The Vocal Lab® Studio Policies

1. LOCATION
Singing lessons are offered at The Vocal Lab in the Blue Mountains - Upper Hutt, New Zealand. If you live outside of Wellington, New Zealand, we do offer online (Zoom) lessons as well.

2. TERMS / BREAKS / HOLIDAYS
There are no lessons during school and public holidays. I reserve the right to offer group/performance, Master classes and/or casual private lessons during those holidays, at my discretion.

3. TUITION PROGRAMME (online and/or in-person)
When you sign up for yearly tuition, you are committing to a 12-month contract that includes a reserved weekly time slot for you (or your child) and everything that goes into building a consistent vocal development experience over 38 weeks.

During the 12 months period, the student will have the opportunity to attend our two Open Studio Days which include extra group/performance workshops (and/or a Masterclass) which are great ways to connect with other enrolled singers of similar age and level. These days are outside the student's normal lesson time and will be scheduled on the last Saturday in June and first Saturday in December. Open studio days can also be used as make-ups for missed lessons during the year. Only students enrolled in the Tuition programme can attend these two open studio days.

*60-minutes private lessons: $353 per month. At this price, the student is guaranteed that their teacher will be prepared and present to teach 38 weeks per year.

*45-minutes private lessons: $290 per month. At this price, the student is guaranteed that their teacher will be prepared and present to teach 38 weeks per year.

*45-minutes kids group lessons: $190 per month. At this price, the students are guaranteed that their teacher will be prepared and present to teach 38 weeks per year. (Group lessons can vary from min. 3 kids to 4 kids max).

If you choose to stop tuition during the year, I require a written 30-day notice. Unpaid fees may, at my discretion, result in the student being unable to continue lessons until the lessons are paid for. You agree to communicate any concerns or problems immediately to me in these matters. All paid fees are non-refundable.

It is important to note that tuition covers not only the actual lesson time spent with the student but time for preparing for each student as well.

''Extra lessons" can be booked and paid for separately if the student requires additional lessons during the year. Note that students paying monthly tuition fees will benefit from discounted rates for extra lessons booked during the year. Conditions apply.

All casual/drop-in and package lessons must be pre-paid by internet banking. Payments must be received within 2 days of the booking to hold that time slot. If payment is not received, the lesson slot will be re-opened for booking. All paid fees are non-refundable'. Casual 60-minutes lessons are $110, and 45-minute lessons are $90. See the tuition page for more info on the price of our packages.

4. PAYMENT/REFUNDS/LATE PAYMENTS
Tuition is divided evenly over 12 months (but you can pay the full amount upfront if you wish). Payment is always due on the 1st day of each month, regardless of whether the month has 4 or 5 weeks of instruction and whether there is a month with no lessons at all (i.e. the month of January). If you register after that date, (1st of a month) the first payment is due on the same day you register. There are no refunds for paid lessons. Payments received after the 1st of the month will attract a $20 late fee.

I reserve the right to reconsider and adjust my fees annually.

Casual lessons/Drop-Ins: If you are a casual student, then your single lesson or packages need to be paid within 2 days of booking, or your slot will be re-allocated to another person. Paid lessons (packages) are non-refundable.

5. COMMUNICATION
Studio communication will primarily go through e-mail at contact@vocallab.nz - This ensures a clear record of communication and reduces the chances of misunderstanding and miscommunication. Please note that my office hours are Monday to Friday from 10:00 am - 2.30 pm and all emails will be answered during those days/hours. I am also in lessons some of those times and, whilst teaching will be unavailable for calls. If you are running late or cannot attend the lesson due to sickness, please email or text me. If you don’t hear back from me the same day, your query will be replied to during my office hours the following days.

6. PRACTICE AND PARENTAL SUPPORT
Practice - Sufficient scheduled practice time on a daily basis is the surest guarantee that students will experience consistent progress in vocal performance. Learning the necessary skills to become proficient with your instrument will not occur by simply going to lessons. It takes committed practice on a daily basis during the week to put the skills covered in the lesson into motion.

Parental support is an extremely important factor in musical training. Children whose parents take an active and honest interest in their child’s progress tend to be more enthusiastic and productive.

Music is not easy. At times, it can be downright frustrating. Adults often do not realise that children are rarely self-motivated and lack the self-discipline to put in that all-important practice session. With a commitment to learning the art of music comes the decision to practice on a regular basis. Consistent progress results in pride, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment!

If you want to experience progress and results, you need to practice often - with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. We will try to be very specific about practice techniques to ensure that the student and the parent know what quality practice consists of. It is important to note that while I will do all I can to ensure students make satisfactory progress, this cannot be guaranteed.

Attendance - Regular attendance is crucial to vocal growth.

Productive uninterrupted lessons – Please don’t arrive before your scheduled lesson time. If you are early, please wait either in your car or the middle deck above the studio (weather dependant) until it is exactly your lesson time as I don’t have a covered waiting area. I will open the door for you when the lesson starts.

