Version 3.0 — Revised 5/1/2010

Goals

The overriding goal of the Simply Music curriculum is to maximize the likelihood of the student retaining the playing of music as a lifelong companion. Inside of this goal, our foundation for achieving results, and the thrust of our efforts, are directed towards the following goals for you as a student:

• Having the ability to play a huge repertoire covering classical, popular, blues, jazz and accompaniments;
• Experiencing playing as a natural self-expression;
• Having a highly positive, self-affirming experience with music learning;
• Developing the ability to self-generate, i.e., the ability to progress independently. This includes developing a strong foundation in music reading and theory.

These policies and guidelines are designed so that Potluck Creative Arts can best support you in pursuing these goals and your long-term relationship with music.

Roles

Success with the Simply Music program comes from a partnership among teacher, student and, when the student is a minor, parent/guardian.

Teacher — Method Coach

Your teacher strives to help you express your own deep and profound musicality through the pursuit of the goals mentioned above. As the “method coach,” your teacher is specifically committed to:

• Being on time and prepared with the material of the method.
• Clarifying the content of the program so you can learn the content as effectively as possible through your practice between lessons.
• Helping you learn a way of learning that is applicable not only to playing piano but many things in all areas of your life.
• Asking you to do only what is determined to be in your best interest.
• Holding you accountable to your promises.

Student — Musician

As musicians in training, students are responsible for regular lesson attendance and an effective practice routine, as described in the Practice section below.

Parent/Guardian — Practice Coach

If a student is a minor, a parent or guardian is required to serve as the student’s “practice coach” or “life coach.” The practice coach is responsible for attending lessons with the student, paying close attention to all material covered, and supporting the student’s practice between lessons, as described in the Practice section below.

Practice coaches are encouraged to take advantage of their participation as fully as possible, even going so far as to undertake their own complete practice routine, learning all material for themselves along with the student(s) they support. They are welcome to do this at no additional cost. Practice coaches who wish to be fully involved during lesson time as students themselves would make appropriate additional tuition payments. Either way, the more actively a practice coach participates, the better a student will do, and the stronger the relationship between student and practice coach is likely to be in general as well.

Some minors may at some point become self-motivated enough that they no longer require the ongoing support of a practice coach. Unless Potluck Creative Arts grants approval for this, practice coaches are always considered accountable for the progress of the students in their charge, including students’ follow-through on all aspects of the practice routine.

Location

Generally, lessons take place at the Potluck Creative Arts studio in the Village of Red Hook, NY. Potluck Creative Arts asks that attendees at this location park off-street whenever possible. To promote cleanliness in the studio, hands are to be washed and/or sanitized before each lesson, and upon entering shoes are to be removed. Attendees may leave socks on or bring slippers. An acoustic piano is provided for use.

Students taking live online videoconference lessons must maintain at their own location appropriate equipment and software, as described in the Videoconference Piano Lessons FAQ.

Whether lessons occur at the Potluck Creative Arts studio or otherwise, food, drinks and any belongings other than materials required for the lesson should not be brought to lessons. Cell phones and other such devices should remain off during lesson time. Extenuating circumstances will be considered at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts.

Nobody else may accompany the student/coach to lessons, except at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts. Appropriate requests and arrangements should be made in advance.

Schedule

Generally, lessons vary in length from approximately 25-60 minutes, depending on how many students attend the lesson. Lessons typically take place weekly at a regular day and time agreed upon between Potluck Creative Arts and the student/coach.

Generally, lessons are considered to take place throughout the year, including most days on which public schools are closed, whether a school closing is on the regular school calendar or a more spontaneous situation due to weather or other immediate conditions. There are no particular regular or seasonal breaks for year-round lessons, though at times lessons will be cancelled due to travel conditions or Potluck Creative Arts staff vacations, holidays (such as Thanksgiving and Christmas), illnesses and other commitments, as described in the Cancellations section below.

Punctuality is extraordinarily important. Students/coaches must arrive for lessons on time and no earlier than five minutes before the starting time.

If a student/coach will be more than five minutes late for a lesson, notice must be provided by telephone at least five minutes before the starting time, and preferably as early as possible to ensure that Potluck Creative Arts can manage lesson time effectively. In the case of a late arrival, whether or not notice has been provided, the amount of lesson time provided to late students will be at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts.

