The mission of Charleston Classical Guitar Studio is to provide an exceptional and fun musical education based on a nurturing family and community environment. The studio teaches a wide variety of people from 5 years old to 90 and a variety of genres (classical, rock, jazz, pop, etc.). However, the core of education results from the foundation of a classical guitar program.
Tuition Information
The information below applies to all students at Charleston Classical Guitar. The studio follows the schedule for the public schools and runs 36 weeks for the entire year (download the calendar below). The summer schedule is announced in May. During the school year, if public school is closed because of the weather or a teacher workday, lessons will usually meet anyway. However, the studio will observe and be closed for national holidays. Of course, a student can begin at any point in the year, and the prices will be prorated accordingly.
School Year 2026-2027
School Year (36 Weeks) 30-Minute Lessons Total: $1,440
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Biannually: $705 ($1,440/2 minus $15 discount per payment)
Monthly: $160 ($1,440/9 months from Sep to May)
School Year (36 Weeks) 45-Minute Lessons Total: $2,160
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Biannually: $1,065 ($2,160/2 minus $15 discount per payment)
Monthly: $240 ($2,160/9 months from Sep to May)
School Year (36 Weeks) 60-Minute Lessons Total: $2,880
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Biannually: $1,425 ($2,880/2 with $15 discount per payment)
Monthly: $320 ($2,880/9 months from Sep to May)
2026-2027 School Year Calendar
Summer 2026
Summer (12 Weeks) 30-Minute Lessons
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Full Payment: $480
Monthly: $160
Summer (12 Weeks) 45-Minute Lessons
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Full Payment: $720
Monthly: $240
Summer (12 Weeks) 60-Minute Lessons
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Full Payment: $960
Monthly: $320
2026 Summer Calendar
Withdrawal and Discontinuation of Lessons
Enrollment reserves a regular weekly lesson time for the student. Students wishing to discontinue lessons must provide written notice by the first day of their final month of enrollment.
Tuition remains payable for the final month, and students may attend their regularly scheduled lessons through the end of that month. Tuition already paid is nonrefundable, and missed or unused lessons resulting from a student’s decision to discontinue will not be credited or refunded.
Withdrawal notices must be submitted by email to Charleston Classical Guitar.
Midyear Enrollment and Prorated Tuition
Students may enroll at any time during the school year, subject to lesson availability.
For students paying monthly, initial tuition is prorated according to the number of scheduled lessons remaining in the current four-lesson tuition group. Subsequent payments follow the regular monthly tuition schedule.
For students paying by semester, tuition is calculated at the regular per-lesson rate for the number of scheduled lessons remaining in the semester. The semester payment discount does not apply to prorated tuition.
Enrollment reserves a consistent weekly lesson time, and all other studio policies apply from the beginning of enrollment.
Private Lessons Include
- Reserved weekly lesson time for the 36 scheduled weeks or 12 scheduled weeks for the summer
- Online Lesson during sickness or travel, ie: lice, cold, or flu. This is during the normal private lesson times.
Makeup Policy & Absences
Individual Lessons
- Tuition pays for the scheduled private time slot at a fixed rate, regardless of the number of lessons given. See Economist/Suzuki Parent’s Point of View here: http://ottawasuzukistrings.ca/makeuplessons.
- No reduction in charge during holiday breaks or personal vacation time. **
Student Absences
- Students may enquire about the possibility of rescheduling a lesson for the week of a known absence, 48 hours before the absence. Make-up lessons are not given.
- Absences must be rescheduled for the same week as the missed lesson.
- Student credits will not be given.
- Parents/students are encouraged to use the studio online portal to cancel a lesson and reschedule in an open lesson slot if they know that they will be missing a lesson.
- In the event of a true emergency cancellation, a makeup lesson may be offered at the teacher’s discretion if an opening is available the week of the cancellation. If no opening is available that week, the lesson will not be made up or credited.
Lessons Canceled Due to Instructor Absence (Excluding Inclement Weather)
If the instructor must cancel a scheduled lesson, Charleston Classical Guitar will make reasonable efforts to arrange a makeup lesson at a mutually agreeable time. Makeup lessons may be offered individually or to multiple students at once, depending on scheduling availability.
The instructor also reserves the right to arrange a qualified substitute to provide the scheduled lesson.
If neither a substitute nor a makeup lesson can be arranged, a tuition credit equal to the regular per-lesson rate will be applied to the student’s account. If the student is discontinuing lessons and has no future tuition balance, the credit will be refunded.
Inclement Weather
Studio closures due to inclement weather cannot be made up. This rarely happens and everyone’s safety is the first priority.
Why don’t I make up student absences?
Teaching is my career, profession, and livelihood. When you sign up for lessons, you are reserving a weekly time slot in my schedule. If you miss your lesson, the time slot is over and gone. We can’t get time back and I am not likely to be able to schedule another student for that time. If you ask for makeup or reimbursement for the lesson, you are asking me to give up the time I have scheduled for other business activities and preparation, my personal life, and/or income I have budgeted. I may only teach for certain hours, but I still work more than 40 hours a week. See an Economist/Suzuki Parent’s Point of View here if you missed it above: http://ottawasuzukistrings.ca/makeuplessons.
Other Private Lesson Information:
- Monthly invoices and payments are sent out and due on the 1st of each month. This invoice is due within 7 days. After 7 days, a $10 late fee will be applied to the invoice.
- Students age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult who can reinforce concepts and guided practice at home.
- We strongly encourage adult supervision for students ages 18 and under as well. Please see “Children Class Policy” for more information.
CHILDREN’S POLICY:
It is highly recommended that a parent/caregiver is present during the lessons/classes to assist the child at home. In the beginning, it can be difficult for the child to practice correctly and/or instill a practice discipline when not guided correctly. The person who will be practicing with the child should be present and either partake in the lesson and/or be told at the end of the lesson what the child is to practice and how they should practice. The child should pick up the guitar at least once a day and play what was taught for the week. It can be just a 10-minute practice session each day. It must be each day to instill and help the child to remember and be ready to go forward. If this cannot happen, it may not be the right time for the child to take lessons. It can be discouraging for a child when they do not have this practice routine because they will come back the following week and have to repeat the entire lesson or feel left behind. It’s not much work on the parent/caregiver’s side. It’s just having the child pick up the guitar and go through what she/he was taught in class once a day for 10 minutes or so. This must continue on until the child naturally picks up the guitar on his/her own without guidance.