Please do not bring sick children to violin lessons or arrive ill yourself. If a child or parent arrives at the studio ill, we reserve the right to send the parent and the child home. If a student is too ill for school, he/she is too ill for his/her music lesson. It is unacceptable to bring a child to a lesson when they have a fever. We work in close proximity and with our hands, so germs spread easily. Please consider the health and well-being of our instructors and the other families in our space. Online lesssons can usually be held when a child is feeling well enough for a lesson but is recovering.

Group lessons are an integral part of the program at OPSA. Attendance at group functions is required; please mark your calendars at the beginning of the year for these important dates.

For young violinists in a Suzuki Program, participation in group lessons is an essential part of the student’s development. Students and parents both find group classes to be fun and exciting. Group classes can be very motivating.  Group lessons are held each week during the academic year. There are no group classes during the summer months. Missed group classes follow the same policy as our individual lesson policy (no refunds or makeups available). 

Continual communication is a natural part of any educational endeavor. Open communication is strongly encouraged and appreciated between the student, parent, and teacher. Any conflicts or problems that may arise in the course of the semester should immediately be brought to the instructor or director’s attention.

Parent conferences without the student will be held in lieu of a lesson during one of the last few weeks of the school year. This time helps to give both the parent and teacher a chance to communicate each ones vision for the student and discuss how we are doing in terms of working towards this vision. Your child’s development–both musical and otherwise–is very important to us. These conferences help to make sure that the work we do each week and the daily work you do at home in regards to violin are helping to foster a healthy, happy and musical child. You will receive a questionnaire via email in order to help facilitate communication during this conference. Please submit it within a few days of receiving it as your teacher will want to prepare for your conference. Summer and fall scheduling are also typically discussed during this conference so as not to detract from instructional time during regular lessons.

The Oak Park String Academy is a twelve-month, year-round program–without exceptions. During the summer semester (June-July-August) students are required to take a minimum number of lessons in order to keep their spot for the school year. Most students opt to take additional lessons in the summer by taking 2 or even 3 lessons a week. Practice duration during the summer semester should be increased as there is no school during the day. The Summer Term is flexible in that students are only asked to sign up for a portion of the approximately 12 weeks of summer to allow for summer travel plans. Summer lessons are also flexible in that a student signs up for each lesson individually, and you are not necessarily tied into the same lesson time each week.

Study during the summer is crucial for students to maintain their progress. Information regarding the scheduling of summer lessons is discussed in May each year. In order to allow greater flexibility during the summer months to accommodate summer activities and family vacations, all lessons will be scheduled by appointment only. There are typically 11 or 12 weeks during the summer semester and we require students to take at least 7 lessons which allows for a lot of flexibility around family vacations, summer camps, etc.

Financial Policies

Enrollment in the Oak Park String Academy (OPSA) is not a “payment per service” arrangement, but rather a tuition-based business. Enrolling in music lessons is a purchase of a teacher’s services and a reservation of the teacher’s time. Tuition entitles a student to school membership and scheduled weekly lessons. Your child’s lesson time is reserved for you; since time passes whether a student uses it or not, a lesson missed is time and money lost. The full fee is to be paid whether or not the student attends all lessons; lessons missed by the student for any reason will not be made-up nor tuition refunded. Notification of inability to attend a lesson is appreciated but does not excuse payment for contracted lessons.

Invoices are sent out via email at the end of each month. Payment can be made with Zelle, Credit Card, or ACH through our My Music Staff administrative program (link provided upon registration). Students can enroll at any time during the year if there are lesson spots available. Students will be charged from the date of their first lesson. 

Annual Registration Fee and Recital Fee

To ensure transparency and clarity here is an explanation of our fees and their purposes:

1. Annual Registration Fee:
   • This fee is charged at the beginning of the summer semester.
   • Alternatively, if you enroll after the summer semester has started, the fee is prorated based on the remaining duration of the enrollment period.
   • The purpose of this fee is to reserve your spot in our program for the upcoming school year.
   • It covers various costs associated with running the program, including administrative expenses and maintenance.
   • Additionally, a portion of the fee is dedicated to supporting the professional development of our teachers. This helps us bring constantly updated and improved teaching methods to our students in the new school year.
2. Recital Fee:
   • This fee is collected at the start of the summer semester.
   • The purpose of the recital fee is to assist in covering the costs related to performances and events throughout the year.
   • These costs include hall rentals, rehearsal spaces, piano maintenance, piano accompanists, and extra staff and musicians needed for special events such as the Benefit Concert.

For the 2023-2024 school year, the Registration Fee is $165 per family, and the Recital Fee is $120.

Please note that tuition is non-transferable and non-refundable. We appreciate your understanding regarding this policy.