Lower School Students take private lessons after the school day. Lower School students must be escorted to and from their lessons by a parent or by the private lesson teacher. Please note that escort time on the part of the teacher is a part of the contracted lesson time and thus shortens the amount of time in the studio for the student. Parents should arrange to pick up their children at the conclusion of the lesson. This is a good time for the parent to compare notes with the teachers regarding what has been assigned for the week and to be updated on the progress of the student. Students who are not picked up after their lessons in a timely fashion will be escorted by the teacher to the D-E360° AfterCare & Enrichment (ACE) Program to wait for their parent or guardian. Parents will be billed for the time spent there. Lower School students may not wait in the Middle/Upper School Library.

The fee for the 27 lessons and 1 Performance-class is $3,085. Payment is handled in monthly installment through the family’s SmartTuition account.

Questions regarding this process may be directed to the D-E Business Office; Email Amy Marciano, our Operations Coordinator in DE360°.

Financial Aid inquiries should be made to de360info@d-e.org prior to registration.

If the scheduling of lessons, after the contract has been processed but before the first lesson has been given, proves to be impossible, the fee will be refunded in full to the parent. Once the lessons have been scheduled and the student takes the first lesson, the contract is in effect for the full school year and the no refund policy takes effect.

Performance Classes are an unique opportunity for students to join with other students, perform for each other, and hear critiques from their peers and other teachers. The on-campus Performance Classes are scheduled on: 

March 4, 5, and 6, 2024 from 3:30-5:00 pm – Students will attend on ONE of those days. Your private lesson teacher will give you specifics at the start of the year as to which day your instrument will meet. 

Attendance at Performance Classes is strongly encouraged, but if they are missed, there is no refund or make-up class for that session.

Student Recital is on May 29, 2025, 7pm for students who have demonstrated excellent preparation and technique throughout the year of study. Accompanists will be provided by the school when needed for single line instrumentalists and vocalists.

When a parent knows that a student will be absent for a lesson, the teacher must be notified directly. Under all but the most extraordinary circumstances, if the teacher has not been notified of an absence prior to leaving his or her home to teach that lesson, the lesson will be considered as having been given and the student will not receive a make-up lesson.

Please note: The Dwight-Englewood attendance office does not notify private music teachers when their students are absent from school. When properly notified, teachers will expect to make up lessons due to illness. Parents should acquire cell phone numbers and other means of reaching the teacher at the beginning of the year when they schedule lesson times with the teacher. When students have an occasional conflict with a lesson time and can notify the teacher more than 24 hours in advance, the teacher will endeavor to schedule that lesson at another time if possible. As the contract simply calls for a total of 27 lessons to be taught during the year, there is some room for flexibility even if one week is missed. Please do not expect teachers to make up lessons for absences due to play dates or birthday parties. Once a teacher schedules a regular lesson time, that teacher has excluded the possibility of taking another student at that time. As all scheduling is done at the beginning of the school year, teachers are not likely to be able to reschedule students in the middle of the year. With the exception of mutually agreeable changes in scheduling between the teacher and students, students are expected to schedule all other activities (sports, tutoring, Senior Focus, etc.) so that they will not interfere with the scheduled private music lesson time. Failure to be able to reschedule lesson times as necessary to accommodate a student taking on conflicting activities will not constitute justification of a refund for missed lessons or for the expectation that those lessons will be made up.

Teachers and parents are expected to resolve any issues that may arise. Teachers or parents may contact the Dean of Performing Arts, Adam Slee (sleea@d-e.org), at any time if they have questions about the application of this policy.