Procedures
As an applicant to any class at SSA, it is your responsibility to request and provide all materials necessary to complete the admission process. An enrollment form plus student emergency form, behavior guidelines, media release, and policy agreement must be submitted prior to the first lesson. During the current pandemic, we also require a signed hold-harmless form.
The steps to admission are as follows:
- Schedule a visit to observe a private and a group lesson (all students)
- Schedule an audition (for transfer students only) or an interview (for beginner parents only)
- Attend a free Suzuki seminar (for beginner parents, but only provided there is sufficient enrollment; otherwise, content covered in classes)
- Submit forms (all students)
- Fill out and submit the enrollment application form and other required agreements; this includes an emergency medical release, behavior guidelines, optional media release, and policy agreement
- During the pandemic, we also require a signed Hold Harmless form. The hold harmless agreement / release of liability waiver is included at the end of the enrollment form.
- Familiarize yourself with our special rules during the pandemic:
- You will be contacted about your admission status.
Visiting the School
To begin the admissions process, all parents are encouraged to observe both a private and a group lesson. Appointments are provided with coordination from the teachers. Please contact the SSA office, preferably by email to info@sycamorestringsacademy.com — or phone (510) 303-0523 — for arrangements.
Audition
Transfer students must undergo an audition. For the audition, the student should prepare a scale in two or three octaves plus a piece of their own choice. In some cases, a sight-reading sample will be provided at the audition. Contact the SSA office by email at gberg@sycamorestringsacademy.com for appointments.
Tuition & Fees
Regular Year-Around Music Instruction Classes
Each student is enrolled for an entire school year, consisting of fall semester, spring semester, and a summer session. If you must withdraw prior to the end of the school year, please contact your teacher or SSA director as soon as possible. A 30-day minimum notice of withdrawal is required.
Tuition will be required on a per-semester basis. Please let the SSA office know if you prefer to pay in full or use the installment plan. More than two installments will require an added administrative fee.
- Fall Semester: 17 weeks of instruction —from early September through mid-January
- Spring Semester: 17 weeks of instruction —from mid-January through early June
- Summer Session: 4–7 weeks of instruction —from mid-June through early August.
(Summer Sessions may differ in length from year to year.)
Tuition
Individual lesson:
30 minutes, $45.00;
45 minutes, $67.50;
60 minutes, $90.00;
90 minutes, $135.00
Group:
30 minutes, $25.00;
45 minutes, $37.50;
60 minutes, $50.00
Ensembles (updated 9/10/22):
1-hour class (SJCO), $680 per semester;
1.5-hour class (SCO), $810 per semester;
2.5-hour class (SCO + Academy Violins), $950 per semester
Fees
- Enrollment Fee: $100.00. Sibling’s Enrollment Fee: $50.00. A one-time-only fee.
- Performance Fee, $25.00. Charged per student per semester. New students will be charged the performance fee at time of enrollment.
- Administration fee, $25.00. Charged per student per semester for installment plan of three payments or more.
- Late Fee, $25.00. Added to invoice not paid on or before due date, plus 7 days’ grace period.
Discount Programs
- Sibling Discount: $200.00 discount per semester (not including summer session).
- Volunteer Discount: $100.00 discount per semester (not including summer session). A few volunteer positions exist. Inquire at the SSA office about available positions.
Payment Policies
Prompt payment of the SSA tuition is essential. We depend on regular, timely payments for each semester and the summer session. Invoices will be sent out by email, once per semester and once for the summer session.
- Due date will be two weeks past the date of any invoice issued on a regular basis.
- An installment plan for more than two payments can be arranged for an extra fee of $25.00.
- Tuition not paid by the 7th day past any of the due dates will be considered overdue and a reminder will be emailed or mailed with a late-payment charge of $25.00.
- Overdue tuition payment of 30 days and more will cause a termination of the student’s place in the academy class, and all instruction will end.
Cancelled Lessons
Teacher is Absent:
If the student’s group or individual class is cancelled due to the teacher’s absence, you will receive either a make-up lesson or a credit. We make up the lesson(s), or credit the tuition paid for the lost lesson(s) towards the next billing cycle, or reimburse the tuition for the lost lesson(s).
Student is Absent:
If the student is absent from any individual or group class, there are no credits or make-ups. If the student knows in advance about an upcoming absence from an individual class, please let the teacher know as soon as possible.
Payment
Payments may be made by credit card or by check made out to SSA and mailed to:
Sycamore Strings Academy
1929 Broadmoor St
Livermore, CA 94551
If paying by check, please, we prefer that you send checks to our mailing address in lieu of giving them to teachers or staff.
Additional Fees
New-Student Enrollment Fee
$100 one-time-only, non-refundable enrollment fee.
Siblings enrolling
$50 non-refundable enrollment fee for siblings to join SSA.
Late Fee
$25.00 Late Payment Fee for payments postmarked seven days after the due date of tuition.
Bounced-Check Fee
$25.00 Bounced-Check Fee will be charged for returned checks.
Performance Fee
$25.00 per enrolled student taking instruction during fall semester, spring semester, summer session. Payments are due in September, January, and June. This is a mandatory annual contribution of $75.00, paid in three installments, to maintain our high quality concerts and recitals. Everyone will be charged, regardless of whether or not a student happens to be ready to perform during a current billing period. This allows all performances to be free of charge.
Sycamore Strings Academy 