Scheduling & Billing
I'm new. How do I book a lesson?
Welcome! The first step is to fill out our registration form here. It’s short, asking only for contact and payment info – then you’ll receive a link to one more form that will ask for more details, like the student’s level of experience, musical tastes, scheduling needs, etc. Once we have those two forms, we’ll reach out in email to help you find the perfect teacher and book your trial lesson!
How much do lessons cost?
Our enrollment fees cover one 45-minute private lesson per week, and the monthly cost is $195/month, plus a$3/month fee to cover performances and supplies. (This fee replaces our recital and annual fees, so there are no more recurring charges!) Check out our Pricing Page for more price info.
Do you offer a trial lesson?
Yes, your first 45-minute lesson will be just $25! One offer per student.
Note: You won’t be registered or charged for any more classes beyond that first one until you let us know you’re ready to enroll, so be sure to email us after the trial session to get that ball rolling!
When can I start? Do you have space?
The answer to that depends on your scheduling needs. We can’t hold any spots until you fill out the registration form and tell us exactly what you’re looking for, so that’s the first step. If we have a spot to fit your requirements, we’ll hold it for a few days while we work with you to confirm a trial date. The more flexibility you have in scheduling, the more likely we can get you in! 🙂
As far as dates go – start anytime! For new students, the fee for the first month will be pro-rated based on the number of lessons left in the month. All months after that will be the flat monthly rate.
Can I come tour the school?
We are an appointment-only establishment!
We’d love to show you around at your trial session, but we don’t have staff on hand for walk-in tours or scheduling questions. You’re welcome to stop by and see the lobby, but our teachers will be busy teaching, so all questions should be sent via email, text, or phone. (Email is preferred!)
Do I need to sign a contract?
Not at all!
Once you start the monthly membership, you’ll only be billed one month at a time. To stop lessons, just email staff@senseandcolor.com at least 7 full days before the end of the month, and you won’t be billed for any more months.
Is there a registration fee?
Yes, there is a registration fee to start the monthly enrollment ($39 per student). This will be an annual fee, covering materials and recital performances.
(Note – until December 2022, we did charge a separate recital fee for those in our recitals. However – cost should never be a reason to not perform live, so as of December 2022, our quarterly recitals will be included in the annual fee!)
Can I reserve the same time every week?
Yes! Our monthly billing plan with auto-draft keeps your favorite teacher and lesson time reserved every week. Just let us know if you’re ready to enroll after your trial session!
Read more on our monthly enrollment here.
What happens if I need to miss a lesson?
Lessons may be cancelled and rescheduled through the Student Portal with at least 24 hours’ notice. Lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice (or not cancelled through the portal), may not be made up.
Emailing or texting us is appreciated, but the Student Portal is the only way to guarantee a makeup credit!
NOTE: Makeup lessons cannot be rescheduled! Makeup spots are limited, and once they’re booked, they’re unavailable to other students — so before you book a makeup lesson, please make sure it’s a time you can attend.
There’s a separate FAQ for questions about the Student Portal and billing/scheduling here: Student Portal and Billing FAQ
How do I know whether I have makeups on my account?
Log into your Student Portal. If you have any makeup credits on your account, they’ll be listed there on the first page.
What happens if my teacher has to cancel?
We really try not to, but sometimes life happens and we have no choice! If a teacher needs to cancel a lesson, we’ll notify students by email, phone, or text. We’ll try to find a new time for the lesson, but if we can’t, we’ll add a makeup credit to your account, which you can use to re-book the lesson another time. Makeup codes can also be used to pay recital fees!
Can I take a break for a few weeks and come back?
Lots of students will take vacations in summer, and that’s fine! However, we can’t hold a reserved space in the schedule without the monthly payment, so for vacations, we offer two options: You can save the missed lessons as makeup credits to be taken later (as long as you give us at least 24 hours’ notice!), or you can take the month off from paying, and we’ll fit you back into the schedule where we have availability when you return, at the current lesson rate for new students. We can’t guarantee any specific day or time when you come back, however, so if you really like your teacher and your lesson time, we recommend keeping your billing going, and working in those makeup sessions when you return!
Do makeups expire?
Makeup credits are good for 60 days from date of issue.
Are you open on holidays?
The school doesn’t officially close for holidays, but the monthly tuition only covers 48 lessons per year. This means there are four weeks not included in the monthly tuition:
SPRING BREAK WEEK (Leander ISD calendar)
4TH OF JULY WEEK
THANKSGIVING WEEK
CHRISTMAS WEEK
Some of our teachers do choose to teach those weeks, so it’s possible to use those weeks for makeup lessons, or to purchase additional single lessons. For all other holidays, including Memorial Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, etc, we are open as normal! If your teacher plans to be out those days, you’ll receive notice from us in advance, and we’ll add a makeup credit to your account, which you can use to re-book that lesson on another day.
What methods of payment do you accept?
Lessons need to be pre-paid, so we require a credit card or bank account on file before lessons can be booked.
Sorry, no cash or checks please.
How do I officially cancel my lessons?
If you’re enrolled in our monthly plan and need to stop lessons, send us an email at least 7 days before the end of the month, and we’ll stop all future charges. Tuition is non-refundable once billed! If you cancel in the middle of a month after paying for that month, you can still use your remaining lessons, or you can request makeup credits to save them for later.
