Welcome back! I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer.
I feel more energized and excited than ever before to start up again this fall!
We’ve had so many student wins, even just over the summer, it’s so inspiring!
We’ve also welcomed new students into our community, and I feel so lucky to have met these incredibly talented young singers and to welcome you in September!
Below are all of the studio policies for the 2023-2024 school year including dates the studio is closed, and everything you need to know about music, billing, make-up lessons, cancellations, transferring lessons, and anything else policies-wise.
If you’re returning, everything is basically the same as last year. The only change is that this fall I’m including one makeup lesson. Most people didn’t need or want to schedule a makeup lesson, and our studio is more full than last year, so I need to be mindful of being able to actually find a time in both yours and my schedule for a makeup lesson. If you prefer to simply skip the week if something comes up, please know that’s completely fine. Lots of families choose that route.
MUSIC BINDER aka your “BOOK”
Singers need a 3-ring binder in which to keep all the sheet music we‘re currently working on. Please bring these materials to every lesson!
AUDITIONS & PERFORMANCES
If you have an upcoming audition or performance, please notify me as soon as possible prior to your next lesson, including any repertoire and/or audition materials we need to prepare. This will help us use your lessons as efficiently as possible toward your preparation, and help you nail your auditions.
SCHEDULE
Here are the dates the studio is closed.
There are no lessons on these days:
Monday, 9/4 – Labor Day
Monday, 9/25 – Yim Kippur
Monday, 10/9 – Columbus Day
Tuesday, 10/31 – Halloween
Wednesday, 11/22 – the day before Thanksgiving
Thursday, 11/23 – Thanksgiving Day
The studio is closed for winter break from Friday, 12/22 through Sunday, 1/7
Lessons resume on Monday, 1/8
Monday, 1/15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Thursday, 1/18 – My 40th Birthday!!!
Monday, 2/19 – Presidents’ Day
Monday, 5/27 – Memorial Day
The last day of weekly lessons for the season is Thursday, 6/6
Summer lessons begin Monday, 6/10, 2024
SPRING BREAKS
You all have spring break at different times. As the season begins, I’ll decide how to handle spring break this year. Most likely, I’ll shorten everyone’s weekly lessons by one week to accommodate, and will continue teaching so you can skip your lesson whenever you’re on spring break. In the event I decide to choose a spring break week where the studio’s closed, I’ll email you right away but as of the time of this writing (August 2023) I’m planning not to close or take a studio-wide spring break.
BILLING
Your enrollment for the 2023-2024 season/school year follows a twice-a-season payment schedule.
The two dates we’ll do billing for the fall & winter are:
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Monday, December 18, 2023
We’ll use the card on file. To look back at what it is, simply search for the subject line, “Your Sarah Hawkey Studio receipt” in your email. If you need to update it we can connect in person or over the phone to get it up to date.
MAKEUP LESSONS
Each billing cycle has one (1) built-in make-up lesson. These must be used during that term’s current calendar. For example, if the lesson to reschedule is between September 12th and December 22nd, 2022, the make-up must be on the studio schedule before December 22nd, 2022, and so on. Lessons and makeup lessons do now roll over to the following term.
TRANSFERRING LESSONS
Lessons are transferrable to another household member. For example, if my regular student is unwell, a sibling may like to take their lesson that week. This can be a fun lens into the amazing work of studying voice. Please let me know ahead of that day’s 3pm EST start time so I am aware and can prepare for a new face & voice.
CANCELLATION POLICIES
Our cancellation policy for weekly lessons is 24 hours. If you cancel your lesson with less than 24 hours’ of notice, the lesson is not eligible for a makeup lesson.
New York City in-person lessons: Please note these lessons have a 48-hour cancellation policy simply because there are more logistics involved and I’ll need time to plan around any changes. If we are renting paid studio space, a small studio fee may be added — you will know in advance if that’s the case.
SNOW DAYS
Snow Day Procedures: If you are student who normally comes to the Fairfield County studio for in-person lessons and schools have a snow day, it is highly likely we will move all lessons that day to our remote platform (we use Zoom) and you’ll receive a new confirmation email with a link.
COVID PROCEDURES & ILLNESS
If you are having an in-person lesson and you suspect your child or someone in the household has been exposed to COVID-19, we will move to remote lessons until it’s safe to reconvene at the studio. I appreciate your consideration to my health and the health of your fellow studio community!
LESSON TIMLINESS
If you are running late for your lesson, the lesson will still end on time.
YOUR WEEKLY LESSON TIME
The lesson time we set up in August is your weekly time for the 2023-2024 season/school year. Once the term begins, the studio will often be 90%-100% full and it will be difficult to find a new time. Please prioritize this lesson time in your after-school activities calendar for the full school year as it will remain for the entire season of weekly lessons.
THANK YOU
Here’s to another wonderful year of artistic growth for your child and music ringing through your rafters! The singers in our studio drive me, inspire me, and fill me with joy. It’s an honor to serve you and your child! I can hardly wait to see how everyone sounds as this season goes on!