FAQS

Parking

Village Youth Conservatory has three reserved parking spots next to the building and three guest parking spots across the building. In the unlikely event that all parking spots are full, there is abundant free street parking on adjoining streets (Summer Street and Winter Street).

Trial Lessons

Trial lessons are for 30 minutes, and are free of charge, limit one per customer. Trial lessons are treated exactly like a regular lesson, with the same focus on practice, strategy and commitment, simply without the expectation of continued lessons.

Payment Methods / Enrollment Term

Payments are accepted for lessons in the forms of Zelle, Venmo (@VillageYouthConservatory) or PayPal (@VillageYouthCo) - in order of preference. For safety reasons, we do not accept cash. Tuition is billed monthly in advance, based on the number of weeks in that month. Payment is due before the first lesson of the month.

Enrollment is month-to-month - families may withdraw at any time with notice given minimum 2 weeks before the next billing cycle. Most Boston-area music schools require families to commit to a full school year or semester. At VYCo, we believe great music education speaks for itself. That’s why enrollment is month-to-month — no long contracts, no pressure, just exceptional instruction and a community your family can grow with.

Cancellation Policy

All absences are under the following guidelines. This includes due to schedule conflict, no-shows, illness, etc.:
1) Absences with 48+ hours’ notice: Families receive 1 make-up credit per month, valid for 30 days. Credits may be used for a rescheduled private lesson (subject to availability). In addition, families have unlimited access to our monthly group studio class.
2) Absences with less than 48 hours’ notice: No make-up credit is issued.
In case of bad weather, lessons will be moved online with a Zoom link provided by your teacher in advance of the lesson. Cancellation after moving to online will be considered an absence and will not be eligible for make-up credit.

For Instructors’ absences, VYCo teachers will notify student families of any known upcoming absences at least two weeks in advance. In case of teacher illness, families will be notified via all available contact information as soon as information is shared. Absences missed by the instructor will be made up at a time decided by the student and instructor.

Watching Lessons

Parents/guardians are welcome to sit and watch lessons, and may record for practice purposes. Please do not post lessons online. Performance snippets are permitted. Siblings/friends are welcome to watch as well if they’d like, or meanwhile partake in a quiet activity.

Performances

Since in the Fall 2020, VYCo has held free monthly Studio Classes – casual opportunities for students to perform in-progress pieces with or without accompaniment for their classmates and peers. These are particularly useful for preparations before recitals, auditions, competitions, etc. These classes are usually announced 3-4 weeks in advance via email and are typically held the first Saturday of the month at 1PM. Sign-up for these classes are on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Additionally, VYCo holds two annual Recitals (one in winter, one in summer) free of charge to students to allow for accessible performance opportunities for all. Piano accompaniments, if needed, will be provided for the performance and the hour before the recital begins, to run through the piece. Students needing additional rehearsal time should contact the VYCo Director for the pianist contact information to set up a separate rehearsal time, gather fee info, etc at the pianist’s availability, or provide their own accompanist.

Media Use

Photos and performance clips taken at Recitals, Studio Classes and other VYCo events may be posted to Social Media to promote our school. If you would prefer to maintain your student’s privacy and not have their image shared on promotional media, please don’t hesitate to let VYCo know and we’d be happy to accommodate.

Any additional questions and comments are always welcome! Please contact us here for a prompt response.