First off,
we truly appreciate that you have chosen to take your musical journey with Mill Pond Music Academy. We have the best Music Family in town! We now have 200 students on our schedule and we need to make sure that everyone (including parents, students and instructors), is on the same page with all the details regarding attendance, payments, makeup lessons, practicing, late arrivals, recitals, etc...
WHAT DOES MILL POND MUSIC ACADEMY OFFER?
We offer 5 types of weekly Lessons ($35):
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
MPMA offers several performance opportunities for students and instructors alike throughout the year in coffee houses, churches, recitals, virtual performances, etc.
FREE INSTRUMENTS
Yes, you read that correctly. MPMA often receives offers of free pianos, guitars, and band instruments. We share that information directly with our students. Often, smaller instruments that come into MPMA need refurbishing, so we require new students to sign-up for lessons when receiving a free instrument.
CLASSES:
Prodigies for Preschool (3-5 Year olds) 8 Week Sessions in Fall, Winter, Spring, "Summer"
SAVE $25 when you sign up for both THEATER camps!
Theater BOOTCAMP (ages 8-12) 8 Week Sessions in Fall, Winter, Spring, "Summer"
BOOTS ON THE GROUND PERFORMANCE (ages 8-12) 8 Week Sessions in Fall, Winter, Spring, "Summer"
REGISTRATION
We use a system called MY MUSIC STAFF for registration, attendance, cancelations, scheduling, communication, invoicing and billing.
TUITION PAYMENTS
WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BUYING: SCHOOL YEAR PACKAGE (IMPORTANT!)
40 Weekly Lessons (this is the plan everyone is on when you start on September 1)
SUMMER PACKAGE July and August 8 Lessons for the price of 7 $245
If necessary, MPMA still accepts
LESSON CANCELATIONS
Let's face it, they happen! Both teachers and students get sick, go on vacation, observe a holiday. There's nothing wrong with that as long as the expectation is that both student and teacher will make every effort to create space for make-up lessons throughout the year. Many teachers are able to find a substitute in case of their absence. Mill Pond Music Academy does not refund tuition due to student absences for any reason.
SCHEDULING | CANCELATIONS | SELF SCHEDULING
When you register and get on the calendar through the MPMA office, the spot you reserve is yours until you request a change. With 200 students, MPMA cannot make frequent adjustments to your schedule. Please make the commitment to be at your lesson as frequently and promptly as possible.
Cancelations are done by parents through the student portal. NO need to contact the office. Please observe the 24 hour notice policy. Payment in full is still expected.
Self-Scheduling is easy! Go to your student portal. Look at your instructor's calendar. If there is an AVAILABLE time slot available, you may put your name in and take your lesson at a different time that week. Or even schedule 2 lessons in one week to get caught up. OR... take extra lessons when you have time to "bank lessons" ahead for when you might miss. Again, there is no additional charge for fitting in extra lessons as long as you don't go over 40 lessons between September and June 30.
INVOICING AND BILLING
MPMA will send out monthly INVOICES for tuition, music books, annual ADMN fee, Gift Shop purchases on the 1st of each month with a REMINDER INVOICE going out on the 10th. Lessons are paid in advance on a monthly basis unless you've made an official request for a different plan.
The AUTO PAY feature in your student portal is the preferred method of payment. If you go through our website to the student portal, you will see all kinds of information regarding how you can safely enter your payment information and select the AUTO PAY feature so that your payment goes out on the 1st of each month as soon as you receive the invoice. The great thing about AUTO PAY is that you instantly receive and invoice and your account is instantly reconciled.
we truly appreciate that you have chosen to take your musical journey with Mill Pond Music Academy. We have the best Music Family in town! We now have 200 students on our schedule and we need to make sure that everyone (including parents, students and instructors), is on the same page with all the details regarding attendance, payments, makeup lessons, practicing, late arrivals, recitals, etc...
WHAT DOES MILL POND MUSIC ACADEMY OFFER?
We offer 5 types of weekly Lessons ($35):
- Private Face2Face lessons here in our Allentown Studio at 42 South Main Street
- Private Virtual lessons
- Right At Home (RAH) lessons. We send a teacher to your home.
- Asynchronous piano lessons: Unlimited Video Lessons and Practice Sessions with a 15-minute consultation with Mr. Pete each week
- Group Piano with Piano Marvel
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
MPMA offers several performance opportunities for students and instructors alike throughout the year in coffee houses, churches, recitals, virtual performances, etc.
FREE INSTRUMENTS
Yes, you read that correctly. MPMA often receives offers of free pianos, guitars, and band instruments. We share that information directly with our students. Often, smaller instruments that come into MPMA need refurbishing, so we require new students to sign-up for lessons when receiving a free instrument.
CLASSES:
Prodigies for Preschool (3-5 Year olds) 8 Week Sessions in Fall, Winter, Spring, "Summer"
- Thursdays 10:00 am – 11:00 am $199 each session
- Includes the Prodigies Curriculum for bells, boomwhackers, hand signs, singing, solfeggi, and FUN!
SAVE $25 when you sign up for both THEATER camps!
Theater BOOTCAMP (ages 8-12) 8 Week Sessions in Fall, Winter, Spring, "Summer"
- Saturdays 10:00 am – 11:00 am $199 each session
- Grow your Theater skills weekly in improvisation, memorization tips, acting, character work, movement, comedic timing, etc
BOOTS ON THE GROUND PERFORMANCE (ages 8-12) 8 Week Sessions in Fall, Winter, Spring, "Summer"
- Saturdays 11:00 am – noon $199 each session
- Put your theater skills to the test with a real performance
REGISTRATION
We use a system called MY MUSIC STAFF for registration, attendance, cancelations, scheduling, communication, invoicing and billing.
