Here’s what to know as we get started!
Thank you for your interest in Westlake Lessons! We’re currently checking availability with our teachers. This often takes 1-2 business days, and we appreciate your patience!
In the meantime, please take some time to read through this article, as it addresses many core policies of Westlake Lessons and other Frequently Asked Questions. As you can imagine, getting off on the right foot is beneficial for everyone as we hopefully start a long and beneficial music-learning journey!
In this article we’ll discuss:
Instrument requirements for Lessons
How the billing works for the Pilot Lesson, and lessons going forward
Important Policies at Westlake Lessons
Instrument Requirements
To participate in music lessons, the student needs to have a working instrument, such as a Piano (Digital or Traditional), Guitar (Acoustic or Electric), Drums (Digital or Acoustic), and Violin. Voice Lessons also require a working piano to aid in teacher accompaniment.
Recommended Stores and Rental Programs:
Capital Music Center - For renting Digital Pianos or Digital Drum Kits
Strait Music - For renting Violins, or purchasing other instruments.
Due to logistical limitations, and liability factors, teachers cannot provide instruments for lessons.
About the Pilot Lesson
The first lesson is considered a pilot lesson — If for any reason you are not satisfied with the instructor or if you feel it’s not the best fit, you may cancel all future lessons with that teacher at no charge. You may then also schedule a pilot lesson with a different teacher. The deadline to cancel ongoing lessons with the teacher is 24 Hours before your second lesson-date. Following the pilot period, the two-week notice policy applies to stopping lessons.
The first lesson for any new student is a single paid-for lesson. Before your pilot lesson, you will be asked to create your student/parent account at www.westlakelessons.com/signup.
Billing
Lessons are billed for on a monthly basis for the month going forward on a per lesson basis. This means that most months you will be for 4 lessons, but some months may have 5 lessons.
Balance Carry-over
In the instance of a teacher cancellation that is not rescheduled, this will add a credit to your account for the price of that lesson. This balance will be carried over to the following month’s bill, in this case appearing as refund.
Some changes may result in a debit on the account. For example if we start the month at 30-minute lessons, but switch to 45-minutes. This balance too would be added to next month’s bill and appear as an additional charge.
Missed Lessons Policy
Westlake Lessons is a weekly subscription service, and your enrollment with Westlake Lessons reserves your teacher’s time slot on a weekly basis.
This is a core policy both for consistent learning, and also provides a sustainable business model for our teachers, who rent out time in their day for providing services.
With the exception of Opt-out Holidays, and Summer Vacation Policy (see below) Westlake Lessons does not issue refunds for student absences, missed lessons or sick days.
Teachers may offer makeup lessons at their discretion, based on availability. If no makeup times are available, or no mutual time is feasible, the missed lesson is considered forfeited after 14 days. Makeup lessons may not be offered when teachers are not notified, or only notified last minute about a student absence.
Holiday Calendar
Holiday Calendar – If your scheduled lesson lands on any of our Holidays - posted below - you may cancel that lesson for a refund with 24-Hour notice.
1/20/20 – Martin Luther King Day
2/17/20 – Presidents Day
3/14/20 – 3/20/20 – Spring Break
4/10/20 — 4/12/20 — Good Friday / Easter Weekend
5/25/20 – Memorial Day
9/3/19 – Labor Day
10/8/19 – Columbus Day
10/31/19 - Halloween
11/25 – 12/01/19 – Thanksgiving Break
12/20/18 – 1/6/19 – Winter Break
Summer Lessons Policy
Summer Lessons (June - August) - During June, July and August, students may cancel up to 2 lesson dates per month for refund with 24-Hour notice. If you are taking lessons through the summer, you may use those 6 vacation credits flexibly from Memorial Day to August 31. Please note that in this scenario, if you choose to stop lessons mid-summer, any applied vacation credits from incomplete months may be rescinded and charged for.
No Unattended Minors
By providing in-home music lessons, we try to make lessons as convenient as possible. However, we do require that a parent or guardian be present at the residence for all music lessons.
Westlake Lessons, LLC or its Independent Teachers are not responsible for unattended minors.
Please be present upon your teacher’s arrival/departure. If a teacher arrives for a lesson and the child is unattended, the parent will receive notification of the infraction. If it happens again, the lesson will be canceled without a refund or makeup. Repeat infractions may result in ejection from our program.
Stopping Lessons
Notification directly to the office is required for stopping lessons. Termination requests can be sent here.
Since we frequently receive availability requests for our teachers, your last scheduled lesson must be 7 or more days from your notification date. This gives teachers a fair opportunity to offer upcoming availabilities to interested families. This is sometimes referred to as ‘14-day’ notification policy, as you are not responsible for paying for any lessons 14 days after the notification.
Refunds will not be issued for student absences for the last or penultimate lessons.
A note about suspending with an intent to resume:
Your enrollment with Westlake Lessons retains your teacher’s time slot on a weekly basis. Upon discontinuation, that time slot is no longer reserved, and may be unavailable at a later date. We do not offer extended reservations.
Following termination, communication to the office is required to resume lessons.
Have an additional Question?
Please leave it in the comments below and we will address it as soon as possible!
Thanks for reading!