To cancel your enrollment, you MUST notify us by email. Cancelling your lessons in the Student Portal will not stop billing!
Do you offer family discounts?
At this time we do not offer a discount for multiple family members in separate private lessons. However, if two family members are taking a class together in the same 45-minute time slot, we offer a 50% discount for the second student!
General Lesson Info
Are your lessons online or in-person?
We offer both options! Students who want the convenience of lessons from home can still take lessons online, but we are also open for in-person lessons in our Leander studio, just northwest of Austin, TX.
Most of our music teachers offer lessons in-person, and several offer both in-person or online — so let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll match you with the right instructor.
Where are you located?
We’re in Leander, TX, a suburb of Austin, TX. The Live Music Capitol of the World is in our backyard!
A few students have reported their GPS sending them to the wrong location, so be sure to check out our Location page. We’re just across the street from Robin Bledsoe Park.
Note: From 2008-2020, we were in Cedar Park, so you might recognize the name as one of Cedar Park’s first music schools – but as of 2021, we’re Leander all the way!
How often and where are lessons held?
Lessons will be held once per week, either in our Leander school location, or online – your choice!
How long are your lessons?
Our private lessons are 45 minutes long.
Our teachers and students love this length, since it allows enough time to review past material and practice something new without feeling rushed — but it’s not so long that students can’t stay engaged. It’s great for the younger kids too, since it allows time to do multiple activities in a single session.
Do you offer group lessons?
Most of our lessons are private, one-on-one lessons, in 45-minute timeslots. However, if two family members are taking a class together in the same 45-minute time slot, we offer a 50% discount for the second student!
We do have a Rock Band group program on Friday evenings, and our Early Childhood Music Program is returning Fall of 2022.
What ages do you teach?
For private lessons, ages 4 to around 110. (Theoretically, of course. We haven’t hit our upper age limit yet.)
Our minimum age to start private music lessons is four years old, but success with children that young depends greatly on how involved the parents are at practice time.
As for adults – at the time of this writing, our student holding the elder record is 82 years young!
Do I need to buy my own instrument?
At the school, you can borrow one of ours for the first lesson or two, but for real progress, you’ll need your own to practice at home. Also consider renting before buying! Rock and Roll Rentals in North Austin on Burnet is a great option. Rent a drum set, guitar, or bass for a month, try it out, and see what feels best! Feel free to wait until after the first lesson if you need advice from your teacher on what to buy or rent.
If you’re doing online lessons, having your own instrument is even more important, so you’ll need your own instrument by at least the second lesson.Â
Do you host recitals?
Absolutely! There’s no better way to grow as a musician than to perform live, and we encourage it as often as possible.
We host recitals and rock band concerts for students at least four times a year, in various venues in Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and Austin. There is a $3/month fee per student to cover the cost of recitals.
What teaching curriculum do you use?
Every teacher is different, and assigns songs, books, or exercises based on their preferred teaching methods and the student’s skill level and musical tastes.
We often ask students to suggest their own songs, in addition to music chosen by the teachers, and we’ll work to help students create, practice, and perform arrangements tailored to their instrument and abilities. Everyone enjoys practicing more when it’s music they already love!
What's your bad weather policy?
We’ll follow forecasts on weather.com to determine whether roads are safe enough to conduct lessons at the school. If roads are unsafe, all lessons that day will be done online using Zoom. Decisions on any given day will be made as early as possible, but no later than 11am. Check our Sense & Color Facebook Page to see the official word on closures. If there’s nothing posted there, the school is open for in-person lessons!
Note: Local schools being closed on a given day does not mean that we will automatically be closed! Most of our private lessons don’t start until afternoon, so if forecasts show significant improvement by that time, we’ll be open.
Since weather is out of our control, we cannot offer makeups or credits to students who choose not to take the online option that day. Even if a student doesn’t have a good setup at home for online, a session where the student and teacher just talk about music theory, or discuss future musical projects or ideas, is better than no lesson at all!
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
This question is on our online sign up forms because — well, because we think we’re hilarious.
The answer we’re looking for, of course, is “African or European?” — although we’re pretty impressed that so many of you actually took the time to google it and respond that the actual airspeed velocity is approximately 24 miles per hour or 11 meters per second.
For those who still think we’re a little crazy, the joke stems from the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.
Here’s the scene from the movie where the joke is first set up:
And the scene from the movie where the actual question is asked and the answer given:
We get a kick out of seeing the answers to that one, so thanks to everyone for playing along.
COVID Precautions
Do you require masks inside the school?
Face masks (covering nose and mouth) are no longer required, but are encouraged for any student who wants to wear one – and teachers will wear a mask in lessons if requested.
Are your teachers fully vaccinated?
Yes! All teachers offering in-person lessons in our Leander studio are past the two-week wait after their final vaccination shot. (Thank you science!)
What other steps are you taking to keep students safe?
We’ve taken COVID-19 seriously since March 2020, and we’ll continue to do so!
- Each room has its own HEPA air purifier, which not only helps reduce airborne virus particles, but also cuts down on dust and allergens.
- Lesson times have been staggered in order to limit the number of people in the hallway at once.
- If teachers or students are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, we ask that lessons be done online that day. Our teachers will be happy to do any lesson online instead of in-person by request, provided they have enough notice to prepare their space.