- New Students... students that have never attended MPMA before, go to www.millpondmusicacademy.com and click on the NEW STUDENT menu to register. You will hear from MPMA within 1 business day and you will be able to ask questions and get on the schedule. Once on the schedule, you will receive LOGIN information for your STUDENT PORTAL.
- Existing Students... if you have your login information, you can go to our website and click on the green button on the front page that reads: STUDENT PORTAL.
- Once you register, you will soon receive login information for your STUDENT PORTAL, where you will be able to make online payments through our new invoicing program, make auto-payments each month, and self-scheduling directly on your teacher’s calendar.
TUITION PAYMENTS
- All lessons are $35 per half hour (unless taken before 2:00 pm/$30)
WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BUYING: SCHOOL YEAR PACKAGE (IMPORTANT!)
40 Weekly Lessons (this is the plan everyone is on when you start on September 1)
- Runs September 1 - June 30 at $35 per lesson ($140 per month for 10 months regardless of the number of lessons taken that month)
- You pay for 40 weekly lessons (intended to match the 40 weeks of school) but there are actually 45 weeks on the calendar
- There is no Mill Pond Music Academy calendar. Work through the student portal to let your instructor know when you will be in the studio, when you need to cancel, or when you need to fit an extra lesson in to stay on pace with your 40-lesson plan. Your instructor will also let you know what holidays and vacation times that they will not be teaching.
- Getting ready for a recital and need an extra lesson? Went on vacation during that first week of November? Self-schedule as many lessons as you need to through the student portal....up to 40 lessons. Our teachers schedule LOTS of extra time throughout the year for make-up lessons, but students rarely take advantage of them until its crunch time near a recital or the end of June and there just aren't enough time slots to fit everyone in. You need to average 4 lessons per month.
- Thanksgiving: 11-12 lessons
- By Winter Break: 14-15 lessons ask your instructor is there is a day over Winter Break that you can come in if needed
- you get the idea
SUMMER PACKAGE July and August 8 Lessons for the price of 7 $245
- About 65% of our students take summer lessons. These may be scheduled to fit your crazy summer schedule as long as your instructor is available. They can be combined into 4 1-hour lessons. You may have to work this out directly with them and get your dates on the MPMA calendar.
If necessary, MPMA still accepts
- Venmo (just search for @Peter-Meerwarth or 609-903-6560-MILL POND logo appears) Please label with student’s name!
- Zelle (look for petermeerwarth@me.com or 609-903-6560) Please label with student’s name!
- Cash (place in envelope and please label with student’s name)
- Checks (made out to Mill Pond Arts, please and mailed to Peter Meerwarth, Mill Pond Arts, 42 South Main Street, Allentown, NJ 08501) Please label with student’s name!
- The most successful students get their lessons in REGULARLY. Private lessons are a big commitment. Please make every effort to get into the studio! We serve many school districts with varying school calendars, snow day policies, and of course everyone gets sick now and again. If you are sick and able to do a virtual lesson, please consider doing that. If there is a snow day from school, please do not assume that your lesson is canceled. Again, please do not assume that because your school is closed that MPMA is closed. You are still responsible to get your 40 lessons in. Many instructors work on weekends, holidays, school breaks, summers, etc.
- REMEMBER: The entire schedule COMPLETELY resets EVERY September and EVERY July/August so there can be no assumptions that a specific time slot is "yours" rolling from the school year into Summer. Please do not assume that if you take the summer off that you hold last year's time slot. Preference is always given to our current students when it comes time to schedule for summer and fall.
LESSON CANCELATIONS
Let's face it, they happen! Both teachers and students get sick, go on vacation, observe a holiday. There's nothing wrong with that as long as the expectation is that both student and teacher will make every effort to create space for make-up lessons throughout the year. Many teachers are able to find a substitute in case of their absence. Mill Pond Music Academy does not refund tuition due to student absences for any reason.
SCHEDULING | CANCELATIONS | SELF SCHEDULING
When you register and get on the calendar through the MPMA office, the spot you reserve is yours until you request a change. With 200 students, MPMA cannot make frequent adjustments to your schedule. Please make the commitment to be at your lesson as frequently and promptly as possible.
Cancelations are done by parents through the student portal. NO need to contact the office. Please observe the 24 hour notice policy. Payment in full is still expected.
Self-Scheduling is easy! Go to your student portal. Look at your instructor's calendar. If there is an AVAILABLE time slot available, you may put your name in and take your lesson at a different time that week. Or even schedule 2 lessons in one week to get caught up. OR... take extra lessons when you have time to "bank lessons" ahead for when you might miss. Again, there is no additional charge for fitting in extra lessons as long as you don't go over 40 lessons between September and June 30.
INVOICING AND BILLING
MPMA will send out monthly INVOICES for tuition, music books, annual ADMN fee, Gift Shop purchases on the 1st of each month with a REMINDER INVOICE going out on the 10th. Lessons are paid in advance on a monthly basis unless you've made an official request for a different plan.
The AUTO PAY feature in your student portal is the preferred method of payment. If you go through our website to the student portal, you will see all kinds of information regarding how you can safely enter your payment information and select the AUTO PAY feature so that your payment goes out on the 1st of each month as soon as you receive the invoice. The great thing about AUTO PAY is that you instantly receive and invoice and your account is instantly reconciled.