Studio Policies
2022-2023 GENERAL POLICIES
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Each student shall receive a 30-minute private lesson each week for the duration of the studio year (August 14, 2022 thru May 20, 2023). Lessons will be conducted “live and in person” at either my Myrtle Beach studio or my New York City studio; or via Facetime if you do not live in whichever city I am currently teaching from.
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There are many benefits to studying with a teacher who lives in both cities. In NYC, I have direct access to the Broadway community. This opens the door for opportunities for my students to work with Broadway directors and performers and possibly perform at a New York City Cabaret venue. You could also arrange a family trip to NYC and have your lesson live in my NYC studio. And when planning KJPAS NYC theater trips, I have a lot more access to opportunities for my students as a resident New Yorker.
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If you would like to have an hour-long lesson, simply sign-up for two lesson time-slots.
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Studio lessons will be offered Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday afternoons and evenings.
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If cast in a show, please make every effort to make it to your weekly lesson. Even Broadway performers
continue to go to their vocal coach during the run of a show so that they may protect and preserve their voices. And please do remember to list your KJPAS lesson as a conflict on your school/community theater audition form so that you will be let out of rehearsal to attend your lesson.
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KJPAS offers winter and summer musical theater intensives. KJPAS students are strongly encouraged to attend these intensives. I have seen extraordinary growth occur with my students when they participate in such a focused theatrical training ground, not to mention the fact that this is a great opportunity for you to work with Broadway performers and meet students from other states who share your same interests!
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Parking: please park in my driveway, or directly in front of my house on my side of the street only.
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When arriving for your lesson, there is no need to knock on the door, just come on in and have a seat
in the waiting area. I will come and get you once I finish with the previous student.
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If you will not be able to make it to your lesson, or will arrive more than 5 minutes late, please text me
so that I will not worry about you. It is not acceptable to miss your lesson without letting me know in
advance.
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Besides a water bottle, no outside food or beverages are allowed inside my home/studio.
STUDIO BENEFITS
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Each year I hire and fly in Broadway, Film and Television performers from New York or LA to work my students at no extra charge to you. No other studio offers this kind of opportunity for free.
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I own an excellent instrument, a Yamaha U-3 piano.
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Rehearsal tracks will be recorded in the studio and e-mailed as Mp3 files to each student.
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I own a 4K video camera, theater lights and a backdrop for recording college pre-screening auditions.
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KJPAS Music and Script library: I have one of the most extensive privately owned musical theatre
collections in the country (in excess of 50,000 songs), and hundreds of monologues, plays and screenplays. And through my connections with theatre professionals in New York City, I am able to acquire almost any piece of music, including unpublished Broadway scores.
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Studio Photocopier: I can take music from my extensive library, copy it, and send it home with you the same day, or e-mail it to you immediately as a PDF file.
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The studio subscribes to FIOS Internet for excellent quality virtual lessons.
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The studio owns a portable Fender sound system with professional Beta SM57 microphones, and a
weighted 88-key Yamaha professional keyboard for gigs out in the community.
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KJPAS led performing arts trips to New York City to culturally enrich and artistically educate students of
the studio. I highly encourage my students to participate when these are offered.
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In addition to your private lesson, studio training will include musical theater history classes, music theory
classes, masterclasses with guest performers, and much more. Please refer to the studio calendar.
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Performance opportunities in the studio will include the Mock Audition, Holiday Cabaret, “KJPAS Live at
Mellow Mushroom” gig, An evening of Broadway Love Songs, and the Spring Recital. Other performance
opportunities will be offered as opportunities arise.
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KJPAS never uses performance tracks. I always accompany my students “live” on the piano. Sheet music
will be distributed regularly for the students to learn from.
TUITION and TRAINING
2022-2023 KJPAS tuition will be $200 per month, August 1 thru May 1 for weekly half-hour private lessons. The studio operates under the “all-inclusive” model where all sheet music, photocopies, and rehearsal tracks are included in your regular tuition, as well as all “bonus” workshops and performances (including musical theater history, music theory, Broadway performer masterclasses, etc.).
Tuition shall be due on the (1st) first of each month, August, 2022 thru May, 2023. A $75 registration fee is due now to hold your place in the studio program. This fee will cover studio expenses including acquiring Broadway scores, scripts and CD’s, facility rental fees for studio performances, paper, copier toner, and flying in and housing Broadway performers for special studio workshops and masterclasses.
Participation in the studio program is understood to be from August, 2022 thru the end of May, 2023. I am making the commitment for the entire year to provide you with exemplary musical theater training. In return, I need you to commit to completing the full year of training at KJPAS before deciding to pursue other interests. If you do decide to leave the program early, you must give a full 30 days’ notice before tuition is due. So, if you give notice on October 30th, you must still pay your November tuition. If you give notice on November 2nd, you must still pay your November and December tuition.
I provide my studio families with a fully detailed yearly calendar prior to the start of lessons each year. If you are to grow as a performer, I need you to show up to all lessons, classes and performances. It is no secret that my long-time students and alumni who have found the most success is due entirely to the fact that they never missed a lesson or class at KJPAS. They attended every winter and summer intensive that I offered. And they were onstage for every KJPAS performance opportunity. If you feel that you will only be using me to land a part in a school, community theater or “pay to play” theater program, and then drop out, then I would ask that you do not take a valuable spot in my year-long studio. I am happy to offer individual audition coaching sessions as my time permits outside of the regular studio lesson schedule.
