Academy Guidelines
Methods of Payment Options
-Direct Deposit: the client authorizes the academy to debit their bank account (by providing the academy a void cheque) on the 1st day of every month – from the time student registers until June 29, 2026. Monthly regular payments will stop on June 30, 2026.
Lesson fees will be based on equal payments and the amount of payment depends on the duration of lessons, and the teacher that the student takes lessons from.
When you choose direct deposit as your payment method, it will be used for all charges, including weekly lessons and any additional academy fees such as rehearsals, orchestra program, music theory classes, summer camp, concert fees, and administrative fees, etc. For any charges outside of regular weekly lessons, the academy will notify you in advance by email so you are always aware before a payment is processed.
-Credit Card: the client authorizes the academy to charge their credit card on the 1st day of every month – from the time student registers until June 29, 2026. Monthly payments will stop on June 30, 2026.
* There is a 3.5% card fee that will be added to the monthly fees
Lesson fees will be based on equal payments and the amount of payment depends on the duration of lessons, and the teacher the student takes lesson from.
When you choose Credit Card as your payment method, it will be used for all charges, including weekly lessons and any additional academy fees such as rehearsals, orchestra program, music theory classes, summer camp, concert fees, and administrative fees, etc. For any charges outside of regular weekly lessons, the academy will notify you in advance by email so you are always aware before a payment is processed.
Please note that cash or e-transfers are NOT accepted as methods of payment.
Lessons on holiday Mondays:
All students must receive 40 lessons from September 1st, 2025 until June 29th, 2026. All Mondays including Thanksgiving day are considered as regular lessons days, however, if the teacher or the student is not able to attend the lessons, the lessons shall be rescheduled to another day agreed by both teacher and the student.
Students who register after September 1st:
We count the number of lessons from the day student starts until June 29, 2026 and divide the number of lessons by the number of remaining months in order to arrange equal payments.
Missing & Cancelling Lessons Policy
We aim to provide consistent, high-quality instruction for every student while respecting the time and commitment of our teachers. The following policy outlines how missed or cancelled lessons are handled throughout the academic year.
Make-Up Lesson Policy
We do not offer make-up lessons as a standard practice. However, we recognize that students may occasionally need to miss a class. To support continued progress, we offer limited options described below.
Cancellations With 24 Hours’ Notice
If a minimum of 24 hours’ notice is provided, students are eligible for one of the following supports:
1. Recorded Lesson Support
The teacher will create a personalized recorded video during the scheduled class time.
Recordings may include:
Educational videos demonstrating things that the student needs to work on for the next lesson
Instructions on new assignment and more
Videos are shared through Google Drive, Dropbox, WhatsApp, or similar platforms.
2. Optional Make-Up Lesson (Teacher Discretion)
Many of our teachers have very full schedules and are unable to open additional spots for make-up classes. However, if a teacher does have availability, they may offer a live make-up lesson or an interactive online lesson instead of a recorded video.
If no times are available, the recorded lesson will be provided.
Annual Limit
Recorded-lesson support or make-up lessons are available for up to two (2) missed lessons per academic year per student.
Last-Minute Cancellations
Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice do not receive a make-up lesson or a recorded video, regardless of the reason.
Teacher Cancellations
If a teacher must miss a lesson, one of the following will occur:
- The lesson will be rescheduled at a mutually suitable time,
or
If needed, the teacher may ask another instructor at the academy to substitute for them.
All teacher-missed lessons will always be delivered.
No Payment Pause Policy
Monthly tuition continues as scheduled during the academic year. This ensures consistency in student progress and supports the stability of our teachers’ incomes.
When students are away (e.g., travel, family events), teachers will ensure the paid instructional time is still delivered through one or more of the following:
- Extended Lessons (Before or After Travel)
Missed lesson hours can be made up by extending the lessons before and/or after student’s traveling.
For example:
- Longer lessons (e.g., 60 or 90 minutes)
- Additional sessions added before or after the student returns
- Splitting missed hours across several weeks
- Recorded Lesson Support
Recordings may be used to cover some or all missed time, depending on the student’s age and needs.
- Individual Planning
Teachers and families will collaborate to find the most suitable approach for making up the missed hours.
Annual Administration and Concert Fee
Every academic year a $40 annual administration fee, along with an $80 annual concert organization fee, which covers two professional concerts, will be included into the payment. These fees are required for all parents to support the academy’s ability to organize two professional concerts each year, regardless of whether the student participates in the concerts or not.
What is covered in the concert fee:
– Professional photographer/videographer
– Venu rental
– Accompanist (pianist)
– Master of Ceremony
– Other organization costs
Please CLICK HERE link below to see what we deliver at our concerts:
Rehearsal and coaching fees
Before each concert, Nirvana leads 2 full-day violin rehearsals where students (level 0-5) work together in an ensemble, strengthen their stage presence, and refine their performance skills. Nirvana offers these days on a volunteer basis.
Parents contribute only to venue and accompanist costs, approximately $25 per rehearsal per student. The fee for our advanced students are different and their rehearsal schedule is usually different depending on how many students are in each advanced group and how many rehearsals they need.
See a glimpse of these rehearsals here: Watch Video 1 | Watch Video 2.
Class Termination Policy:
If the student wishes to terminate their classes, they are required to give at least 30 day notice. For instance, if the notice is given March 15th, the payments will stop on April 30th. The notice should be given on March 1st or before in order for the payment to stop on March 30th. This amount of time will allow the academy to find a new student and fill that spot.
Piano Accompaniment:
Academy Calendar 2025–2026
First Day of Classes: September 2, 2025
Christmas Break: December 22, 2025 – January 4, 2026
March Break: March 22 – 28, 2026
Last Day of Classes: June 29, 2026