Lessons start and finish on time - If you arrive late, your lesson will finish at the scheduled time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, the lesson will be cancelled at your cost. Break times are designed to help me re-group, organise, breathe, and do other necessary things to assist me in teaching you (or your child) most efficiently. Because of this, I kindly ask that you not arrive early or stay later than your lesson time.

Lesson time wind down - Teaching time ends a few minutes before lesson ending time to allow for the conclusion of the lesson.

7. MISSED LESSONS AND CANCELLATIONS
There are no refunds for cancelled or missed lessons. No allowances will be made for lessons missed by students except by special arrangements in case of prolonged illness. This includes cancellations for extended family holidays as well as school-related absences and will be strictly adhered to. If I have to cancel your lesson, I will guarantee an extended lesson or make-up lesson. (Please note that this could be a group, masterclass, or performance lesson). There are no refunds or discounts given unless I am unable to teach the guaranteed number of lessons.

Missed lesson option: online (Zoom) lessons during the student’s regular lesson time.

8. ILLNESS (No Singing Lesson)
Please inform me as soon as possible when you know that you or your child will miss a scheduled lesson due to illness, or any other reason(s). Please do not come to the studio (that includes siblings coming along to lessons) If you or your child have any signs of a cold or illness. I can schedule a Zoom lesson instead. If you have (had) a cold, please cancel your lesson until you are free of all symptoms.

If you (your child) are well enough, we can always schedule a no-singing online lesson. This can include music theory, ear-training, rhythm reading exercises. We can also use this time to listen to new repertoire and choose new music. The no singing lesson can be very productive and yet allows the student to rest their voice. (Please cancel lessons if you have a serious illness or you will be sent home!)

9. OPEN STUDIO DAYS (LESSON CREDITS)
Throughout the year there are two lesson availabilities (open studio days set by me that can be used for missed lessons). Please note that only students enrolled in yearly tuition are invited to come to these open studio days. The extra performance/group and masterclasses or workshops offered during the year can be considered make-ups for absences as well. Conditions apply.

10.DIVERSITY STATEMENT
Here at The Vocal Lab, I am committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone in which each student's gifts are nourished. This means providing students of all ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, citizenships, political leanings, and socio-economic statuses with a safe and loving space wherein they will be recognised and celebrated for who they are. All students will be expected to treat fellow students with love and kindness as part of their own commitment to the arts and this studio.

11. TERMINATION OF LESSONS (Tuition Students)
Your weekly lesson time is reserved for the duration of your 12-month contract. If you decide that you are unable to continue lessons, a termination notice of 30-days is required from each student to ensure that the student receives all scheduled lessons they have paid for. If the pro-rated fee did not cover all the lessons the student has attended, we will contact the student or parent with the balance, and the final payment will have to be paid up within 3 days of the termination notice. The termination notice must be in writing. (Email or Letter). Remember, paid lessons are non-refundable.

12. CODE OF CONDUCT
As a music teacher, I care for and support all my students and their families in a very special way. One-on-one education is very concentrated, and the bond between teacher and student can grow quite strong. Nevertheless, the studio reserves the right to terminate a student’s lessons for the following infractions:

* Inappropriate behaviour toward the instructor on the part of the student. This includes:

* Violent lashings out

* The use of profanity or swearing

* Defamation of character

* Unacceptable advances

* Any other displays that fall outside the realm of common respect and decency

* Inappropriate behaviour toward the instructor on the part of a student’s parent

* Attendance at lessons in any type of intoxicated state.

* Failure to pay for monthly lessons in full, unless some sort of financial arrangement has been made and agreed upon in advance

* Excessive absences, with or without notice

I will contact the student or caregiver to discuss the reasons for my concerns and once I have decided to dismiss you or your child, the dismissal will be immediate.

13. REFERRAL BONUS
Referrals are appreciated, and to thank clients who refer other clients to The Vocal Lab, you are rewarded with a free 60-minutes lesson when the referred client completes 4 lessons.

14. LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER
The student (parent/caregiver if the student is a minor) agrees to assume all risks associated with participating in voice lessons and releases The Vocal Lab from any liability resulting from the singing and warming up. The student hereby indemnifies and holds harmless The Vocal Lab, its Director, and teachers, of its activities and takes sole responsibility for any injury sustained, (including any injury caused by negligence) during any act of having voice lessons, before, during, and after the lesson. The student is responsible for their vocal health, and while the teacher will work closely with the student to ensure that they use good vocal function, the teacher will not be held responsible in the unlikely event of vocal damage.

Our driveway is narrow and can be very slippery in wet weather. Please be very cautious when coming up the driveway, as there is poor visibility, and other students may drive or walk down or up at the same time as you. Please drive with care! I assume no responsibility for motor vehicle accidents or personal injuries sustained on the premises.

15. PRIVACY
When you enrol with me, I will collect personal information about you. Rest assured that personal details will only be used by The Vocal Lab and will not be shared or sold to any third party at any stage. If I put photos of my singers on my social media or website, I will only post photos and names of singers with their explicit written permission.

16. DISCRETION
Discretion is held to waive any or all of the above stipulations in exceptional cases.

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand the studio policies. I look forward to our musical journey together!