Private lessons and classes run weekly in their allocated time slots.
Music lessons focus primarily on technique and repertoire, alongside musicianship and creative skills. Art and acting classes follow the outline provided at the start of each course.
Regular home practice is essential to student success. Ideally, students should aim for at least four days of practice each week.
Short, daily practice sessions are far more effective than one or two long ones. The most valuable time to practise is right after the weekly lesson, while the material is fresh — research on memory suggests we lose a large share of new learning within a day. Waiting until the end of the week and cramming before the next lesson is the least effective approach.
Parental involvement makes a real difference. Please help your student establish a practice routine, and see that practice time is free of distractions. If your child is elementary age, plan to sit with them for at least part of their daily practice.
Fall term: the week of September 8 through December 11, 2026.
December 14–18 is our concert week. Students take part in our annual open houses, Baker Street carolling, and Christmas concerts. Details and times are emailed in advance.
The studio is closed on:
Lessons falling on these dates are not rescheduled; the term schedule accounts for them.
Students are expected to attend every scheduled week of the term. When you register, your time slot is reserved for you for the full term. Our studio operates at capacity, so there are no make-ups or refunds for missed lessons.
If your student must miss a lesson because of a conflict or illness, please contact the studio with as much notice as possible. We will let families who have missed lessons know if any extra lesson opportunities open up, though we cannot guarantee them.
If your student cannot attend a group lesson, contact the studio before the week of that lesson and we will try to place them in a different group. Missed group lessons are not made up.
Any lesson missed by an instructor due to illness or emergency will be rescheduled.
Please be prompt. Lesson times cannot be extended to cover a late arrival, and students should be picked up promptly at the end of their lesson.
Summer lessons are scheduled on a by-the-lesson basis. We encourage students to continue on at least a part-time schedule through the summer to maintain the skills they build during the school year.
Music students must have an instrument of their discipline to practise on at home. The quality of that instrument plays a significant role in a student’s progress. Acoustic pianos should be tuned at least once a year and kept in working order. If you prefer a digital piano, please invest in a full-size keyboard — 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys with pedals.
Art students may purchase a supply kit through the school at the start of the course, or bring their own supplies from the list provided.
Tuition rates for each lesson length and class are listed on your registration form, and a statement is emailed before the term begins.
Tuition is due in full before the first lesson of the term. We accept:
Students will need to purchase method books and music occasionally through the year. Books may be purchased from the studio. Additional costs may apply for festivals, competitions and other performance events.
Three installments works well — it gets you paid before the term ends rather than chasing money in December.
On the $25: I’d change one thing. As you’ve framed it, someone who skips September and October pays the same $25 as someone who’s a few days late on their November payment. The person who’s been three months overdue comes out ahead. Tie it to each installment instead:
$25 is added to any installment not received within 10 days of its due date.
One rule, still easy to administer, but it actually costs more to be more overdue. Keep Nov 30 as your backstop — accounts clear before concert week — which is a sensible line to draw.
Here’s the revised section:
If you’d rather spread the cost, you can pay in three monthly installments by e-transfer:
Please let us know when you register if you’d like to pay monthly, so we can set up your schedule and send you a statement.
A $25 late fee is added to any installment not received within 10 days of its due date. All accounts must be settled in full by November 30, ahead of concert week.
If a payment is going to be late, contact us before the due date and we’ll work it out — we’d always rather hear from you than chase you.
Students should plan to commit to lessons for the full term. Tuition is non-refundable once the term has begun.
If unforeseen circumstances make it impossible to continue, please contact the studio in writing at info@nelsonstudio88.com as early as you can, and we will discuss the options with you.
Photos of students, and video and audio recordings of student projects and performances, may be posted online and used by the studio for promotional and workshop materials. Identifying information is excluded or limited to first names only.
If you would prefer your student not appear in published media, email info@nelsonstudio88.com and we will note it on their file. This stays in effect until you tell us otherwise.
Please keep your student home if they are feverish, actively unwell, or have symptoms that would keep them home from school.
Let the studio know as early as you can. Missed lessons are not made up or refunded (see Attendance), but with advance notice we can often offer an online lesson instead, so the week isn’t lost.
Anyone who arrives visibly unwell will be sent home, and that lesson is forfeited.
Nelson Studio 88 Inc. 402 Victoria Street, Nelson BC
250-352-7028