The Florence Music Academy 2026-2027 Guidelines

Welcome!

The Florence Music Academy exists to provide quality music education to students in the PeeDee region, and strives to instill a love for music in each of our students. We believe that music is for everyone- regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, ability, or background. We are so glad you’re here!

While our lessons are fun and engaging with plenty of positive feedback, it is simply a waste if the student does not desire to play music.

Academy students are expected to practice their material at home, and be respectful to their instructor. If at any point either of these two principles come into question, and after a discussion with the parent/guardian no change occurs, our Teachers reserve the right to remove the student from the calendar.

Students are asked to be on campus 5 minutes before their class time, and parents must be ready for pick-up 5 minutes before the class ends.

Portal & Communication

Access to our student/parent portal is granted as soon as you register as a student with us! You can use the portal to cancel and register for classes, make payments on your account, see lesson notes, log practice times and more!

Teachers frequently post materials and recordings for their students which can be found under the online resources page. Students may also request sheet music to be lent out of our lending library!

Lesson reminders and lessons notes will be sent to our students and families by email and SMS. You may change these settings at any time by logging into your account and adjusting your reminder preferences

Bi-Annual Student Showcases

We offer recitals and showcases for students of every instrument, who have been taking lessons with us for over 3 months by the date of the performance and wish to participate. A Recital Fee of $20 is applied to every eligible student account at the last month of each term to cover venue fees and photographer fees for performances. Every student who performs in a recital or showcase is expected, and welcome, to bring up to 2 guests. Additional guest seats may be purchased for an additional fee as long as venue space allows.

(Cancellations made within two weeks of the performance date are nonrefundable.)

Practice Expectations

Consistent practice is one of the most important factors in a student's musical success. While weekly lessons provide instruction and guidance, real progress happens through regular practice at home. Students who practice consistently build confidence, develop stronger technique, and progress much more quickly toward their musical goals.

Private lessons are a minimum of 30 minutes, and we encourage students to make their home practice resemble their lessons as much as possible. A good practice session should look a lot like a typical class. Including review of previous material, practicing assigned exercises or songs, and reinforcing new concepts introduced during their last lesson.

Parents/Guardians play an important role in helping students develop successful practice habits. We encourage them to:

Establish a consistent daily or weekly practice routine.
Provide a quiet, distraction free place to practice.
Encourage effort and consistency rather than perfection.
Review lesson notes from the instructor through the student portal or their notebook.
Celebrate progress and accomplishments, no matter how small.

One of the most important parts of practicing music is celebrating the victories, no matter how big or small; always encourage your student and make forward progress a BIG DEAL.

If you are ever unsure how your student should be practicing, how long they should practice, or what they should be focusing on, please don't hesitate to speak with your Student’s instructor! Our teachers are happy to provide additional guidance or demonstrate effective practice techniques.

Our goal is to help every student develop not only musical ability but also the confidence and discipline that come from consistent, purposeful practice.

By working together, students, parents, and instructors can create a positive learning environment that sets every musician up for success.

Invoices

Invoices are sent out by email on the 20th of every month, covering the following month. If an invoice is not paid in full by the due date (usually the first of the month), a 5% fee will be automatically added to the account and an automated invoice reminder will be sent.

If the invoice is not paid by the 5th day following the due date, class time will be forfeited and the student may be removed from the schedule.

No further classes will be offered until the account is settled.

Feel free to pre-pay your account for the semester or set up auto pay through the student portal to avoid late fees!

Payment Service Fees

Any payments made by venmo, paypal, debit card, or credit card will incur a 3.5% convenience fee.

This is the cost that our service provider Stripe charges and it cannot be adjusted by anyone on Academy staff.

To avoid the fee, set up auto-pay by ACH payment or pay by cash or check at our front desk.

Account Credit Policy

No cash or card refunds will be given. Any class credits added to a student account will be deducted from future invoices. Should you wish to step away from classes and have remaining pre-paid credit on your account, that credit will stay in your account for one full calendar year after the date of payment.

Attendance Policy

Class times are held for each student and preparation is made for every class, therefore we require at least a 24-hour notice if the student cannot attend.

If canceled with sufficient notice, it is up to the instructor’s availability whether the class is rescheduled or tuition credit is given. If the student’s lesson was not canceled over 24 hours before their class time or if the student does not arrive by 10 minutes after the scheduled class time, the class will not be offered, and a refund will not be given. Any student who does not attend class for more than 5 weeks in a row will forfeit their class time and will be removed from the calendar.

For any lessons missed by a teacher, the Academy will attempt to provide a substitute teacher. If a substitute teacher is unavailable, a makeup lesson will be scheduled promptly or a credit will be added to the family account. In the event of a cancellation due to severe weather, a makeup lesson will be scheduled or a credit will be added to your account at the Academy's discretion.

Drop Off Policy

To ensure the safety and well being of all students, The Florence Music Academy requires that all students be brought into the building and picked up inside the building by a parent or adult guardian. Students should not be dropped off outside nor left unattended before or after their lesson time.

Parents or guardians are expected to accompany students into the building upon arrival and enter the building promptly for pick-up at the conclusion of the lesson.

Sickness Policy

In general, students and family members who stayed home sick from school or work should not attend in-person lessons/classes.

Any person who arrives sick will be sent home.

Makeup Lesson Policy

In the event of an emergency, a last minute cancellation may be eligible for a makeup lesson at the discretion of The Florence Music Academy. The Academy reserves the right to request documentation, such as a doctor's note or other reasonable proof of the emergency, before approving a makeup lesson.

Makeup lessons are offered based on instructor availability and must be scheduled on a different day and/or time than the student's regularly scheduled lesson. Makeup lessons may not take place during or in place of the student's normal weekly lesson time.

Students are expected to attend their regularly scheduled lesson each week. A makeup lesson is intended to provide an additional opportunity to make up for a missed class and does not replace the student's reserved lesson time.

All makeup lessons must be scheduled in advance and are subject to instructor availability.

Tuition, Discounts, Fees

Private Class Tuition:

Piano: 30 min - $30 per class 45 min - $40 per class

Guitar: 30 min - $30 per class 45 min - $40 per class

Brass Instruments: 30 min - $35 per class 45 min - $45 per class

Voice: 30 min - $35 per class 45 min - $45 per class

Drums: 30 min - $35 per class 45 min - $45 per class

Group Class Tuition:

Little Musicians: 45 min - $20 per class

Primo & Presto Piano: 45 min - $550 per term

(Class sizes are limited to 5 students per class and materials are pre-purchased; Therefore a $50 deposit towards this amount is due at least three weeks prior to the first class of the semester.)

Ukulele 45 min - $10 per class for current students

- $25 per class non-FMA students

Jam Band 1 hour - $10 per class for current students

- $20 per class for non-FMA student

Semester Payment Discount

A discount of 5% will be applied to any payment covering 4 or more months of private classes.

Multiple Class Discount

A credit of $10 will be applied monthly to any account with more than one class occurring per week for each additional class

(does not apply to group classes).

Referral Discount

A credit of $10 will be applied once per referral to any student account mentioned on a new student’s registration form.

Late Pick-up Fee

If a student is not picked up within 5 minutes after their class finishes, a late-pickup fee of $5 will be incurred, and after 2 occurrences the fee will be raised to $10 per late-pickup.