Last updated May 2026

Policies

 

By paying fees a student and their family agree to comply with all of the following policies. 

 

Lesson times

Lesson are conducted during the New Zealand public school terms. From time to time additional lessons are available during the school holidays.

Lesson times are usually the same from week to week. However, students are welcome to enquire about an alternative lesson time on any given day, including during school hours.

The time a student spends playing the piano during a lesson depends on their concentration and energy levels on the day. Lessons may also include some activities away from the piano and discussions with students and/or parents related to students’ learning and skill development.

Students are expected to arrive for lessons in a timely manner and wash their hands upon arrival. If a student arrives late or leaves early the teacher will not be obligated to make up the time.

 

Before and after lessons

A key part of the Suzuki approach is that students learn by watching and listening to other students’ lessons. Students and their families are therefore welcome to observe other students’ lessons, as long as they remain quiet and do not distract the student having a lesson at that time. Anyone who is distracting may be asked to leave the piano area.

Students and their families may wait quietly in the piano area before, during and after their lessons. Parents are asked to prevent students getting too tired before their lessons due to arriving too early.

Devices need to be muted or used with earphones. A selection of books, games and puzzles are provided. Students and family members who do not treat the teacher’s and venue’s property with respect may be asked to leave.

The teacher’s attention will be focused on teaching and the teacher cannot provide active supervision of children who are not having a lesson. Parents / guardians remain responsible for the safety of their children.

 

Respecting the venues

Students and their family members need to remain in the piano area, except when going to the toilets. The rest of the buildings are out of bounds.

Smoking and vaping are not allowed. The Cambridge venue requests that people do not swear, drink alcohol, or eat meat or fish products on site.

 

Group lessons

Group lessons are integral to students’ learning. During group lessons students learn to play the piano together and develop confidence in playing to an audience. They also learn rhythmic, aural, and music reading and writing skills. By learning these as a group, individual lessons can be used more efficiently. In group lessons students also inspire and motivate each other to practise and foster bonds within a music community.  Group lesson fees may be included in the term’s invoice.

Illness

Students and their family members who have had vomiting or diarrhoea should wait until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours before attending lessons. Those who have had a fever should wait until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and free of other symptoms. Students and their family members returning from overseas travel are asked to monitor for symptoms and switch to online lessons or refrain from attending if they become unwell.

If a student or family member arrives with symptoms that may be contagious, the teacher may stop the lesson early in order to clean and disinfect the area. Any lost lesson time will not be made up or credited to the family’s account.

 

Online lessons

All students need to be prepared to have online lessons if the venue becomes unavailable due to a funeral, illness, or government restrictions such as lockdowns. Online lessons that are refused will not be refunded or credited to the student’s account. WhatsApp is the preferred platform. The teacher is available for a free practice session for students and parents who are unfamiliar with WhatsApp.

Online lesson times can be more flexible. Parents/guardians are welcome to suggest online lesson times that would be convenient for them.

 

Fees

Fees are payable in advance. Each term’s fees need to be paid by the due date to secure the student’s slot for the term, unless otherwise arranged in advance. An invoice may include additional lessons scheduled during school holidays. An arrangement can be made with the teacher to pay fees in instalments. However, when scheduling lessons students who have paid for the whole term will be given priority. Cash and online deposits are welcome.

Fees cover individual and group lessons, costs related to using the venues, and access to student concerts. No refunds or credit will be given, except as outlined below.

Optional piano and music theory exams are available at an extra cost when a student has learnt all the required material. Additional lessons at an extra cost may be required before an exam.

 

Music books and materials

Students are expected to bring their music book(s) and a notebook/practice book to each lesson. If the student has received loose sheets these need to be kept in a folder provided by the student.

The teacher will provide the music books and practice books after discussing these with the student and parent/guardian. The cost of these books may be invoiced separately or added to the next term’s invoice. Some books may be borrowed for free, if returned in a good condition.

