1. How do I get started? After you’ve submitted your registration form we will contact you to arrange for a complimentary consultation with the program director and the selected teacher to answer any questions you may have.
2. How do I pay for lessons? We have several payment options; i.e. Paypal, cash, money order, major credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or Discover); however, the most popular form of payment is personal check made out to Sacramento Suzuki Violin Studio.
Payment is required in full on or before the first lesson of each month. Please be aware that the day of your lesson may occur four or five times in a month, and the appropriate payment should be made. Payments are considered late after the 7th day of the month. A charge of $15.00 will be added to any payment made after the 7th day of the month. Late charges will not be waived. If tuition is not paid by the 2nd lesson of each month, student is subject to automatic removal from schedule without notice. To be reinstated, payment must be made in full including all missed lessons, late fees, and payment for the following month. There is also a $25 charge for all returned checks.
3. Where do lessons take place? Lessons take place at The Elk Grove Branch, The Rancho Cordova branches, The Corporate Headquarters, or at the student’s home.
4. How long are lessons? Our standard lessons are 45 minutes. We also offer 60 minute lessons.
5. How often are lessons? Lessons are most commonly held once a week.
6. When can I start taking lessons? We can get you started with lessons as soon as you are ready!
7. Can I stop taking lessons at any time? Yes. There are no semester contracts with SSVS, so you may stop taking lessons at any time.
8. Do you offer an opportunity to meet a teacher? Yes, we offer a complimentary consultation with your teacher. If for any reason you don’t ‘click’ with the teacher, the first lesson is completely transferable to another teacher. Nine out of ten times, our student-teacher matching process makes for a good fit.
9. Do you offer both private and group lessons? Yes, we do. Please contact us for more details.
10. What levels of violin do you teach? We teach students from complete beginner to college music majors. All teachers teach beginning and intermediate lessons and each of our teachers also has their specific strength for advanced lessons.
11. Do I have the necessary talent to learn to play an instrument? We have not yet come across one student that does not have some sort of musical abilities. Everyone has their strengths. Eventually, everyone has a barrier that they must get across to get to the next level. It is not how talented you are, but how diligent and determined and how much you play your instrument!
12. What are the cancellation policies? We know that you have a busy schedule and we want to make sure you feel you are getting the most out of your lessons. It is the student’s responsibility to alert the instructor if the student is unable to attend the scheduled lesson. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that indirect messages given to the instructor (such as voicemail messages) have been received.
Lessons that are cancelled by 12:00 PM of the day before the scheduled lesson are eligible to make up the missed lesson if the instructor’s availability allows. In the event that a make-up lesson cannot be scheduled, a refund will be given equal to half of the lesson fee. Emergency situations will be evaluated on an individual basis.
All make-up lessons must be scheduled within the same month. All lessons must be taken in the same month and missed lessons do not carry over into the following month. If you missed a lesson, it is your responsibility to make it up with your instructor during that month. All cancelled lessons must be called in or emailed or they will not be made up. Make up lessons are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that we will not overbook a lesson to accommodate a make-up lesson. Make-up Lessons must fit into your instructor's schedule. If you cannot make it within the open times available you will lose your lesson even if 24 hours notice was given. We will try our best to arrange your make-up lesson with your own teacher; however, this may or may not always be possible. No refund will be given for a missed lesson without 24 hours notice and a make-up lesson will not be offered. No refund will be given for discontinuation of lessons during a month that has already been paid for.
13. Can I take lessons on an every other week basis? We highly recommend that you take lessons on a weekly basis. We do offer lessons every other week, but you may want to wait until you have the time to take lessons on a weekly basis. We find that students who take on a weekly basis learn at an exceptionally faster rate. In the end, it’s more economical and efficient to take lessons weekly.
14. Can I take 2 lessons per week? Yes. Lessons on a weekly basis are sufficient to learning violin/viola at a steady rate; however, if you would like the extra guidance, or are an exceptionally quick learner, we are happy to offer lessons 2 times per week.
15. How much do lessons cost? We are happy to say we have the most competitive rates available with the quality services and teachers that we offer. Please refer to our rate listing.
16. What is your privacy policy? All of your information is held with strict confidentiality. We do not and will never sell or release any of your information.
17. Do you have a gift certificate option? Yes! Gift certificates are extremely popular, especially at the holiday season. Gift certificates can be mailed or emailed to the purchaser or the recipient.
18. Are there lessons on weekends? Yes. Lessons are conveniently conducted seven days a week.
19. Do you offer a free trial lesson? SSVS does not offer a free trial lesson because when you take your first lesson, you are actually reserving an instructor's time that could be spent teaching another student. We do offer our First Lesson Guarantee if you want to stop lessons after your first lesson. You just let us know within 3 days and we will either find another instructor to suit your needs or we will refund all future lessons without any hassle.
20. Do I need to have my own instrument in order to take a lesson? For your first couple lessons, you are welcome to use one of our SSVS’ instruments so you can make sure you want to continue on with those particular lessons. If you want to move forward and purchase your own instrument, your instructor will be able to recommend locations in your area where you can buy or rent one for yourself.
21. How do I know I am going to be studying with a qualified teacher? All of our teachers have at least a BA or BM in violin/viola performance. They all have a background in teaching and regularly perform throughout Sacramento or current symphonic players. Our teachers are experienced and are chosen not only for their qualifications, but for their ability to inspire and motivate our students. We have a very selective process for choosing our Teachers!
22. What are the names of your instructors? Half of our staff has Master’s degrees and several University professors work with us. We have too many on staff to send out C.V.’s on all of them. Many of our teachers drive out from other nearby cities to teach. Once the prospective student decides on a day and time, we will give you all the information on that particular teacher.
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24. What are the holidays observed? During a holiday, no lessons will be given. There will be no charge for lessons that fall on a holiday. The following holidays are observed:
New Year’s Day (January 1st)
Memorial Day (Last Monday of May)
Independence Day (July 4th)
Labor Day (First Monday of September)
Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday of November)
Christmas Day (December 25th)
Please see your instructor for the latest holiday schedule. If you observe holidays not listed here, be sure to make arrangements with your instructor as far in advance as possible. No guarantees can be made about holidays not listed here, and standard policy will apply unless you make special arrangements with your instructor.
25. Will you be able to extend my lesson if I am late? Students arriving late for lessons will receive a truncated lesson ending at the usual time. It is recommended that students arrive five-ten minutes early to warm up and tuned in the waiting room. Students who are taught in their own home must be available and ready to receive instruction during the allotted time slot. Please be ready for the instructor’s arrival at least five minutes prior to your lesson’s scheduled start time. The lesson will end at the scheduled time. Students who are unable to receive a full lesson due to actions of the instructor are eligible for a make-up lesson; however arrangements must be made with the instructor.