A note on the sliding scale:
We believe that quality music education should be accessible.
Musical practice is so good for us all. It can improve our confidence, our memory, and of course our ability to express ourselves through music. Our goal is to provide the transformative experience of musical growth to all who express interest in studying with us. We understand that cost can be a barrier to participation, and are dedicated to minimizing that barrier as much as we can.
If the price is preventative for you, we’re able to offer a limited number of scholarship and sliding scale slots, determined on a case-by-case basis. The resources below are some that we’ve found helpful in considering how to make our studio as accessible as possible. Please take a moment to look them over, and feel free to ask us any questions!
Sliding scale is a wonderful tool for pricing services in an inclusive manner, but it can be a little confusing at first glance. For most of us, it’s important to note, discussions of money are categorically less than comfortable. For better or for worse, our society doesn’t make much room for candid conversations around class. The creator of the Green Bottle graphic (above) wrote about it in this article saying:
“…in the US we have very little education in our school system and culture around money, class, service value, and fair wages.”
So, it’s a good idea to give a little thought to placing oneself on the scale. This website is a great resource for honest discussion of different experiences with economic need and abundance.
A couple of additional things to keep in mind:
(Thanks again to Alexis J Cunningfolk for this language.)
The listed price of the class is the actual cost of the class. This is calculated after taking into account all of the costs of keeping the studio alive, from renting the space to website fees to compensating our teachers. If you choose a ticket price below the set cost, know that you are receiving a discount.
A price in-the-middle is for those who are able to meet their basic needs but have little-to-no expendable income. Paying for this class may qualify as a sacrifice but it would not create hardship.
The very low or no-cost rate is for those who struggle to meet basic needs. For this bracket, paying for this class would introduce a significant hardship.
Thank you for reading this page! We are happy that you made it here, and hope this information has been useful. Looking forward to meeting you in a lesson soon! And again, please reach out with any questions or if you would like to negotiate a price that works for you.
- All of us at Sarah Gettys Music Studio