Studio Policies

Miss Melanie's Music Studio · Please read both sections below.

Cancellation & Reschedule Policies

Effective Fall 2026

Starting in Fall 2026, all scheduling (cancellations, makeups, and swaps) is handled in the studio app and not by direct communication with Melanie (text, email, or phone). This is intended to remove unnecessary administrative burden on Melanie and keep scheduling fair, clear, and manageable for everyone.

  1. Your lesson time. Each student has a reserved weekly lesson time, held for that student throughout the term.
  2. Cancellations and makeups.
    1. a. Cancelling requires reasonable notice, so the slot you vacate has a fair chance of being offered to and taken by another student.
    2. b. Cancellations must be made by 10:00 pm the night before your lesson.
    3. c. For genuine emergencies, a lesson can be cancelled the same day. Please still cancel in the app so your student is placed on the waitlist, which is how makeups stay fair and organized for everyone.
    4. d. A student is allowed a maximum of 2 makeup lessons per term. Melanie will make every attempt to clear the waitlist (up to 2 makeups per term) before the end of the term. Unused makeup opportunities expire at the end of the term.
    5. e. A student may cancel more than twice, but beyond 2 a makeup is not guaranteed. Additional makeups are offered only at Melanie's discretion and as the schedule allows.
  3. Making a change. All scheduling changes are made in the app only, so everyone works from the same schedule and nothing gets lost in a text or email thread. In the app you can make a change yourself, anytime, without waiting for a reply.
    1. a. You may cancel or reschedule freely up until 10:00 pm the night before your lesson.
    2. b. From 10:00 pm the night before a lesson, a change counts as a same-day change. The app will ask you to confirm it is a genuine emergency (for example, illness). Melanie is always glad to accommodate a real same-day emergency.
    3. c. Same-day cancellations that are not for emergencies are not eligible for a makeup. You are however free to request other families for a swap at least 4 hours before your lesson.
  4. Swaps with another family.
    1. a. A new, and hopefully exciting and useful, feature of the app is that you can always request other families in the studio to trade lesson times with you. If it works, it reduces the need to cancel and use up your makeup quota for the term.
    2. b. A student may request a swap from up to 3 other families at once, for lessons of the same length. The first to accept is confirmed, and the rest are released automatically.
    3. c. A swap must be requested at least 4 hours before the lesson, and it expires 2 hours before the lesson if no one has accepted.
  5. Online and in-studio. Lessons are in-studio unless otherwise arranged. Some lesson times may be online-only; the app marks these clearly, and you can switch an eligible lesson to online in the app.
  6. No-shows. A lesson missed with no cancellation in the app is not eligible for a makeup.
  7. Reaching Melanie. Day-to-day scheduling is self-serve in the app so Melanie can stay focused on teaching. For anything the app does not cover, email Melanie at melanie@missmelaniesmusicstudio.com.

In-Studio Policies

These have always been part of studio life. Thank you for helping keep the studio healthy and welcoming.

  1. Health and hygiene.
    1. a. On arrival, every student uses the restroom to wash their hands before the lesson begins. This keeps germs down, and the piano keys stay much cleaner too.
    2. b. Please keep your student home if they have been ill within the 24 hours before their lesson, or if they are coughing or running even a slight fever. Melanie extends the same courtesy and will not teach when she is unwell. One illness can leave her unable to teach or to care for her family, so this protects everyone's lessons.
    3. c. Parents and siblings who are coughing or feeling less than 100% are asked not to enter the studio. You are always welcome to drop off a student who is well and symptom-free at lesson time.
    4. d. If your student is not feeling 100% on their lesson day but is well enough for an online lesson, let Melanie know that day and you can quickly convert to online (FaceTime, Zoom, Teams, and similar all work).

    Illness counts as a genuine same-day emergency. If you need to cancel because your student is sick, cancel in the app so they go on the makeup waitlist. See the Cancellation & Reschedule Policies above.

  2. Severe weather (it is Minnesota, after all). When severe weather hits (tornado, blizzard, temperatures near -20°F) and school has been canceled, attendance is optional. Weigh your vehicle's ability to travel safely against how important it is to keep the lesson time, for example when a student is preparing for a contest, recital, or competition. Melanie will most likely call each family that day to talk through the options, and you may decide to meet online instead.
  3. Arrival and pickup.
    1. a. Unless you have arranged otherwise with Melanie, please do not drop your student off more than 5 minutes before their lesson time. Early arrivals unfairly disrupt the student whose lesson is still in progress.
    2. b. For the same reason, please return promptly to pick up your student when the lesson ends.
    3. c. Please enter quietly so you do not distract the student currently in a lesson, and hold any conversation until the lesson in progress has finished.