Parents and students understand that, in order to get the most out of their Conservatory education, daily practice is necessary. Students enrolled in The Geneva Conservatory of Music (GCM) agree with their parents to fulfill a minimum of practicing six days per week in an appropriate amount agreed upon by the parent and instructor.
Parent attendance and participation in private lessons is strongly linked to excellent progress made by the student. For this reason, a parent or guardian must be present for the entire length of the private lesson for all children ages 8 and under, so that the parent will be equipped to assist the child in home practice. For children ages 9 and up, a parent or guardian is strongly encouraged to attend lessons and supervise home practice in an age-appropriate manner.
In emergency situations when a parent cannot attend the lesson, it is recommended to send a substitute with the child to take notes or video record the lesson. Parents are encouraged to take notes, use a video or audio recorder, and ask the teacher questions.
Parent/guardian attendance in group classes is optional in most cases, but also encouraged.
To get the most out of the program, students are expected to fully participate by attending all lessons, classes, and recitals. If a student must be absent due to illness or travel, prior notice must be sent to the instructor as early as possible. Insufficient practicing or absences for birthday parties and other social occasions are not considered valid by GCM.
GCM presents at least four recitals each year: two end-of-semester recitals and two mid-semester recitals. Performances are a vital part of the program, and participation in at least one performance per semester is mandatory.
Regularly scheduled lessons and classes cancelled due to weather or teacher absence will be offered a make-up session. Due to space and scheduling considerations, GCM cannot guarantee that lessons or classes missed by the student for any reason will be made up. There are no refunds for lessons or classes missed due to student absence; however, one lesson missed by a student may be made up at the teacher’s discretion during make-up week at the end of the spring semester.
If a student is running late, he or she should alert the teacher directly. Calls should not be directed to the Geneva School office, as the message may not reach the teacher in time. Teachers will wait for a student for up to one third of their lesson time; students are asked to do the same for the teacher. Students who are late for a lesson cannot be guaranteed their full lesson time.
The Conservatory follows Geneva School and New York City public schools in their cancellation of after-school activities related to inclement weather.
Lessons will be scheduled over the summer according to faculty and student availability. Scheduling priority will be given on a first-come, first-served basis in the order a student registers.
Limited financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated need. A financial aid application must be completed through TADS. Attendance, participation, and previous account history will also be taken into consideration for returning student applicants.
GCM reserves the right to cancel a class if minimum enrollment is not met. If a class is cancelled, both registration fee and tuition will be fully refunded.