 

Missed lessons

A lesson not taken at the scheduled time will be forfeited unless, prior to the lesson, the teacher and parent/guardian have agreed to an alternative time, depending on the teacher’s availability. If no suitable time is available to reschedule the lesson, the teacher is not obligated to give a refund or credit.

If a student’s lesson was scheduled for a public holiday and the student is unable to attend or reschedule it, the lesson will be credited to the next term’s fees or refunded at the end of the year.

If the teacher becomes unavailable to teach a lesson and it cannot be rescheduled at a suitable time, it will be credited to the next term’s fees or refunded at the end of the year. If the teacher is available to teach a scheduled lesson but online only, and this lesson is refused, no refund or credit will be given.

 

Discontinuing lessons

A term started must be completed. If lessons are stopped before the end of a term no refund will be given for forfeited lessons. A full term’s fees will still need to be paid, if outstanding, plus the cost of any group lessons or books that were not covered by term fees. A student whose lessons have been stopped will not receive a refund in lieu of credit towards their next term’s fees.

Parents/guardians may stop lessons by giving notice no later than two weeks before the end of a term. The teacher may stop lessons with one week’s notice if lesson fees are unpaid without an alternative arrangement made in advance; lessons are repeatedly missed; or if the student repeatedly practises little or is uncooperative.

 

Privacy Policy and Copyright

Photos, videos and audio recordings taken during lessons or received from the teacher may not be posted online, forwarded, distributed, sold, or used for any other purpose than helping the student practise.

The teacher promises to keep each family’s personal and contact details confidential and secure. No photos, audio recordings, or videos may be taken of the teacher, other students or their family members, without the express permission of everyone involved.

 

 

By paying fees a student and their family agree to comply with all of the above policies. 

 

Recommendations and expectations for success

 

Water and protein snacks support concentration

It is recommended that students are well-hydrated, eat protein-rich foods (such as nuts or eggs), and avoid sugary foods before lessons and practice sessions to optimise their concentration. Students are encouraged to bring their water bottles to lessons and concerts, and especially in warm weather.

 

Listening is very important

Music is a language. The Suzuki Approach is based on the principle that, just like infants learn their first language by listening to it being spoken, music students learn music by listening to it being played. The more students listen to classical music, the more their ears will become attuned to subtle differences in musical sounds. The more students listen to recordings of their pieces the more value they will receive from lessons and the quicker they will learn to play these pieces. When students listen to their pieces enough they can correct most of their mistakes themselves and more lesson time can be devoted to new pieces.

Students are encouraged to spend at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week, listening to a recording of their pieces and to other classical music. This music can be in the background, for example while travelling, playing, or having meals. Students are also encouraged to attend classical concerts. A list of recommended local concerts is available to parents.

 

Practice is essential for success

Students’ progress depends on how frequently they practice between lessons. Dr Suzuki said, “You don’t have to practise every day; only on the days you eat”.

It’s recommended that parents/guardians schedule music practice as part of the student’s daily routine, ideally when the student is not tired. A helpful strategy may be to bundle piano practice with other activities: Choose an activity that is already a daily habit, always practise piano straight after that, and then do something fun afterwards.

Practice time consists of reviewing pieces already learnt and practising new material. Frequent, short practice sessions are more effective than longer, occasional ones. Students should aim to practise new material 6 days per week, ideally divided into two or more short sessions per day.  Students are encouraged to work towards being able to play the new material fluently and comfortably, not just to fill time. Students and parents are welcome to send questions via text.

Suzuki students are expected to maintain their previously learnt Suzuki repertoire and part of each lesson is devoted to reviewing pieces already learnt. It is recommended that students play each Suzuki piece they have learnt at least once every week. It is important that students continue to practice pieces with separate hands even when they can play these with hands together.

 

Parental support for quicker progress

A principle of the Suzuki approach is the Suzuki triangle, consisting of the student, teacher and parent working together. The teacher supports the parent in being the home teacher between lessons. Therefore parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to attend each lesson with their full attention, to ask questions, and to take notes and videos to help the student practise correctly. Some parents find it helpful to have some lessons themselves, or to share part of their child’s lessons, to help them understand more about what is required.