In order to ensure that the best interests of the entire Potluck Creative Arts student body are sought at all times, the configuration, size and/or duration of shared lessons must be kept flexible and may be adjusted occasionally at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts.

Materials

All students must have their own lesson materials, as appropriate to the student’s progress through the program. Relevant current materials must be brought to each lesson.

When new Simply Music materials are needed, Potluck Creative Arts will acquire these materials for the student, with payment due prior to the ordering of materials. When other materials are needed, Potluck Creative Arts and students/coaches will determine how to acquire them.

Upon completion of each level or special program within the Simply Music curriculum, any included Evaluation Forms must be completed by the student/coach and turned in by the subsequent lesson.

Practice

The pursuit of musicianship is a long-term endeavor, and the Simply Music method emphasizes the fact that the learning that makes this endeavor successful occurs at home, between lessons, throughout the course of an effective practice routine. Students/coaches who commit to seeing such a routine through the ups and downs of a student’s long-term relationship with playing music stand the greatest chance of success.

Students are expected to follow the Simply Music curriculum carefully, as delivered by the teacher and the home materials. Failure to do so can severely reduce the likelihood of achieving the program’s stated goals.

Students must have access to an appropriate instrument. A properly tuned acoustic piano is best, though various electronic keyboards may be acceptable. An electronic keyboard should have a minimum of 61 regular-sized keys, with 88 regular-sized keys being ideal. A sustain pedal is highly recommended. Touch-sensitive keys are the next priority, with weighted keys being recommended but less important than the other criteria just mentioned.

Students must have access to a DVD player in order to properly use the home materials.

Students are expected to agree to and maintain a schedule of regular and consistent practice throughout each week. Ideally, the practice amount begins at 15-20 minutes per day, and practice would take place daily, at the same time each day. A minimum of 5-6 days a week is expected, and the time required daily may increase somewhat as the student progresses through the program. Any newly assigned material should be reviewed in full on the lesson day itself as soon as possible after the lesson, best reinforcing what was covered.

Students must maintain their playlists, both the performance of the repertoire itself as well as the tracking of the written list of pieces.

There is no maximum suggested daily practice time. It is recommended that students who are motivated to practice beyond the above recommendations be allowed to do so as much as they desire, as long as it does not conflict with instructions given to guide an effective practice routine.

Students benefit from mastering skills and knowledge before trying to build on them. The Simply Music method in particular is based on this approach, often in ways that are less than obvious. Students are encouraged to listen to recordings of lesson pieces at any time, including prior to when the pieces are taught, as long as students simply listen and do not try in any way to play the pieces. With this one exception, students are prohibited from skipping ahead to any program content beyond what has been formally reviewed during lesson time.

Except for refraining from skipping ahead as just described, it is recommended that students who are motivated to spend any additional time involved with music outside of their lessons/practice, especially at the piano but otherwise as well, be allowed to do so as much as they desire.

Tuition Payments

Potluck Creative Arts has chosen to limit fees to tuition and materials, refraining from instituting annual registration/administrative fees and other fees as some studios do. Your tuition payments cover not only in-lesson instruction time but much more, including but not limited to:

• Lesson preparation, including training expenses, learning pieces to be taught and creating lesson plans.
• Attending workshops, conferences, teleconferences, etc., for additional professional development.
• Communicating with students/coaches outside of lessons, through both mass and individual communications.
• Studio maintenance and upkeep, including piano tuning.
• Researching music, equipment and other resources for students.
• Researching and preparing studio policies and guidelines.
• Coordinating lessons, makeup sessions, groups and other scheduling items.
• Many activities common to running a business, including: accounting; banking; purchasing and maintaining computer hardware, software, office supplies and other office expenses; marketing development and expenses; communicating with potential new clients; etc.

Payment for any Lesson Cycle or part thereof is made prior to commencement. In order to continue securing your regularly scheduled time, fees for each successive Cycle must be paid prior to commencement of the next Cycle. Fees that are paid after the due date will attract a service charge. This can also result in your time being forfeited.

