POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: VOCALISTS
LESSON FEES
Lessons are:
$50.00 for a half hour or $200 per month tuition
$100.00 for an hour or $400 per month tuition
Discounts are available for families with more than one student studying with me.
We accept cash or a personal check at the lesson, and secure credit card payments can be made through your account on this website via PayPal. We can take credit cards in studio, but it does eat into precious studio time. If you could pay via credit card online, that would make better use of our time together.
WHAT I EXPECT FROM MY STUDENTS
I expect my students to come to every lesson prepared, with their music, a happy attitude and a heart that is open and teachable. Students who are surly, rude and disrespectful will be dismissed to study elsewhere, and a student on the waiting list will be given the slot. Any monies paid for lessons not taken up to that point will be cheerfully refunded.
Students will work on at least two songs a semester.
I expect students to wholeheartedly study the repertoire I assign. This will often be classical in nature. If you are unwilling to study classical technique, please find another teacher.
Students will also be encouraged to work on a song of their choice. I highly encourage students to sing contemporary music, however, I reserve the right to refuse a student's song choice. Songs that have profanity, drug references, and dark themes will never be allowed. Screamo, hip hop, and rap will never be appropriate in this context, so plan to choose something else. Mostly I will refuse pieces because the song is not a good fit for a student vocally just yet, and will work with the student to find something else. We will keep the discarded song as a future goal, however!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME
At the first lesson of every semester, we will talk through your goals and objectives as vocalist and as a parent. Once we list them out, I will be prepared weekly to focus my time and attention solely on your student to meet their goals and objectives.
Lessons will consist of learning proper vocal technique and good habits and singing through the repertoire. We will polish the student's stage presence and mic technique, if that is their goal. I will try to work in some ear training and sight singing training as well, but these will be emphasized less due to time constraints. Mark teaches sight singing and ear training separately (for a fee) making it much easier to learn when that is the sole focus.
I am thrilled to help you with music from your university or church as well. When auditions and performances come up for you, we will drop everything on our 'to do' list to prepare you for those wonderful opportunities!
I am respectful, positive and encouraging to the singers who study with me. I love what I do! However, you can expect me to be honest and intense with a student who is not reaching their potential by practicing or taking their voice seriously. I am here to honor your time and financial investment and will work my hardest to see that your student is successful. I can only do so much, though. The student is going to have to be responsible for their progress ultimately. I will always be in communication with you via email, and will honestly assess your student's progress in the Lesson Notes email you will receive after EVERY lesson.
LESSON TIMES
We will have Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break and Spring Break as they are scheduled by our local Woodland Park RE-2 school calendar. Note that we DO have lessons on most bank holidays and Teacher Collaboration days as well as Fall and Winter Breaks. Snow days will be taken on a case by case basis. I contact students/parents by phone or text when the school closes for snow days to clarify what to do. ZOOM lessons can be taken at any time for snow or illness.
CANCELLATIONS
Your lesson time has been reserved for you! Students who do not consistently come to lessons have a much harder time progressing in their studies. Try to keep cancellations to a minimum. Students who are very ill (vomiting, fever, strep throat, laryngitis, flu) should stay home. Students who simply have a little cold or sore throat can still benefit from a voice lesson. If you did not practice, PLEASE COME AND WE WILL PRACTICE TOGETHER. If you do need to cancel, please do so AT LEAST 24 hours in advance by contacting me via text message, email or phone, if possible. If the cancellation is due to school events, please try to schedule your lesson at a time that won't conflict at the beginning of the semester. I currently do not charge for cancellations that are made in a timely manner.
I reserve the right to cancel a lesson at any time and for any reason. Pre-paid tuition will always be credited back to your account for lessons I have to cancel.
MAKE UP LESSONS
I do not offer make up lessons at this time.
NO SHOWS
Students who fail to show up for a lesson without any explanation WILL be expected to pay for that lesson. I reserve the right to terminate a student who does not show up for two or more lessons and give the slot to a singer on the waiting list. There are definitely students who would like to have your lesson time. Please try to be at your lesson as scheduled.
WAITING LIST
The studio is blessed to operate with a constant waiting list. Please register via the website to get your name in the hat for a slot in the studio. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION in any way if you register. It just gets you on the waiting list. Students are taken on a first come, first served basis from this list. Be sure to mention the times and days that work best for you to have a lesson. Thank you in advance for your patience as the wait can be rather long.
LESSON NOTES EMAIL
Every week you see me, you will receive an email lesson reminder and a follow up email with lesson notes. Please read these carefully to keep up with important dates AND to follow your practice protocol for the week.
THANK YOU!
I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve you as a vocal coach. After 32 years, I still see it as a great privilege to work with vocalists, and I grow to respect and cherish my students as we journey together each and every year. I am well aware that voice lessons of this caliber are indeed a luxury, and I acknowledge the time and sacrifice you are making financially to participate in them.
Thank you. ~Christi Bovee
MEMBER of MTNA
Mark Bovee is a member of Music Teachers National Association.
MEMBER OF ASCAP
Mark Bovee is a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
MEMBER OF NATS
Christi Bovee is a long-time member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.