Children usually need an adult’s help to keep to their practice schedule, to stay focused, to practise accurately, and to maintain a healthy posture and hand position when playing piano. Young students need an adult to actively supervise their practise time. Students who have an adult supervising their practice tend to progress much faster than other students.

 

Access to a suitable instrument

The student ideally needs daily access to a piano. Please also ensure that the student can use the piano straight away without first needing to move things off the piano or stool, as this would be a barrier to regular practising. The student also needs practice time without distractions and noise, such as from a nearby TV or stereo.

Please ensure that the student has access to a piano that is in tune. An out-of-tune piano will make it difficult for students to learn to play by ear and will cause confusion and frustration when practising with videos from piano lessons and when listening to the Suzuki recordings. Kevin Hanna is a recommended piano tuner and piano technician servicing the Waikato (07 855 6777).

The Suzuki approach strongly prefers students to learn on an acoustic (non-electric) piano with 88 keys whenever possible.

Students who only have access to a keyboard or digital piano face additional challenges: Digital instruments respond differently from acoustic pianos in ways that can affect tone production and technique development. It is best for young students to practise on an acoustic piano from the outset to prevent the development of unhelpful piano technique. A suitable instrument makes practising more enjoyable and can help students remain motivated.

While all students are encouraged to have access to an acoustic piano if at all possible, an acoustic piano may not be an option for everyone. If a digital piano would be the only option, the minimum specifications are that it should be touch-sensitive (quiet or loud in response to how hard a key is pressed), have weighted keys, and be on a stable base to prevent it from moving when played. A solid table or wooden stand with vertical legs is recommended instead of a metal cross brace. It needs to have at least 61 keys, although 88 keys are strongly preferred and will eventually be necessary for much of the piano repertoire. See the Harmonio Studio home page for more information.

 

A balanced sitting position at the piano

A balanced sitting position is essential for successful piano learning. Please invest in a piano stool and footstool, and monitor the student’s position at the piano to prevent repetitive strain injuries and to prevent unhelpful playing habits that may be very difficult to correct later.  (No financial benefit is involved in recommending any of the following products.)

• The stool should have a flat and firm surface and be stable when shifting body weight to one side. No swivel chairs or chairs on wheels please. No arm rests please. A chair with a back rest encourages incorrect piano posture. A foldable stool (with metal legs in the shape of an ‘X’) is too unstable. An adjustable piano stool with vertical wooden legs is best, for example this one from Dick Smith.
• Only the knees should be under the piano and only the buttocks and a small part of the hamstrings should be on the stool.
• When playing piano, the back should be straight, the elbows should make an angle of about 90 degrees and the wrists should be level and parallel to the piano.
• If the stool is too low, please increase the height with something flat and stable. No cushions please. Instead, pieces of grey EVA flooring foam from Para Rubber is recommended. The shop can cut it to custom sizes. The next best option would be a few foam mat squares such as these from The Warehouse, these from Kmart or similar ones from Dollar Shops.
• The student’s legs should point straight forward. The knees and feet should be shoulder width apart.
• Both feet should be flat on the ground, with knees at a 90-degree angle or slightly more. If the feet cannot reach the ground, they need to be flat on a stable, raised surface. An adjustable footstool is ideal and available from a local carpenter for $90 – $100. Bricks or large, heavy books may work also. Please ensure that this footstool or raised surface is readily available.

 

NZSI Membership

All students are encouraged to be members of the New Zealand Suzuki Institute (NZSI). At this studio all students, even those who are not currently learning Suzuki pieces, are receiving piano lessons from a Suzuki approach.

Each family needs only one membership account and pays only one family membership fee per year, regardless of the number of students in the family or the number of instruments learnt.

Membership gives students and their families access to Suzuki workshops, festivals, concerts, camps, masterclasses and other events around New Zealand and overseas; Suzuki library resources; a national journal with articles related to the Suzuki approach and with helpful tips; and a graduation process for each Suzuki level. About 25% of a family’s membership fee enables their local branch to run events.