I want to work with students who have a true passion for performing and a deep desire to develop their craft. I spend many hours each year crafting a well-rounded curriculum for my students. That is what sets me apart from every other voice and acting teacher out there. Unlike those teachers who will ask “what would you like to work on today?” when you arrive at your lesson, I have an agenda for all of my students to make each of them a highly educated performer. I hold them accountable to score satisfactory grades on their music theory, musical theatre history, and sight-singing tests, in addition to the work that they do on their songs and monologues. So, while I do encourage my students to pursue as many training and performing opportunities as possible, I do expect them to consider their training at KJPAS a priority. This is why so many studio alumni have been accepted to outstanding college musical theater programs, and why so many have gone on to have very successful careers in theater, film and television.
I am willing to work on non-KJPAS curriculum (i.e. audition preparation), but only after we complete the KJPAS curriculum. If you find that you need additional preparation for school, community theater, professional theater, or “pay to play” auditions, I would be more than happy to set up an additional coaching session for you outside of the studio schedule at my regular coaching rates.
Please speak to me as the need arises and we can match up schedules. I have found that my hour-long students always have time to work on both the KJPAS curriculum and audition material. My half-hour students are often pressed for time to work on outside material, so an extra coaching session now and then would be a worthwhile investment. KJPAS students are often cast in leading roles because they are better prepared than all of their peers.
If you agree with all of the above studio terms, I would be happy to add you to my roster for next year. I accept all of the following payment options:
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Venmo. This is my favorite platform and industry standard for performers. I strongly encourage parents to use Venmo to pay your monthly tuition. It is an instant transfer, so you will never be late on your tuition payment, and you can easily do it from anywhere using your cell phone. You can find me on Venmo: @Kevin-Jones-178
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Apple Pay. This payment method is just as easy as Venmo. Send your payment to my cell number at 843-251-9542.
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PayPal. If you do choose to use PayPal, you will have to check every single month that it is set to send to “pay a friend”, as PayPal will revert back to their regular payment method where they take a 3% cut. If I receive a payment from you where PayPal has charged a fee, I will immediately refund your payment and ask you to resend it choosing the correct option. If you do choose to use PayPal, send your payment to my email address: kevin@kjpas.com
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CashApp. Send your payment to my cashtag: $KJPAS
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Zelle. Send your payment to my email address: kjpas27@gmail.com or my cell 843-251-9542
Please note: Any payment received after midnight on the 1st of the month will incur a $50 late fee.
Please consider this your one and only warning regarding late payments. You will incur a late fee if you do not pay your tuition on time. And I will not teach your child until tuition has been paid. I thank-you in advance for understanding that this is my career, not my hobby.
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For lessons are conducted via Facetime, I highly recommend that your family subscribes to high speed internet and that the student is located as close to the router as possible. This will ensure a strong connection for the best possible lesson. I also highly recommend that the student uses a single earbud connected via Bluetooth to reduce possible audio feedback. Finally, for all Facetime lessons, it is imperative that the student has a second device available to play the rehearsal tracks that I have recorded.
SPECIAL WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES
In addition to your weekly private lesson, I offer several classes and workshops throughout the year. They include music theory, musical theater history, and masterclasses with guest artists. These classes and workshops are not optional; they are part of the KJPAS training program. I am committed to training performers who desire to learn how to read music, study the history of the Broadway theater, and who are working to become a proficient sight-singer.
An annual studio calendar listing all lessons, workshops, and performances will be provided prior to the first lesson of the studio year. This is more than ample time for you to get the important dates on your family calendar so that you do not miss any performances or workshops. And with 30+ lesson time-slots to choose from each week (when utilizing the lesson swapping option), there is no reason why you should not be able to make it to a lesson time each week.
My mantra on performing is this: I believe in empowering my students and always setting them up for success. My goal is to train my students here in the studio so that they can go out into the world and land parts (and often leading roles) in their school, community theater, or professional theater productions; or to be able to confidently stand up in front of a group of people and deliver a stellar presentation. I also train my students to be fine citizens of the world.
MISSED LESSONS
No financial deduction will be made for missed lessons. Unfortunately, I am only available to offer lessons during the regular lesson schedule. I will not be able to make up lessons at alternate times. Thus, I encourage students to swap lessons with another student when a conflict arises. Please be pro-active and plan ahead! I will regularly provide each studio family with a copy of the updated master lesson schedule including the contact phone number and email of the other students in the studio. This system works very well, and students are often able to make it to one of the 30+ available time-slots. Any lessons cancelled by the instructor will be re-scheduled.
Please note: Over the course of the year, you will probably miss a lesson whatever reason. Please keep it in perspective. I offer many “bonus” training opportunities from longer workshops to free masterclasses with Broadway performers. I guarantee you that you will still see the value in your investment. Thank-you!
INCLEMENT WEATHER
As I teach out of my home studio and by Facetime, I am always available to teach during lesson times. Thus, the studio will never be closed due to inclement weather. If you cannot make it to your “live and in person” lesson, please let me know in advance and I will conduct your lesson via Facetime. Please also refer to the “inclement weather policies” document for additional information.
STUDIO CORRESPONDANCE AND CONTACTING KEVIN
I am very good at communicating with students and parents and making sure that everyone is “in the know” regarding studio lessons and events. By accepting my offer to join this studio, and signing the studio agreement document, you agree to read all studio email correspondence in a timely manner, as this is my primary form of communication. I am very conscientious of your time and only send out succinct email information as it is absolutely necessary. I usually send out a studio update following the final lesson of each week. Please refrain from using me as your personal concierge. While I am of course more than happy to speak with you regarding important questions or concerns that you may have, in the past many of the emails and texts that I have received were questions that I had just addressed in the studio update emails. Please refer to the studio calendar, the latest/greatest master lesson schedule, and studio email correspondence before making contact. Thank-you. The best way to contact me 24 hours a day is by e-mail (kjpas27@gmail.com). You are also welcome to call/text me at 843-251-9542.