Lesson Policies at Horizon School of Music

We encourage you to review these policies carefully to ensure clarity on our procedures. We are committed to transparent communication and want to address any questions or concerns you may have.

1. Invoicing
2. Refundable Deposit
3. Payments
4. Lesson Pricing
5. Cancellation Policy
6. Makeup Credit Usage
7. Frequently Asked Questions

Invoicing

We send out invoices 7 days before the beginning of the month for lessons scheduled in the upcoming month. All payments are due by the 7th of each month, regardless of your unique billing situation.

Timely payment helps us secure your preferred lesson time.

If you need more time to make a payment, please don’t hesitate to send us an email. We’re always here to help and happy to assist in any way we can.

Refunds

If you’ve made a payment for an upcoming month and decide to discontinue lessons before receiving any or all of those lessons, please email us to let us know of your intention to discontinue. We will then promptly refund you the amount paid, as well as your refundable deposit.

Refundable Deposit For New & Returning Students:

When you register, we ask for a $65 refundable deposit in addition to your initial payment. This deposit is an essential part of our month-to-month billing system and helps us guarantee your lesson time.

If you choose to discontinue lessons, kindly inform us. We will refund the full deposit amount and close your account.

Waiving the Refundable Deposit

If you prefer, you may set up automatic lesson payments via credit card, in which case we will waive this deposit.

Payments

We accept payments via e-transfer and credit card.

1) E-transfer payments can be made to billing@horizonschoolofmusic.ca

Please add the first and last name of the student in the E-transfer Notes

2) You may pay via credit card through your student portal: https://horizonschoolofmusic.ca/student-login-portal/

Select ’login’ and enter your password to access your personal account

A small transaction fee of 3.2% from Stripe will be automatically applied to all credit card payments

Automatic payments can be set up from your student portal using this process:

1. Click on the circle with your initials near the top right side of your screen.
2. Select “Profile Settings”
3. Select “Manage Payment Options”
4. Select “Add New” from the pop-up window.
5. Once you’ve entered your card info, select the box below to activate auto-pay.

Lesson Pricing

Lessons start at $65-$75 per hour and $32.50-$37.50 for 30 minutes.

Cancellation Policy

When a student reserves a weekly or bi-weekly slot, the reservation blocks other students from booking that time slot.

As such, we have designed our cancellation policy to protect our students and teachers from losing valuable instruction time while offering flexible makeup credits to those who provide sufficient notice.

Please note the three cancellation scenarios below:

1. Cancellation with Advance Notice:

- - Cancelling with 14 or more days’ notice exempts you from charges. You will not receive a makeup credit. (maximum 1 per month)

2. Late Cancellation:

- - Cancellations received with less than 24 hours’ notice will be fully charged, and no makeup will be provided unless there are special circumstances, such as an emergency. Please reach out to us if you face an emergency situation

3. 24-Hour Notice for Makeup Credit:

- - If more than 24 hours — but less than 14 days — notice is given, we will issue you a makeup credit.

Our Philosophy

When you reserve a weekly or bi-weekly lesson time, that slot is set aside just for you, making it unavailable for other students to book. Much like reserving a table at a fine restaurant, your lesson time is your exclusive spot, and no one else can take it. This commitment helps us ensure that our talented teachers, whom we liken to skilled chefs, can consistently provide you with a high-quality, personalized learning experience.

Our cancellation policy is designed to respect the time and effort our teachers invest in preparing for your lessons. Just as it would be difficult for a restaurant to fill a last-minute cancellation at a prime time, it’s challenging for our teachers to fill a lesson slot on short notice. By understanding and adhering to this policy, you’re not only helping us maintain a thriving learning environment, but you’re also showing respect for your teacher’s valuable time and expertise.

Makeup Credit Usage

A makeup credit may be used to schedule an in-person or online lesson with any available teacher on any instrument of your choice. This is a great opportunity to try a different instrument or meet a new teacher.

