The instructor is committed to creating a positive learning and teaching environment for all students. For this reason, it is important that students and parents understand and adhere to the policy outlined below. This policy may be updated at the instructor's discretion at any time and students will be notified in the event of such changes. — The Lesson Policy was last updated in August of 2024
Table of Contents
Lesson Dashboard
Lesson Notebook
Quick Links
Messenger
Admin Tools
Communication
Video Conferencing
Messenger
Email
Text Messages
Phone Calls
Scheduling
Absences & Make-ups
Holidays
Suspending & Discontinuing Lessons
Tuition & Fees
Pricing
Payment Frequency
Payment Methods
Lesson Dashboard
The Lesson Dashboard is the hub for students and parents to manage all aspects of lessons. From the dashboard you can communicate with your instructor, access the lesson notebook to review assignments, and more! Be sure to bookmark the dashboard on your most frequently used devices: www.musicianstoolshed.com/lesson-dashboard/
To access the dashboard you will need a Musician's Toolshed account, which the instructor will set up for you during registration. (A note to families with multiple students: you will need to use separate email addresses for each student as the site only allows one email address per user.) You can access the login page by visiting www.musicianstoolshed.com and clicking the keys icon at the top right of the menu bar.
Here's a brief overview of the Lesson Dashboard’s main features:
Lesson Notebook
The Lesson Notebook contains student's weekly assignments which should be reviewed during every practice session. Each week the instructor will update the notebook and include information on what to practice, links to resources (audio, video, images, etc.), and anything relevant to what is being covered in lessons.
The notebook is powered by Notion. Notion is a web-based application and it has dedicated desktop and mobile apps, however, they are not required to access or use the notebook. Moreover, you do not need a Notion user account to view the contents of the notebook.
Quick Links
- Lesson Dashboard: takes you back to the Lesson Dashboard
- Open Notebook: links to the lesson notebook
- Join Meeting: links to the Google Meet conference call for weekly lessons
- Edit Profile: update user fields such as instruments, favorite music genres, etc
- Sign Out: user logout of www.musicianstoolshed.com
Messenger
The messenger allows you to contact the instructor directly. By default, students will receive email notifications when a new message is received, however, email notifications can be disabled.
If you are using a desktop or tablet you can always see the messenger from the dashboard. On smaller mobile devices (anything smaller than a tablet like smartphones) the messenger can be found by clicking on the chat bubble button located in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
Admin Tools
Admin tools are readily available to all adult students, however, for children, these features can be password-protected at parents’ request. Note that there is only one login per student which means that parents can use the student login to access the dashboard.
The admin tools can also be accessed without a password by using the 🛠️ icon link in the footer from any page on the website. Please note, that accessing the admin tools from this link will not provide any of the user-specific features found through actually logging into the site.
The Admin Tools features include:
- Scheduling: book make-ups, request new day/time, and view the lesson event calendar
- Payments: make payments and view the lesson pricing guide
- Policy: view the lesson policy
- Preferences & Settings: edit the user profile, username, email, and change password
Communication
Having good communication is the key to any successful relationship. The instructor aims to be prompt and timely with communication and expects the same from students. You can expect most responses to be within a 24-48hr window, however, weekend messages will be attended to on the following Monday.
Here are the main forms of communication and best way to direct correspondence:
Video Conferencing
Lessons are held digitally via Google Meet and can be accessed from the Quick Links sidebar. If for some reason Google Meet does not work with your tech set up, please inform the instructor and an alternative option will be considered.
Messenger
The dashboard’s built in messenger is the best place to communicate with the instructor. Don't be shy, say "hi!" Let the instructor know if you need help or clarification on an assignment.
Email is best suited for parents to relay anything non-assignment such as advanced scheduling changes (anything more than 24hrs notice,) payments, or policy related discussions.
Text Messages
Text messaging should be reserved for last-minute notification only which may include cancelations (less than 24hrs) or if you are running late.
Phone Calls
Most communication is done through written form or during the lesson. If you would like to schedule a phone call, let the instructor know.
Scheduling
Note: This section primarily applies to weekly lessons, however, the Absences & Make-up section also applies to drop-in students.
Your scheduled lesson time has been reserved explicitly for you. Making progress is directly related to honoring this time commitment with the instructor. If you would like to make a permanent change to a different day or time for your regular lesson, please complete a new time request form found in the scheduling section of the dashboard.
Absences & Make-ups
No-shows or last-minute cancelations (less than a 24hr notice) are not guaranteed a make-up and may be considered forfeited.
If you know about a scheduling conflict in advance, promptly notify the instructor and book a make-up through the dashboard. Instructor availability is limited to office hours so make-ups cannot be guaranteed and should be scheduled within a reasonable time frame. Lessons are not credited forward regardless of advanced notice and/or the reason.
If the instructor has a planned absence they will contact you in advance to request a make-up.
All rescheduled lessons or make-ups are considered final bookings and cannot be rescheduled regardless of advanced notice.
Holidays
There are two one-week breaks per semester. Students may schedule a make-up lesson for one of these weeks within the same semester, but it cannot be carried forward to the next semester. The instructor will inform students of breaks well in advance, typically at the start of the semester.
Lessons are not held on the following major U.S. holidays and will not be made up:
- Memorial Day (last Monday of May)
- Independence Day (7/4)
- Labor Day (first Monday of September)
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday of November)
- Winter Holiday Break - the weeks of Christmas (end of fall semester) and New Year’s (beginning of spring semester)
Suspending & Discontinuing Lessons
Notify the instructor before the 15th of the month to suspend or discontinue lessons. If notice is given after the 15th, you are still liable for the next month's tuition. Tuition for the final month of lessons are not prorated.
If you would like to take a break from lessons and want to keep the current time slot it can be reserved at the rate of $50/month.
If concerns arise regarding lack of preparation, dependability, or payment that cannot be resolved, the instructor has the right to dismiss students.
Tuition & Fees
Note: This section applies to weekly lessons because drop-in payments are made during booking.
Weekly lessons are considered a subscription-based service which means that lessons are a flat fee regardless of how many lessons are given within a pay period. Most months have four lesson days, however, some will have three or five lesson days depending on the year and holidays.
There are no credits or refunds for canceled, missed, or unused lessons.
Pricing
The current lesson rates can be found on the Lesson Pricing Guide page.
Payment Frequency
Weekly Lessons are invoiced on the first day of the payment period depending upon the student’s preferred payment frequency
Monthly: due at the beginning of the month
Semesterly: payments are made every four months and grouped accordingly:
- January - April
- May - August
- September - December
Annually: payments are based upon the designated start date of lessons
Payment Methods
- Credit Card: Pay, Visa, MasterCard, Discover
- Direct Bank Transfers (ACH): $30 additional fee for non-sufficient funds