New Pricing Policy

August 2, 2018

Dear Friends,

I wish to alert you to the new course fee structure (effective immediately) for Music without Borders.

The Good News:
• fees for the three history courses will remain unchanged ($549)
• my private lesson fee of $60 per hour will remain unchanged
• the Early Registration Rebate (available only until August 10, 2018) of $25 will still be offered as
a token of my appreciation for your patronage
• for the first time that same $25 rebate will be offered for every term of (10) private lessons paid
on or before August 10

The New Reality:
• fees for Level 9 Harmony, Level 10 Harmony & Counterpoint, and ARCT Harmony and Counterpoint courses have been increased to $699
• the fee for ARCT Analysis is now $699
• for house calls, I still require a two-hour lesson commitment: the first hour is now $90, the
second is still $60. This helps address some of my fuel costs; of course, it does not compensate me for long travel times. (Parents/students are always welcome to make the journey to my home studio in Wasaga Beach.)

The Context
Up to and including this current summer school students taking online theory classes with me have paid as little as $524 (Note: that is factoring in the Early Registration Rebate of $25). In return I have provided 28 hours of online group instruction. Most of those hours are presented “live”, compromised only by extending circumstances such as illness or, more recently, an unexpected examining trip. When you do the math, the cost to study with me in a class is $18.72 per hour. In addition, I pay for a web platform that allows my students unlimited access to recordings during their term of study with me – at no additional cost. This is a premium benefit that very few schools offer (none that I know of personally.) To anyone who questions the value they are receiving, I would respectfully invite them to walk up to their accountant, car mechanic…or piano teacher…pay them $18.72…and see what service they get in return.

The challenge for me – and I daresay for most classroom theory teachers – is the amount of homework I have to mark from each student on a weekly basis outside of the classroom session. At the start of the term I spend about 15-20 minutes per student per week marking assignments. Of course that ramps up dramatically as we approach the examination deadline. Quite simply: this is unpaid time. The tuition fee increase will not compensate me for the actual time I spend marking – but it is a big help.

I always reserve the right to determine how much homework to assign, including the number of practice examinations attempted by a student. If students wish to try more assignments/examinations they are welcome to sign up for a one-off private lesson. Fair compensation is all I ask.

The Coda
Today most students take private theory lessons if only because the opportunity for group study is virtually non-existent in smaller communities. I invite you, as informed consumers, to shop around.
It is natural to ask: what kind of value am I getting for the fee I am paying?

As you continue to evaluate my services, I ask only that you compare like-with-like. What experience do other teachers bring to the table? You know my credentials – they speak for themselves.

If you think this is all about money, you are right! ☺ But it is not just about money; rather, it’s about sustainability. Music without Borders has blessed me with the opportunity to work with you, even as we are separated by distance and time zones. I take pride in what I am able to do for students – providing a musical experience that balances “knowledge” with “nurture”.

I strive for transparency and accountability – that is the spirit in which I write you today. I did not feel comfortable making changes that impact other people’s finances without an explanation. Time will tell if I have the chance to work with you again, either in classes or privately. I thank you for choosing me in the past.

Until the next time perhaps…

Sincerely,

Joe