Harborfields Music Center is a year-round music school and new students may enroll at any time. To register, please complete and submit this online form or speak with our office staff so we can learn more about you or your student and get you acquainted with the school’s programs and policies. We will then match you or your student with the most appropriate teacher and schedule a specific day and time for lessons.

Lessons have been reserved for you or your student at a specific time and day of the week. This is the time for which you are responsible until you withdraw from the lesson. Your attendance is expected.

Students are allowed to reschedule ONE lesson per trimester in the event of illness, family emergency, or school events. Please provide 48-hour notice if possible. Reschedules are not for students who miss lessons due to play dates, games, non-emergency appointments, or family vacations.

In the event of a teacher's absence, a qualified substitute will be provided for that day, or the student will be given a guaranteed reschedule.

Notifying your student's teacher does not confirm a cancellation. To notify us of a cancellation please text: (631) 204-8476 or email us at admin@harborfieldsmusic.com

HMC Studios will notify students of school closures via email as well as via our Facebook and Instagram pages. Most often, lessons will not be canceled unless local districts cancel, but even then, please do not assume that we are closed as the weather sometimes clears up by the afternoon.

In the event that a teacher is unable to make it in due to inclement weather, the teacher will offer a Zoom lesson from their location at the student’s regular lesson time. If HMA is open and it’s more convenient for you to bring your child in for a Zoom lesson, we will accommodate this or your child may connect via Zoom from home.

Tuition is paid monthly using our electronic automatic payment system with debit/credit card or bank account withdrawal. Authorization for automatic payment is given when the account number is provided. The monthly payments are processed on the 1st of each month. Payments are recurring and are deducted on the first of each month until a Withdrawal Form is submitted to the Harborfields Music Center’s admin office.

Tuition reserves your weekly time slot and studio membership and does not include the cost of music sheets and method books. Students should expect to spend approximately $50 per year on method books and repertoire materials.

In addition to studio membership, tuition fees also cover the cost of:

• Lesson planning, tutoring, and repertoire selection

• Instrument tuning and maintenance

• Recital venues and programs

• Professional studio memberships

• Incentive programs and game materials

• Studio rent, business taxes, and studio insurance

*See our Tuition Schedule for the 2024 calendar year.

Monthly tuition is a flat rate based on 48 lessons per year. We are closed in accordance with our published holiday calendar. In the long months, you will get five lessons; in the short months, you will get three lessons; and in most months you will get four. The tuition is the SAME each month; i.e., you are not charged more when you have five lessons and are not charged less when you have three lessons in a month. This simplifies everyone’s accounting.

Music is a lifelong pursuit, but lessons are not always possible for a multitude of reasons. Whatever the reason, we will never take the discontinuation of lessons personally. Remember: if you are unsatisfied with your lessons for any reason or if you are contemplating quitting lessons, please speak freely to your teacher or the admin team about your concerns.

To discontinue lessons and to stop charges to your account, fill out and submit our Withdrawal Form no later than the 15th of your last month. We need this advance notice to provide adequate time to fill the teacher’s schedule with a new student.

By notifying us by the 15th of the current month (your last month) you will ensure that your auto-pay will stop for the following month!

IF YOU WITHDRAW AFTER THE 15TH OF THE MONTH, YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE FOLLOWING MONTH’S LESSONS.

We do not prorate tuition for the last month’s lessons and no refunds will be given. Students will be responsible for their last month’s tuition whether or not they attend lessons.

Additionally, mutual respect is a key goal in our studio. We reserve the right to remove students from the schedule if they have poor attendance, poor practice habits, or if they repeatedly break studio policies.

Please arrive at least a few minutes prior to your lesson. The teacher will come out to the waiting area to get you or your student at the beginning of your lesson time. If you arrive late, please come directly to the teacher’s studio. Students are expected to bring all materials (assignment folders, music books, and otherwise) to every lesson.

Waiting Room: Please feel free to relax in the waiting room. This allows the student my full attention and vice versa. Young beginner students are an exception – parents should attend lessons so that they may assist in practice at home. Feel free to use the restrooms, water fountain, and our coffee/tea station located in the corridor on the right side of the studio. Well-behaved siblings are also welcome in the waiting room.

Recitals offer students a great sense of accomplishment and pride for their hard work. They also help them learn the importance of setting and achieving goals. Students at Harborfields Music Academy will be given the opportunity to participate in 2 to 3 formal recitals each year in addition to other performance opportunities and studio parties— See the calendar for recital and other performance dates.

Group lessons will occur at least once a month for all private lesson students and will replace the normal private lesson for that week. Students will be assigned to a cohort of 4-8 students based on age, level, and scheduling availability. These group lessons will be 60 minutes long. During these lessons, students will develop performance and ensemble skills, as well as practice theory, rhythm, and listening skills. For ease of scheduling, the group lessons will take place the last week of the month and students will have the opportunity to request day/time preferences.

The Harborfields Music Center operates year-round and does not close for the summer. We teach throughout the summer and recommend that students continue to take lessons during this time for their continued development. Students who withdraw from lessons will lose their reserved time with their teacher and will need to re-enroll as a new student if they wish to return.

We also offer intensive summer workshops for those who want to enhance areas of interest in their music journey.

Parents are always allowed to sit in on lessons and we have an open-door policy for lessons. In the event that there is an increase in COVID-19 cases, this may need to be adjusted at the discretion of HMA. In this case, we will offer a Zoom or Facetime call into your child's lesson, to ensure both you and your child are comfortable.

The academy is not responsible for providing before- or after-lesson supervision for students. Students are not to be left at the school for excessive time periods before or after their lessons. Parents of children or guardians of children under 8 years old are to remain in the waiting area or just outside of the waiting area for the duration of the lesson.

Parents, legal guardians of minors, students and adult students waive the right to any legal action for any injury sustained on school property resulting from normal lesson activity or any other activity conducted by the students or their siblings before, during, or after lesson time.

Children must wait for their parents to pick them up inside the school. Please do not ask them to meet you elsewhere or drop off/pick up children from your vehicle in front of the school as this is a safety hazard. This is also the best time to connect with your child’s teacher, if needed. Please be available 2 minutes prior to the end of your child’s lesson for this purpose. Harborfields Music Academy School assumes no responsibility for children who leave unaccompanied.

We love it when our students come to lessons prepared with the following:

1. Instrument

2. Music binder and sheet Music or book

3. A digital voice recorder or a recording device (applies mostly to voice students)

4. Water bottle

We appreciate when our students:

1. Practice regularly

2. Reflect and share their musical experiences with their teachers

3. Are positive and open-minded about new ideas and experiences

Too sick for in-person or Zoom lessons? I’ll record a short video lesson and send it to you within 48 hours.

Students who are ill SHOULD NOT attend lessons. If you are too sick to attend school, you are too sick to attend your lesson. Please notify the teacher by 12 p.m. if you cannot attend. A short video lesson will be recorded and shared within 48 hours to help students continue their learning that week.

Students who are mildly ill can schedule a Zoom session during their regular time. Please provide 48-hour notice if possible.

“No-Show” Lessons are Forfeit: Repeat “no shows” will result in removal from the schedule without tuition reimbursement. (3 Strike Rule!)