You will be asked to agree to the following policies when you register for any of our lessons/classes/summer camps:

Covid-19 Protocols

The safety of our teachers, students and parents is our top priority. We will be ensuring the school adheres to standard health and safety protocols to ensure the safest experience possible for in-person lessons. Please check our Covid-19 page for health protocols and updates. https://ontheoffbeat.ca/covid-19updates/

TRIAL LESSONS

Trial Lessons are offered in various lesson packages and must be paid for upon registration. Trial lessons are scheduled in advance and are not made up if they are cancelled or missed. Upon completion of the trial lessons, students may then choose to continue with regular term lessons.  Please contact the office to book in regular term lessons once your trial lessons are complete.

REGULAR TERM WEEKLY LESSONS

Regular term lessons are a weekly commitment from the time of registration until June 25th, 2022. Students must sign up for a membership upon registration and are entitled to make up lessons as per the policies below.

REGULAR TERM BIWEEKLY LESSONS

Biweekly lessons are offered for adult students only and are limited to specific times during the day (before 3:30 pm or at 8:00 pm on weekdays). Students must sign up for a membership upon registration and are entitled to make up lessons as per the policies below. Lessons are a biweekly commitment from the time of registration until June 25th, 2022.

LESSONS CANCELLED BY STUDENTS

  • If less than 24-hours notice is provided for cancellation the student will be marked absent and charged; no make-up lessons will be offered, and there are no refunds or credits for missed lessons.
  • If the teacher receives more than 24-hours notice of cancellation, the student will be eligible to receive a make-up lesson subject to make-up policy below.

Make-Up Lesson Policy for Regular Term Weekly and Biweekly Lessons

“Make-up lessons” are lessons offered outside of regularly scheduled lessons to make up for a cancelled lesson. These make-up lessons are to be arranged between teacher and student at a mutually agreed-upon time. Students have the option to make up lessons in person at On the Off Beat Music School, or online (dependant on teacher’s online availability).

  • Students are entitled to a maximum of 4 make-up lessons per year, at a maximum of 2 make-up lessons per term (Terms are September – December, January – March, April – June)
  • Students who cancel more than 2 lessons per term or more than 4 per year will forfeit fees for those additionally cancelled lessons regardless of the amount of notice given.
  • Make-up lessons may be carried over from term to term but must be used up by the end of the spring term or will be forfeited.
  • Students on trial lessons are not eligible for make-up lessons
  • There are “no make-ups for make-ups”: once a make-up lesson is booked between teacher and student it cannot be rescheduled by the student. If a student misses a scheduled make-up lesson, it is forfeited regardless of the notice given.

All make-up lessons need to be completed by the end of June 2022.

LESSONS CANCELLED BY TEACHERS

Periodically, teachers will need to cancel and reschedule lessons due to their performance schedule. At “On the Off Beat” we hire teachers that are also professional musicians – we believe it is imperative to a student’s musical education to study with a teacher who is a practicing performer as well as a highly trained teacher. In the case of a scheduled teacher absence with 24 hrs notice (ex. for a performance gig), a make-up lesson will always be scheduled with the student.

In the case of a last-minute cancelled lesson (teacher’s illness or emergency the day of), the lesson will be cancelled and the client’s account will be credited to the total cost of the lesson. This is the only time lesson credits will be offered.

School Closures/Holidays 2021/22

First day of lessons is Tuesday, September 7th, 2021

Thanksgiving – Monday, October 11th, 2021

Winter Break – Sunday, December 19th, 2021 – Saturday, January 1st, 2022

Family Day – Monday, February 21st, 2022

March Break – Sunday, March 13th – Saturday, March 19th, 2022

Easter Weekend – Friday, April 15th, 2022

May Long Weekend – Monday, May 23rd, 2022

Last day of lessons is Saturday, June 25th, 2022

Pre-authorized Payment Memberships

Upon registering for regular term lessons students will be set up with a lesson membership which includes 39 lessons per year. The amount for the full year (Tuesday, September 7th, 2021 – Saturday, June 25th, 2022) will be divided into 10 equal payments which will be automatically withdrawn from your credit card or bank account on the 1st of each month. If students sign up mid-year the amounts will be pro-rated until the end of the year.

Monday lesson students – there are 35 scheduled lessons on Mondays, therefore you will have four extra lessons to book in with your teacher before the end of June 2022.

Friday lesson students – there are 38 scheduled lessons on Fridays, therefore you will have one extra lesson to book in with your teacher before the end of June 2022.

Private Lesson costs for 2020/21

30-minute private lesson = $38.50/ Monthly membership payments = $150.15

45-minute private lesson = $57.75/ Monthly membership payments = $225.23

60-minute private lesson = $77.00/ Monthly membership payments = $300.30

Adults only – 45 minute biweekly private lesson = $57.75/ Monthly membership payments = $109.73 (19 lessons for the year)

Adults only – 60 minute biweekly private lesson = $77.00/ Monthly membership payments = $146.30 (19 lessons for the year)

Registration Fee – $35 per lesson membership

William Lewans’ Master Class Annual Fee – $40 per student

Fall Registration 

For students who sign up for the fall session prior to September 2021 $100 of your payment plus any admin fees will be non-refundable should you decide to not commit to the lessons.

