer the phone, PLEASE leave a message. If you do not leave a message, we won’t know you have tried to call.
Fees
Fees & acceptable methods of payment Payments are due each week & need to be kept up to date within the respective week of the lesson.
You can now pay for your lessons via credit card in the Student Portal. This has been a feature we have been looking forward to. Please see emailed Video. This feature currently has a 2% bank processing charge on it, but you can still pay a direct deposit into the account or cash in person with no additional bank fees attached.
Auto Pay
We are now offering Auto Pay for those who prefer to not worry about having to remember to pay each week. Please get in touch if you would like us to set this up for your account, or you can add a credit card when you pay your invoice. Each Monday morning the system will debit only what is owing on your invoice.
Creative Kids Vouchers
Creative Kids vouchers are to be used towards long term lessons & cannot be used as a one-off lesson voucher.
To use your Creative Kids Voucher, please email them through for us to submit & it will be credited in full & visible on the next Invoice.
Discounts
We offer a Family Discount for siblings & parents attending lessons.
• We offer a Multiple Lesson discount for students taking more than one lesson per week. The discount is taken off the second lesson(s).
Any additional required one-time fees or expenses • Instruments are available for hire. Please enquire through Elite Music reception regarding availability & rates.
• Sheet Music – is purchased by the Studio for the students benefit, so please download, or take care of the physical copies given.
• Backing tracks – These tracks are to be ordered through Elite Music – costing is subject to song selection & any changes that need to be made to said track.
• Concert fees – A fee will be required for guests of performing students. Cost depends on venue. Students have free entry.
Lessons
Lesson Scheduling Scheduling is established with the mutual agreement of the teacher & student/parent, subject to the availability of open lesson times. If, during the year, a student wishes to change a lesson time, please let us know by emailing the office directly at contact@elitemusic.com.au & the Studio Director will arrange this change according to teacher availabilities.
Holding Lessons
Elite Music can hold your lesson for up to 2 weeks. If you will be away for longer, please email the office & if the spot remains unbooked, it can be rebooked on your return or alternate times given.
There is an extension of this time over the January break. For these lessons to be held for the month of January, a confirmation of your return date for the new year must be known to the office before we close on December 15th.
The best way to do this is to cancel the lessons you will be away over this time via the Student Portal calendar with a note of intended start date written in the ‘notes’ section when making the cancellation.
Discontinuing Lessons
If you wish to discontinue lessons, a letter of cancellation is needed. This is to be sent to contact@elitemusic.com.au
Please DO NOT cancel via the portal for this.
Expectations for practice & lesson preparation Above all, weekly attendance is what is key for learning anything new. It is only the frequent focus on a discipline that improves any skill. This is why we do not offer Fortnightly or Monthly lessons.
All students should bring with them to every lesson a bottle of water & vocal straw (vocal students) & their music folder (all students).
Any homework given by the teacher is there to help with the frequent focus mentioned above, making each weekly lesson advance smoothly.
Expectation of parent involvement Parents are a very important part of any child’s musical future. Parents are encouraged to attend their child’s initial consultation to find out how they can help their child’s progress regarding practice & lesson preparation. This also helps the teacher gage the expectations of the parent.
Lesson times & Punctuality Elite Music requires students to arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to their first scheduled tuition time. Most lessons are scheduled consecutively; therefore, the finishing times for lessons that start late due to tardiness cannot be extended.
Acceptable times & methods for contacting the teacher Under NO circumstances are students to contact their teacher directly outside lesson times/student portal as it is in breach of NSW Child Safety Laws. This contact includes all social media sites. Clients can either use the Student Portal or contact the Studio, who will then pass on the message to the respective teacher.
Notification of absence given to your teacher does not count for letting the office know that you will be away. ALL cancellations must be done via the Student Portal. This system guarantees that the office & teacher are notified simultaneously, & the invoice is automatically updated.
