Studio Policies
Thank you so very much for the privilege of being your voice teacher! This is my eighth year at Keller High School, and it is a wonderfully fulfilling program to be a part of. I have been teaching private voice for 19 years, and enjoy teaching adults as well as high schoolers. In addition to teaching at KHS, I teach lessons out of my home studio in Lewisville.
Course Description
My goal as a private voice teacher is to assist in your vocal development, and to help equip you with the tools to grow as a singer and a musician. In addition to vocal technique, we will practice sight-reading, musical terms and concepts, performance/stage skills, and learn appropriate repertoire.
Objectives
My Music Staff
I use a web-based program called My Music Staff, a system that enables students and parents to login and view the lesson calendar, attendance records, and account balances/invoices. Students can also access numerous resources, such as sheet music and accompaniment tracks. You will receive an email from me with information on how to login to the site. Students and parents will create a separate login, and I strongly urge students to add the login page as a home screen on your phone. Students will be expected to refer to My Music Staff for the studio schedule, and are responsible for knowing when their voice lesson is scheduled each week. Let me say (*type*) that once more, for those of you that "skim" as opposed to read thoroughly: STUDENTS MUST CHECK MY MUSIC STAFF REGULARLY AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING WHEN YOUR LESSON IS SCHEDULED EACH WEEK! WOOHOO!!!
Required Materials
Expectations
Practice
If you do not practice outside of lessons, you will not make progress. Many people (even adults!) believe that just by taking lessons, they will become better singers. If you are a returning student of mine, you have probably heard me say something like, "I am very good at my job, but I'm not a wizard/superhero/demigod) You will only get out of lessons what you put in. I will often write down what you need to practice in your practice journal. Please login to the site at least once during the week before your next lesson. We implement recordings during lessons, so please listen to your lesson at least once during the week. Please come to your lessons with a positive attitude and be ready to work. Parents, please ensure that your child has an approved practice space in your house, and that you have discussed when practicing may take place. I often have students tell me that they do not feel that they are able to practice at home without disturbing their families.
I will help students form a practice plan, and we will be going waaaaayyyy into depth about how to practice effectively. Students who regularly neglect practicing put themselves at risk of losing their spot in my studio. (Psst...you are very talented, and you may believe you are fooling me, but I can ALWAYS tell if you have practiced. Always.)
Learning Assigned Music
During our lessons, I will provide students with all, and I do mean ALL of the tools necessary to learn and practice your assigned music at home. You will receive recordings of their vocal line, foreign language diction, accompaniment tracks, and any other applicable tools. If we miss a lesson for any reason, (illness, school holiday, etc) students are still responsible for learning and practicing their songs! Do not use a missed lesson as an excuse for not making progress.
Respect
I work very hard to cultivate an environment of mutual kindness, trust, and respect. Disrespect will not be tolerated. If a student is being disrespectful, I will first address the situation with the student, and then parents. If the issue continues, the student may be dismissed from the studio. Please understand that the voice teachers at KHS stay in very close communication with the choir directors. Continual instances of disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated.
Attendance Policy
It is the student’s responsibility to know the day and time of their voice lesson! (CHECK MY MUSIC STAFF!) Sometimes the choirs rehearse in other areas of the school, and there are always events and other issues that may cause a student to assume they do not have a lesson. Never assume that your lesson is cancelled unless we have discussed otherwise. The studio schedule will be updated regularly on My Music Staff. Please take whatever steps are necessary for you to remember your lesson!
Speaking of lesson reminders, MMS has a feature that will enable automated lesson reminders to be emailed or texted. I do not have any experience with this feature, but I am happy to enable it for anyone that wants a weekly reminder!
Please notify me at least 24 hours in advance if you know you will be absent. You may send a text or an email. Voice teachers do not always have information about various school activities such as field trips, assemblies, and testing. We try, but every year there is an event that was not included on our schedules. Please take a look at your calendar each month and make absolutely sure that you inform me about any conflicts (doctor appointments, sporting events, etc.) I do understand that you may not be able to notify me in case of emergency or sudden illness. If you miss a lesson without giving notice, you are still obligated to pay for that lesson. I will do my best to schedule a make-up in cases of emergency. If you have to cancel a lesson with less than 24 hours notice, you may arrange for someone to swap lesson slots with you so that you do not lose your lesson. You can refer to the studio calendar on mymusicstaff.com.
Gum/Food
Please do not come into your lesson eating or chewing gum. (Gum+singing = Choke hazard) If you see ME eating in your lesson, which should be rare, it is simply because I have not had a break in hours and am hangry/about to pass out.
Lunch Lessons
In order to accommodate everyone into my schedule, some students will need to take a voice lesson during their lunch. Please make arrangements to ensure you still get something to eat, and take extra care not to forget your lesson! Please do not come into my studio eating:)
Virtual Lessons
Thanks to the pandemic, many private lesson teachers became proficient at teaching online, myself included. Virtual lessons have become a wonderful tool we can utilize in situations when one (or both) of us is unable to be in person.
My dog is sick. You had a dentist appointment and decide not to come back to school, but don't want to miss your lesson. I have a plumber coming and can't leave, but I can still teach, etc. I can assure you that we can be quite productive in these lessons.
It is a requirement that all students in Mrs. Cox's voice studio familiarize themselves and become comfortable with the virtual lesson process. We will walk through the basics in person.
