Studio Policy

Kirsten Guerra's Fantastic Flute Studio Policy

Private lessons are a time for flutists to grow as a musician. During these lessons we will work together to develop technical skills on the flute, develop proper breathing and posture, learn music theory and history, learn to play musically with feeling, develop skills in listening, critiquing, and evaluating musical performances, and acquire skills in performance, practice techniques, setting and realizing goals, and assessing accomplishments.

All flutists are created equal.

I have a zero tolerance policy. My flute students are to learn to be respectful to their elders and to their student colleagues. They are to present themselves in a professional manner when competing at competitions whether locally or state wise. If I find students having problems complying to this policy, the parent/guardian of the student will be contacted about possible termination of lessons.

In my past experience in teaching lessons, payment can get confusing, so this year I have decided to establish a guideline in hope of eliminating much confusion. My desire is to make everything positive for all students, parents, and teachers concerned by spelling out definite rules up front.

Every student will have one lesson per week scheduled and every time they come to their lesson they will bring the appropriate payment:

  • 1 hour = $50
  • 30 minutes = $25
​If you prefer to only write one check per month, then multiply the rate of your lesson by the number of lesson days you will have that month to find the total amount due at the 1st lesson of the month. (Ex. $25 x 4 Wednesdays in Sept. = $100.) I prefer that parents/students pay for lessons at the beginning of the month. We will follow the summer school calendar and all holidays will be observed unless there is a competition we are getting ready for. Those lessons will be arranged by student’s choice. NOTE: As of 2020, I now accept other forms of payment such as Zelle, CashApp and Venmo. You can also pay for lessons with your PayPal account within the private lesson profile you signed up with. 
  • I will no longer offer dual lessons. All lessons will be held 1-on-1 with the student and teacher to make sure the student is getting the most out of their lesson.
  • All of my private lessons are open lessons. This means that all parents are welcome to sit in on their child's lesson and observe what they are learning every week.
There are absolutely NO excused absences…IF YOU MISS ANY LESSON YOU MUST STILL PAY FOR THAT LESSON and NO make-up lesson will be scheduled. You may, however, trade lesson times with a friend should a conflict arise, but it is totally YOUR responsibility to make every arrangement for the trade and then inform me. A courtesy phone call before your lesson time would be greatly appreciated if you miss a lesson.
  • I ask that students show up to their lesson at least 5 minutes before it starts. I say this because in the past, I have had to go get students from rehearsal. I want students to be responsible for remembering their lesson day and time. 
  • I also ask that students and parents do their best to be flexible in their schedule for make-up lessons.

I ask that all of my students maintain a notebook in which they keep all of their materials and journal their private lesson assignments and practice. I would greatly appreciate it if the parents would ask to see their student’s notebook occasionally and check their progress and input. They should have:

  • a 3 ring binder with a spiral notebook
  • a set of dividers
  • a 3-hole pencil pouch that clips into the notebook
  • 2 mechanical pencils
  • 1 red pen, and at least green, pink, yellow, orange, and blue highlighters.

This organization helps the student be more efficient. Students are also required to purchase originals to solos that they are working on for competitions such as All-Region and Solo & Ensemble. This is mainly due to copyright laws.

The students are asked to practice a minimum of 30 minutes daily and more as they get older or are taking hour lessons. As with anything, the more time they invest, the better they become. Playing music involves many multi-tasking skills and requires that many different parts of the body are working simultaneously together thus consistent daily practice is needed to coordinate everything.

  • Practicing is NOT AN OPTION in lessons. If a student has not practiced, I reserve the right to kick them out of the lesson for the day without refund.
  • Students are to be held responsible for their own practice. 
  • Parents/Guardians will be contacted about possible termination of lessons if there is a lack of practice or general interest in lessons.

Both parent and student need to thoroughly read the above guidelines. If you agree with the guidelines, please fill out the online form to register for private lessons. Please refer to this policy if your student has any questions of what is expected. Lesson times are assigned on a first come, first serve basis.

My goal is that we can continue working toward and surpass the level of excellence you have met in the past. I will teach every student to the very best of my ability and agree totally to help them reach their highest potential. I hope this these private lessons bring us much happiness, success, and lots of great fluting!!!

Best,
Miss Kirsten Guerra, BME, MM, MA
Flute Specialist