Makeup Credit Limitations

Each Makeup credit may only be used once and cannot be rescheduled once it is booked. Once booked, it will be marked in advance as an attended lesson. Please ensure you plan to attend your makeup before confirming it.

Makeup credits are limited to 1 per month. Additional missed lessons will be billable, you will not receive additional makeup credits unless they are approved by your instructor.

Makeup credits cannot be applied toward a future invoice to reduce or waive lesson fees.

If you choose to use a makeup credit with a teacher whose rate is higher than your regular teacher’s, you will be billed the difference in rates.

You must be an ‘Active Student’ to access your makeup credits. If you discontinue lessons, your unused makeup credits will be paused until you resume reserved lesson bookings.

Drop-in students are considered ‘Active Students’ ONLY when they have another scheduled, billable drop-in lesson booked. Drop-in students who cancel their only scheduled lesson are not considered active and are not eligible to use makeup credits.

Lesson Schedule Changes

Cancelling multiple lessons in a row will alert our system that your scheduling needs have changed. In these instances, we will follow up with a phone call to ensure your schedule is optimally booked for your needs.

Should you wish to change the frequency of your lessons (e.g., from biweekly to weekly) or alter your reserved time, please inform us. Changes can be made at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that questions may arise regarding our lesson policies. Here are some FAQs to help you better understand our teaching philosophy and policies:

Why do I need to provide a refundable deposit as a new or returning student?

The refundable deposit is essential for month-to-month billing. This safeguards against instances where students take a lesson in a new month and depart without paying.

When do I get my refund back if I decide to stop lessons?

Upon deciding to stop lessons, if you do not have an outstanding balance, we will happily refund your deposit via e-transfer. Please inform us of your decision via email, and we will send the transfer.

Why can’t I apply the payment for my missed lesson towards a future month or have it in my regular time?

Our current make-up policy is among the most flexible in the industry. We aim to avoid charging you for lessons you do not receive while safeguarding our teachers’ limited time. When you reserve a slot with a teacher, it prevents another student from using that time.

Rest assured, you can use your make-up credits at any time outside of your regularly scheduled slot, with any teacher on our team, and on any instrument. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore a new instrument, meet a new teacher, and try something different.

I’m currently an in-person student and feeling unwell. Should I cancel my lesson or switch to online?

Feel free to switch to online if you cannot attend in person due to illness. That way, you won’t be charged for the missed lesson, and you still receive your scheduled lesson without putting others at risk of getting sick.

I have budget concerns. Is it better for me to take one lesson a month, or should I take a few lessons in a row before taking a break?

We strongly advise taking multiple lessons in a weekly or biweekly format for consistent learning. Spacing them out will hinder your progress and reinforce bad habits.

I’m going on vacation and can provide more than 30 days’ notice. Will I be charged?

There will be no charge for up to one week of missed lessons with more than 30 days’ notice. However, if you will miss more than two weeks, charges will apply with makeup credits provided.

I cannot attend my regularly scheduled lesson and would like to donate it to a friend or family member. Can I do this?

Absolutely! If you’ve paid for the slot, feel free to share it with anyone in your life. Let us know when you’d like this to happen, and we’ll inform your teacher.

I’d like to study at the same time as a friend or family member. Is it possible for two or more of us to study at the same time?

Yes, we offer group lessons. Pricing may vary, and we will need to discuss your specific needs over the phone to ensure we have adequate space and consent from your instructor.

What do I get for my monthly tuition at Horizon School Of Music?

In addition to customized lesson plans and one-on-one lessons from our outstanding instructors, your monthly tuition includes complimentary access to a variety of group events such as open mics, beginner jams, songwriting sessions, choirs, and more.

This extended value is provided at no extra cost for all weekly and bi-weekly students who have reserved at least two lessons in the current month. Please note that Drop-in, inactive, and guest students are welcome to attend our group sessions but must pay the admission fee of $15.

We’re always here to help, so please email us if you have any further questions.

info@horizonschoolofmusic.ca