Solo Contest (Young Vocal Artists Competition)
Students in Mrs. Cox’s voice studio are required to participate in the KISD Fine Arts' annual Solo Contest. This years' Solo Contest will take place on Friday, April 25th. Solo Contest is a wonderful opportunity to receive objective feedback on a prepared solo. Students will receive appropriate repertoire at the beginning of the school year. Students will have the opportunity to rehearse with the accompanist two times prior to the competition.
Spring Recital
After the challenging music of All-State, Solo Contest, and UIL, the spring recital provides a chance for students to showcase fun, light-hearted repertoire. Mrs. Cox will set a deadline for finalizing song choices for the spring recital. Due to the large number of performers, each song will have a length restriction, unless special approval is granted. The week before the recital will be used for rehearsals with the accompanist. Mrs. Cox works hard preparing the recital program, arranging the rehearsal schedule and the logistics of the recital. Students will pay a regular lesson fee for this week.
Spring recital for 2023 will be scheduled soon. We will divide into two sets, a JV recital beginning at 6:30PM, and a Varsity recital at 7:45PM, each with a half-hour call.
Memorization Deadlines
Mrs. Cox will determine memorization deadlines for both Solo Contest and the spring recital. Students are expected to be fully memorized on or before the memorization deadline, which will be set approximately one month before the audition or performance date.
Accompanist Fees
We are very fortunate at KHS to have several wonderful accompanists at our disposal for auditions and performances. These accompanists charge a very reasonable fee for their services. Accompanists must thoroughly prepare this repertoire, and can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful performance. Young singers often jump ahead in the music, miss entrances, and change rhythms, and a good accompanist will save a floundering singer. Fees will be made known to students and parents well in advance, and are determined by the number of rehearsals and songs for each students. Rehearsal fees must be payable to Mrs. Cox NO LATER than the final rehearsal before audition or performance.
Music Reading/Theory
Many of my students are either new to choir or have “holes” in their music theory knowledge. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle of a large choir, and not have a clear understanding of musical terms and concepts. I offer instruction from a book titled: Theory and Sight-reading for Singers. This book is available from Amazon and costs around $11. Students should bring this book with them to each lesson.
Vocal Health
The vocal health of my voice students is of utmost priority. Students will be expected to practice good vocal habits, including drinking enough water, avoiding known allergens, getting adequate sleep, and refraining from vocal misuse/overuse (yelling, singing or talking for long periods without rest). If the student comes to their lesson hoarse, or if I determine that the student should not sing, he or she will be dismissed from the lesson. The student will receive a makeup lesson or a credit if a makeup is not possible. However, this will not apply if the student has willfully participated in vocal abuse (yelling, pulling an “all-nighter”, etc.) If this is the case, he or she is strongly advised to arrange a lesson-swap with a fellow student to avoid missing a lesson.
Vocal Injury
If a student demonstrates evidence of vocal issues/pathologies, I will recommend that the student go on complete or limited vocal rest, and assign voice therapy exercises to aid in recovery. If at any time I suspect that a student may have a vocal injury that should warrant the attention of a doctor, I will make a recommendation for a laryngologist, ENT, or speech language pathologist.
Illness
Illness is something we all have to deal with, and in the school setting, it is especially challenging! I am a performer and have 2 teenage boys of my own, so staying healthy is a huge priority. If you are sick, (unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure it is just allergies and your voice is not affected) please let me know by text, rather than coming into the studio, and we can work together to try to reschedule your lesson. If I am sick, I will let you know as soon as possible, and you will receive a makeup lesson or a credit.
Tuition
My rate for new students is $22.00 per each 22 minute lesson. If you are a returning student, you will continue to pay your current rate. Tuition is due on a monthly basis, ahead of time, paid directly to Mrs.Cox. My Music Staff generates monthly invoices and they will be automatically emailed to parents. I accept cash, check, Venmo, Paypal, and Zelle. All payment information is available on My Music Staff. Automatic invoice reminders will be emailed through My Music Staff, and parents can check account balances and payment records at any time through the site. Please allow 3 business days for payments to be posted to your accounts.
Students will have one “grace” period lesson if he/she forgets tuition. After that, no lessons will be taught until the tuition is received. I will send receipts of payment through mymusicstaff.com. I will also issue reminders at the beginning of each week that tuition is due; however, it is the responsibility of the students and parents to pay for lessons in a timely manner.
Voice teachers work as independent contractors. We are not paid any salary by the school. The entirety of our income is dependent on student enrollment in our studios. The voice faculty at KHS is highly educated and experienced in our field. We are dedicated to enriching your children’s musical education, and work many hours beyond the school day to prepare for lessons and recitals. Thank you in advance for your timely payments!
No Shows/Responsiveness
Students are expected to respond to communications by email and text. Please ensure that I have your correct phone number and (non KISD) email. I will make every attempt to be communicative with students and parents. Please do not hesitate to contact me via text or email should either you or your parents have questions! Non- responsive students in a large studio can make things very difficult when situations arise that require scheduling.
“No-Showing” for Solo Contest or the Spring recital without any prior notice (except in the case of emergency) is considered a huge act of disrespect and is grounds for dismissal from my studio.
Commitment
Students who sign up for the voice lesson program are expected to continue through the entire school year. Voice lessons will stop following the Spring recital. Mrs. Cox does not accept students who only intend to take lessons for a portion of the year. If a student chooses to drop lessons early, they will incur a fee of $60.00. Please give at least one week's notice when deciding to drop lessons.
PLEASE NOTE: BY CONTINUING AS A MEMBER OF THE COX VOICE STUDIO, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THIS DOCUMENT.