Unless otherwise arranged, Lesson Cycles will be calendar months, and tuition for each month will be due by the last day of the prior month. Potluck Creative Arts suggests that students deliver payment during the last lesson of the prior month. You are also welcome to send payments by mail.

Family discounts are available, as described in the Potluck Creative Arts General Policy.

Referral incentives are available. For each new prospect a current student refers who then enrolls in ongoing lessons, after the referred student completes their second payment of at least one full month’s tuition for ongoing lessons, Potluck Creative Arts will provide a tuition credit of $50.00 to be applied to the referring student’s next tuition payment.

Late fees will be calculated at $2.00 per day per student, beginning with the first day of the month. Students may resume attending lessons only once payment has been caught up. Extenuating circumstances will be considered at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts.

If you take an extended leave for any reason, Potluck Creative Arts will strive to accommodate your return as seamlessly as possible. Placements cannot be guaranteed for unpaid leaves, while paying in full through the duration of your leave will keep your spot secure. In all cases of returning to a shared lesson after an extended leave, students will be responsible for catching up as needed and will receive guidance about how to do so.

Payment via check is preferred: make checks out to Mark S. Meritt. Cash payments are accepted when necessary. PayPal payments are accepted for live online videoconference lessons only, upon request.

Attendance

When you enroll into lessons, you are paying to secure a specific time, on a specific day. This is your time that you are paying for, and this time is set aside, for the entire Lesson Cycle, as your exclusive time. As such, classes missed for any reason cannot be credited.

Students may avoid missing a regularly scheduled lesson by either exchanging lessons with another student in a different lesson or sitting in as a guest in a different lesson. Such plans must be requested in advance and approved by Potluck Creative Arts to ensure that all students cover appropriate material.

Students might also avoid a miss by requesting that a lesson be rescheduled. Reschedules are at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts.

If you are unable to attend a lesson, please inform Potluck Creative Arts as soon as possible, ideally at least 48 hours prior to your lesson time.

In order to promote health within the studio, students/coaches who are sick or have recently been sick and could be considered contagious are asked to please stay at home.

Whenever a student for whatever reason misses a shared lesson or does an exchange or guest sit-in, the student is responsible for getting all new assignments from a fellow shared lesson student. This fosters support between students sharing lessons, ensures consistent group progress, and gives attending students an opportunity to deepen their own learning through teaching.

Each month, Potluck Creative Arts offers a complimentary makeup opportunity to all students who have for whatever reason missed one or more lessons during the prior month. Students with different levels of experience may be placed in a shared makeup session, leading to a focus on repertoire review and trouble spots as opposed to new material. Makeup sessions will generally take place during the first week of the subsequent month. Students must request a spot in a makeup session. Potluck Creative Arts will strive to accommodate as many as possible of each month’s requesting students. Students who do not request a spot in or who are unable to attend a monthly makeup session forfeit that month’s makeup opportunity.

Students who have not missed a lesson during the prior month but would like extra support may pay the standard per-shared-lesson rate if they would like to join others attending a monthly makeup session.

When additional lesson time may be desired or otherwise warranted outside of weekly lessons and monthly makeups, supplementary lessons paid at the appropriate per-lesson rate may be scheduled, at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts.

Cancellations

Potluck Creative Arts may cancel certain lessons. While lessons missed by students cannot be credited, credit will be provided for all lessons canceled by Potluck Creative Arts. Credits apply to the tuition payment immediately following notification of the cancellation.

When Potluck Creative Arts cancels lessons due to its own staff’s vacations, holidays, illnesses or other commitments, it will strive to provide as much advance notice of these cancellations as possible.

When conditions at any time of year seem particularly discouraging of travel, Potluck Creative Arts may cancel a lesson and will strive to inform you as early as possible. You are advised in such situations to contact Potluck Creative Arts proactively whenever possible.

Either Potluck Creative Arts or the student may decide to discontinue lessons for any reason and at any time. When a student discontinues, any remaining prepaid tuition is forfeited. When Potluck Creative Arts discontinues, Potluck Creative Arts will provide the student with a refund of the value of any remaining prepaid lessons not yet taken.