Matters to be handled by the teacher All matters of misbehaviour or lack of preparation will be handled at the sole discretion of the teacher. Should problems continue, the Studio Director will be notified & the parent/guardian contacted. The teacher & parent/guardian will then work together to solve the problem. We do encourage teachers & parents to have open communication. Coming into the studio to pick up your child can give you a moment to ask a quick question. Alternatively, Parents are given access to students Lesson Notes in the Student Portal.
NOTE – If you haven’t been able to practice through the week due to work, our teachers will help you through this so you can move forward in the lesson. Cancelling a lesson because you haven’t had time to practice will only prolong the problem & slow down your progress. Attending your lesson & letting your teacher know will always be met with understanding. All our teachers have been where you are.
Final authority on repertoire & other pedagogical matters Each teacher employs different *pedagogical techniques. This includes song choice. Student & teacher working together to find the perfect song is always encouraged. However, if there are particular skills to be learnt or they find the lyrics unsuitable, the teacher will have final say on song choice.
*Pedagogical – is the discipline that deals with the theory & practice of education; it thus concerns the study & practice of how best to teach. Its aims range from the general to the narrower specifics of vocational education.
Cancellations
Cancellations • Lessons cancelled outside 24 hours of your lesson will be eligible for a make-up credit lesson which is valid for 90 days.
*Please see ‘Booking a Make-Up Credit Lesson’.
* 2 make-up credit lessons per 90 days. Any credits not used in within the 3 months will be forfeited. (This is automatically done within the portal.)
• Lessons cancelled within 24 hours of your lesson are billable.
• Public Holidays – These will be automatically cancelled. No fee is accrued, & no make-up is needed unless requested.
• Teacher absent – If for any reason a teacher is unable to attend their students lesson, a substitute will take the class. We endeavour to keep continuity for the student, so lesson notes are kept up to date between the tutors. This can be subject to availability. If a substitute isn’t available, we reschedule to the following week with no fee accrued, and no make-up credit issued.
Make-Up Credit Lesson
Booking a Make-Up Lesson When you have made a cancellation outside of the 24-hour period, a make-up lesson credit can be taken on any day your teacher has an available spot within the valid 90-day period.
When a student cancels during a Public-School Term, their lesson then becomes available as a make-up credit spot. These spots are then visible & can be booked via the Student Portal calendar. Please keep your eye on this as they may continually come and go.
For exact dates & details see our website https://www.elitemusic.com.au/make-up-lessons/
To minimise an overload of makeup lessons accruing, there is a limit of 2 x credits a student can hold at any time.
If you have a special case that falls outside this structure, please contact us via contact@elitemusic.com.au email or on the phone 43656636 & we will help however we can.
IMPORTANT REMINDER – ZOOM
We offer zoom lessons if you are unable to attend in person. Best contact for this is contact@elitemusic.com.au or 43656636
*Make-Up lesson are not guaranteed. We will do our very best to accommodate wherever possible. Please take responsibility for your own cancelling and re-booking for these make-ups via the Student Portal.
Concerts
Participation in Studio recital & outside events Students will be given the option of performing at Elite Music events. While these events are not compulsory, we ask parents to encourage their child to take part, as it is invaluable experience, particularly for beginners.
Opportunities for your child to perform are everywhere. We encourage parents & students to get involved in seeking their own opportunities, as this is how the industry works if you decide to pursue a career.
If you need a push in the right direction, please email us at contact@elitemusic.com.au or chat to your teacher.
Student Pick Up & Parking
Student Pick Up Students are to be picked up immediately after their lesson. If a student is required to be at the Studio for more than 30 minutes either side of the lesson, a parent or guardian must notify reception.
Parking Parking is available in the main carpark to the right of Elite Music. Due to Fire Safety Laws, clients are not permitted to park in the front right Studio driveway spot unless it is for ‘drop off’ or ‘pick up’ only. The left-hand side is fine to park in. You must be able to vacate the right-hand side spot immediately in case an emergency vehicle needs it.
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