Ending or Suspending Lessons

Students wishing to end their regular music lessons must inform OTOB staff of the cancellation in writing (a quick email will do) at least four weeks in advance of the final lesson day. Students will be billed for the four weeks of lessons after notice is given whether those lessons are attended or not. All outstanding make-up lessons must be used within that four-week time or will be forfeited.

Classes (“Little Beats”/Ukulele and Hand Drumming)


Classes are paid for in full upon registration. If you miss a class, there will be NO makeup or credit given. If a student decides to stop coming to classes there will be NO makeup or credit given. 

Ending Classes

There are no refunds for classes – students who decide to discontinue classes during a session will forfeit the remaining classes if they do not attend.

Please see our website for current class fees

CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

The OTOB Code of Conduct sets out expectations of behaviour for everyone at OTOB, including both students and staff. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner as would credit themselves, their schools, their communities, and their families. Bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated.

Our Faculty is made up of professional musicians who are excited to share their knowledge with OTOB students. In some cases, disciplinary action may be required for the safety and education of fellow students. Our Faculty will operate with the utmost discernment in handling individuals and situations.

Where action may be required by the course instructor, a Warning System will be in effect:

1st Warning – the disruptive student will receive a warning regarding specific behaviour(s).

2nd Warning – the disruptive student will receive a second warning regarding specific behaviour(s), and the parent will be called and informed of the disruptive behaviour the student has displayed. The parent will be notified that this is the student’s second warning; any further warning will require the student’s removal from OTOB.

3rd Warning – should the student continue the behaviour after the 1st two warnings, the student will be dismissed from lessons, classes or camps and sent home immediately at their own expense. For those requiring parent supervision or transportation, the parent will be called to come to OTOB and pick up the student immediately. The student will not be allowed to return to classes and will forfeit all fees of their program.

SNOW DAYS

On the Off Beat Music School remains open during the winter despite weather conditions. In the case of a TDSB closure due to extreme weather conditions, OTOB will revert to online lessons.

DROP OFF/PICK UP

OTOB staff are not responsible for unsupervised students outside of their lesson times. Please ensure parents or caregivers pick up and drop off children on time. Please see our Covid-19 page for updated pick up/drop off information: https://ontheoffbeat.ca/covid-19updates/

COVID-19 Waiver

Viral and infectious diseases including but not limited to COVID-19, SARS, MERS and Influenza (the “Diseases”) are highly contagious and are believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. Notwithstanding attempts to put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of Disease, “On the Off Beat Music School” cannot guarantee that you and/or your child(ren) will not become exposed to any Diseases as a result of attending music lessons, classes or camps (the “Lessons”).

Upon registering for lessons and agreeing to the “On the Off Beat Music School” policies, I acknowledge:

1. The highly contagious nature of Diseases and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Provincial and Territorial authorities recommend maintaining distance between participants to reduce the spread.

2. “On the Off Beat Music School” cannot guarantee that I and/or my child(ren) will not become infected with a Disease, and by voluntarily attending Lessons, I acknowledge that myself and/or my child(ren) are increasing our risk of exposure to a Disease.

3. I, and/or my child(ren) voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to myself or my child(ren), and hereby release, waive, discharge “On the Off Beat Music School”, its board, officers, individual members, independent contractors, affiliates, employees, representatives, successors and assigns (hereafter the “Released Parties”) for any and all liabilities, claims, demands, actions and causes of action whatsoever, directly related to any loss, damage, injury or death that may be sustained by myself or my child(ren) related to any Diseases while participating in Lessons, including all activity necessarily incidental to attending Lessons that may lead to unintentional exposure or harm.

4. I, and/or my child(ren) understand and agree that this release includes any claims based on the actions, omissions or negligence of the Released Parties whether contraction of a Disease occurs before, during or after participation in any Lessons.

5. The execution of this Waiver and Release is a condition precedent to myself and/or child(ren) participating in the Lessons.

6. And, for and in consideration of being able to participate in the Lessons, I, and/or on behalf of my child(ren), irrevocably and unconditionally agree to fully indemnify the Released Parties from and against any loss, liability, damages, costs and expenses suffered by the Released Parties as a result of a claim made or proceedings commenced by myself or my child(ren) or by Music Lesson Waiver and Release, page 2 my heirs, representatives, assigns, against any other person, corporation or other entity (including the Crown) who claims, or whose representatives, successors claim contribution or indemnity from the Released Parties, or which otherwise results in the Released Parties suffering or incurring any loss, liability, damages, costs or expenses in relation to any Diseases.

7. I, and/or on behalf of my child(ren), understand that if any portion of this agreement is found to be void or unenforceable, the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. By agreeing to the “On the Off Beat Music School” policies upon registration, I and/or my child(ren) acknowledge that we have carefully read this agreement and understand its contents; That we have been sufficiently informed of the risks involved and give our voluntary consent in signing it as my own free act and deed, free from any inducement, with the full intention to be bound.