Newsletter

The Potluck Creative Arts Lesson Line is a combination blog and email newsletter that allows lesson time to focus as much as possible on new musical learning, while enabling Potluck Creative Arts to keep students/coaches reliably informed not only about administrative issues but also practice/curriculum advice that is often crucial to supporting a student’s progress.

Potluck Creative Arts requires that at least one person from each ongoing student’s household subscribe to the Lesson Line email list no later than the student’s second lesson after commencing ongoing lessons, maintaining the subscription as long as the student remains in ongoing lessons.

If the student is a minor, the practice coach is required to subscribe. If there is more than one parent or guardian actively engaged in supporting the student’s practice routine, it is strongly recommended that each practice coach subscribe. In addition, minor students themselves are encouraged to subscribe, at the discretion of their parents/guardians.

If the student is an adult, the student is required to subscribe. If an adult student has anyone else actively engaged in supporting his/her practice routine, it is strongly recommended that each such person subscribe as well.

To subscribe, complete the form at the bottom of the enrollment page. You will then receive a verification email, in which you must click the appropriate link to activate your subscription.

General Policy

All subject to these policies and guidelines are also subject to the Potluck Creative Arts General Policy, which is applicable independent of particular services of which one might take advantage.

Simply Music Policies

Below are two key policies put in place by Simply Music and to which all Simply Music students are subject, per the Student Enrollment Form which students/coaches complete.

Personal Information

This information helps us to administer the Simply Music organization, manage the Simply Music teacher body, understand trends, support our Simply Music students and keep everybody informed and up-to-date with what’s happening within Simply Music as well as music education as a whole. We communicate regularly, via email and through our website, with our teachers and our student body. We do not sell, nor disclose private and confidential information to unrelated third parties. All information collected is securely stored on servers using state-of-the-art privacy protection methods.

Confidentiality Policy

“Simply Music and/or its delegates” (”SM”) offers a unique “method of music instruction for students and teachers including specific approaches, ideas, techniques, musical compositions, written, electronic and audiovisual materials, Trade and Service Marks, and business or technical information (”The Program”). The Program is presented to you solely for your personal use. You will receive proprietary materials that, along with your lessons, ensure that you are being provided with the highest level of support that is possible. The Program has been developed as a result of the investment of significant time, effort and expense, and is a highly valuable, special and unique asset that provides SM with a distinct and significant competitive advantage. By signing this form you agree not to copy, alter, modify, reverse engineer, reproduce, replicate or create any imitation or abstraction of the Program, or attempt to derive the composition or underlying information of The Program. You declare that you will not use The Program for commercial application, nor use it to influence the development of any music educational program that is intended for commercial application. You acknowledge and agree that due to the unique nature of SM’s Program, there can be no adequate remedy at law for any breach of its obligations hereunder, that any such breach may allow you or third parties to unfairly compete with SM resulting in irreparable harm to SM and, therefore that upon any such breach or threat thereof, SM shall be entitled to injunctions and other appropriate equitable relief in addition to whatever remedies it may have at law. SM shall also be entitled to recover all of SM’s costs, disbursements and legal fees incurred in seeking or obtaining enforcement hereof.

Policies and Guidelines Acknowledgment

The complete current policies and guidelines for Simply Music piano lessons are kept online at this web page. Policies and guidelines may be changed at any time at the discretion of Potluck Creative Arts. Potluck Creative Arts strives to keep students informed of current policies and guidelines, often via the subscription as described in the Newsletter section above.

As described in the Tuition Payments section above, Potluck Creative Arts does not charge annual registration/adminsitrative fees as some studios do. However, beyond the continuing payment of monthly tuition, a periodic formal statement of commitment to the program is deemed valuable, as is a periodic review of current policies and guidelines since they can change over time and include important principles to follow for success in the program.

For these reasons, due along with tuition upon enrollment and for the first month of each calendar year thereafter, students/coaches in ongoing lessons are to review current policies and guidelines and then to print, complete and submit the Simply Music Piano Lessons Acknowledgment of Policies and Guidelines.

A separate acknowledgment is required for each individual student. If a given student has multiple practice coaches, they may sign together on the student’s single form.

Students who enroll in the final four months of a calendar year may wait until the second new year after enrollment to complete their second acknowledgment.