Dr. NATASHA STOLLMACK
Dr. Natasha Stollmack Studio Policy 2024-25
T: (631)-759-0754
Contact hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Practicing
How much time?
Recommended practice time will vary for each student depending on their age and level of experience. A personalized and sensible recommendation will be made by the instructor during their lesson time, and will increase as the instructor sees fit. An ideal practice schedule is centered around daily interaction with the instrument, rather than practicing only once or twice shortly before the next lesson. Short, focused sessions are more effective than infrequent and lengthy ones. Consistent practice time is crucial to guaranteed progress and success in music study!
Lesson notes
A detailed report of each lesson and assignments for upcoming week will be recorded in the student's binder or lesson notebook (or sent via e-mail for remote students). While independence is encouraged, students, especially beginners, are much more successful with the help of active parental involvement. To best support your student's progress, please make a point to review your their binder weekly and monitor their practicing when possible. Students are expected to complete all written and performance assignments to the best of their ability each week. Ongoing neglect of lesson notes will result in mandatory parent/guardian signatures, and in severe cases may lead to expulsion from the studio.
Materials
Students must bring all required materials to each lesson. All necessary materials will be communicated by the instructor with accompanying links and/or music stores to explore purchase options. All editions must be strictly adhered to. Students must also have access to metronome (physical or digital) for home practice. Physical metronomes may be found online at Amazon or at a local music store for a modest price. The recommended free app for phones and other devices is ProMetronome, available in both the App Store and Google Play. A tutorial on proper metronome use will be provided during lesson time.
The following materials are required to be present at each lesson:
-Studio binder (contains original lesson material by Dr. Stollmack)
-Pencil with eraser
-All current scores, technique, and theory books
Attendance/Make-Up Policies
Attendance
Equally as important as keeping a consistent practice schedule is regular attendance at weekly lessons. Students are expected to be on time for their appointment, as the instructor has a full schedule and cannot go overtime for lateness. The last several minutes of lesson time is used for discussion and to address any questions the student and/or parent may have. Weekly automated reminders are sent out via email 24 hrs in advance of the lesson.
Cancellations
If you need to cancel a lesson, please contact the instructor at least 24 hours before your appointment via e-mail in order to avoid incurring charges. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the scheduled lesson will be charged the full lesson fee without the option of a make-up. Medical and family emergencies with documentation are exempt from this provision. If a student is mildly ill, a remote lesson may be arranged in lieu of cancellation.
Please do not attend your in-person lesson while sick!
Make-Up Lessons
Each lesson is a scheduled appointment and shall be treated as such. Make-ups will only be considered for lessons canceled more than 24 hours in advance or in emergency scenarios on a case by case basis. Lessons canceled or missed beyond the 24 hour point will not be eligible for make-up.
Make-ups must be requested via email within 2 weeks of the original missed lesson, otherwise the lesson credit will be forfeited. If these criteria are met, each student is guaranteed a maximum of one make-up lesson per term. Additional make-up lessons are not guaranteed but may be scheduled if availability allows. You may also request to be placed on a short-notice waitlist in the event of an unexpected cancellation by another client.
All make-up lesson credits must be fulfilled within the same term and will not be carried over into a future term.
Holidays
The instructor follows most holidays observed by the NYC public school calendar (see current studio calendar). Please notify the instructor as soon as possible via email if your family observes additional holidays that are not listed. Students are expected to continue lessons during the summer, as a 3-month hiatus severely hinders progress. Scheduling is more flexible during July and August, as well as late December into early January to accommodate travel plans.
Illness/Inclement Weather
In the event of illness or dangerous weather, all lessons will move to a remote format. The instructor will notify clients promptly. These remote sessions are expected to be attended; no in-person make-ups will be offered
Tuition/Payment
Tuition is calculated by guaranteed lessons per calendar year and collected on a proactive schedule at the beginning of each term. Monthly plans will be available on a limited basis, with priority given to families with financial need. Requests will be considered case by case. All-inclusive pricing includes lesson tuition, materials, and recital fees for the term. Invoices will be sent a month prior to the due date. Please see the current studio calendar to determine the lesson schedule for each day of the week. The studio terms are as follows:
Fall Session: September-December
Spring Session: January-June
Summer Session: July-August
Under no circumstances will lessons be given without payment, and all payment is non-refundable.
Payment is accepted through Zelle (Chase QuickPay), cash, or check to Dr. Natasha Stollmack. Please contact the instructor if you wish to switch payment methods during the course of the contract. All clients who re-enroll after terminating lessons will be subject to any new registration tuition increases. Late payments will result in a late fee of 5% of the monthly balance due, and will lead to expulsion from the studio if continuous. Please note students who terminate lessons and re-enroll in a future term cannot be guaranteed their original lesson time, and will be subject to any new registration tuition increases. In light of increasing costs of resources, technology, and ongoing improvements to ensure a conducive learning environment, scheduled tuition increases are implemented annually and remain in effect through the following year.
Remote Instruction
For the safety and convenience of clients, remote instruction is available via Duet Partner, a platform optimized for virtual music lessons (no account is required). Weekly assignments and notes will be sent via e-mail. Clients are responsible for ensuring their device is charged and background noise is minimized during the lesson. Remote instruction is also available on a temporary basis to mildly ill students who are well enough to attend an online lesson, as well as in the case of inclement weather.
Media Release Clause
Periodically, photo and video content will be collected and used to promote the studio and encourage current and future students. All students featured on the studio website, social media pages, emails, or publications have submitted media release forms with parental consent. Clients may opt out of media participation at any time by submitting a written request.
Termination
If circumstances should change for the client before the end of the agreement period, written communication of termination of lessons must be submitted via e-mail no less than 30 days before the last scheduled lesson. Failure to comply with this term will be considered a breach of contract and result in a fee of $500 per student. The instructor reserves the right to terminate lessons at any time.
Upon registering and paying tuition, I am agreeing to the aforementioned policies for the 2025-26 season.
This policy is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor at any time.