When should I arrive for my lesson?

Your lesson will usually start at the top of each hour. Whatever your lesson time is, you should arrive 5 minutes early. This will allow you time to tune your instrument and be ready to play.

Why are your lessons 40 minutes long?

I have found 30-minute sessions to be far too constricting, and 60-minute sessions too tedious.  With a 40-minute lesson, students can be taught the week’s study, and the instructor can have enough planning time in between lessons to prepare the lesson for each individual student.

My Cancellation Policy

Tuition will be billed monthly in advance on an enrollment basis according to the "Tuition & Fees" section of the BGS website.

Tuition will be due every month on the 1st of each month.  Invoices will be mailed to you at mid-month, and remittance can either be made by mail at 28 Avenue B in Billings, or can be paid online at the BGS website.  If your tuition is not paid by either your first session (or the 5th of the month; whichever is earlier), your classes will be cancelled and your time slot will be open to other students.

Your lesson slot belongs to you, and will not be sold to any other student.  Effectively, you are purchasing a block of my time that belongs to you each month, in addition to the hours I spend planning and practicing to teach you effectively.  Thusly, if you are less than 10 minutes late for your scheduled lesson, every effort will be made to provide you with your necessary course work, even though your lesson will still end 20 minutes before the hour.  Once you are 10 minutes late for a lesson, your lesson is cancelled, that portion of your tuition will be forfeited, and the lesson will not be rescheduled--no exceptions.  Communication is key here.  Everyone takes vacations or gets sick sometimes; if you inform me of these things, I will work on finding a replacement slot for you.  If you are going to miss your lesson, you must notify me at least 24 hours in advance so we may reschedule. Lessons cancelled within 24 hours will neither be rescheduled or refunded.  If you cancel more than two classes in one month with less than 24 hours notice, you will lose your enrollment and your time slot.  If you have paid your month's tuition, refunds will not be given if you resign your training.  Missed lessons may be rescheduled within one week of their original time slot, but will not be refunded or credited toward future lesson slots. Occasionally, half-time students will see three slots in a given month.  Because these lessons are not paid for, I will cancel one of these lessons from that month and will provide advance notice of which slot it will be.

In short:  if I have to reschedule, your lesson time will either be rescheduled or credited to your next month's tuition.  If you cancel, your lesson may be rescheduled, but will not be refunded or credited.

How much should I practice?

For every 10 minutes of lessons you have, you should practice at least 10 minutes.  Since our lessons are all 40 minutes, you should be practicing 40 minutes per day.  You alone are responsible for your advancement and achievement in your curriculum.  As a teacher, it is my job to give you the tools of learning your instrument, and it is your job as a student to hone your craft.  In other words, I cannot make a great musician out of you unless you dedicate yourself to the same task.  If you can practice more than 40 minutes per day, you will progress quickly.  If less, the results will be palpable at your next lesson.  Practicing can be a fun and rewarding experience, and we’ll help you create a practice regimen that will be fun and enjoyable.

What if I’m not learning my songs/scales/chords/fingerings fast enough?

That means you have to practice more (see above).