1. Contact Your Teacher 

   1. Agree with your teacher on the day, time, length, and format of your lessons (in person or online). 
      1. Lessons can be 30, 45, or 60 minutes long. 
      2. Students and teachers will determine a mutually available lesson time within Mon-Thu 4:00-8:00 or Fri 4:00-6:00 before completing registration. 
      3. Please note the parking information in case parking costs affect your preference of lesson time.
   2. New to CMS? See our teachers, then either fill out the Private Lesson Inquiry Form or email asucommunitymusic@appstate.edu to let us know which teacher you'd like to connect with.
   3. Your teacher must reserve your lesson time for you before you register.

1. Read the Musician Handbook

   1. Please note the supervision requirements for minors under 18. 

Register through Iris

REMINDER: Your registration and payment DO NOT guarantee your lesson time or teacher's availability without their prior agreement.

Registration for Spring 2024 is now closed. Check back in August 2024 and join us for Fall lessons!

Complete Your Permission Form

In-Person Lessons for Minors (under 18)

A parent or guardian will need to fill out the Youth Form 2 business days before the first lesson.

The first lesson will be postponed if all forms are not completed by this time.

• Visit our Private Lessons page to read about our instruments, faculty, and pay rates.
• Students will need to agree on a lesson time with their teacher before registering. 
• New students can email the CMS team at asucommunitymusic@appstate.edu and we will put you in touch with your desired teacher. We can also recommend a teacher for you. 
• CMS is not able to provide instruments at this time. Please visit your local music store for more information about instrument rentals and purchases. Your teacher may be able to offer some recommendations for your specific instrument. 

How to Apply

Tuition assistance may be available towards CMS lessons. Applying promptly is recommended for best results. Tuition assistance applications may take up to 2 weeks to be processed.

1. If you are interested in applying for tuition assistance, proceed through the normal registration process shown on this page (including getting in touch with your teacher, planning a lesson time, etc). 
2. There are two ways to apply for assistance:
   1. Full semester commitment: After you have made your selections in the full-semester Registration Form, you will have the opportunity to pause your order (saving your information) and complete the Tuition Assistance Application.
   2. Beginning with 4 lessons: If you are new to CMS are not sure if you want to commit to a full semester, you can begin by paying in full for your 4-lesson package. After completing your first 4 lessons, you will have the opportunity to complete the Tuition Assistance Application and await results before adding more lessons.
3. If CMS is able to award tuition assistance, we will notify you at the email address you provide. 
   1. If you accept a tuition assistance award, the balance of your order will be reduced before you make your first payment in Iris.
   2. If we are not able to award tuition assistance or it does not suit your needs, there is no obligation to complete the order. Just let us know if you do not choose to accept. 

Please email asucommunitymusic@appstate.edu with questions about tuition assistance.

Terms and Conditions for Tuition Assistance

Please preview the following terms and conditions for tuition assistance below. 

1. If awarded tuition assistance, the participant or parent/guardian will need to respond to the tuition assistance award email within 3 business days and make an initial payment within a week of the award email.

2. If a payment plan is chosen, the participant or family will need to make regular monthly payments by the scheduled dates.

3. The participant and family will need to follow the policies in the Musician Handbook.  

4. The participant will need to attend lessons regularly as scheduled. If more than one lesson is missed/canceled/rescheduled with less than 24 hours' notice to the teacher, CMS reserves the right to discontinue tuition assistance and require remaining lessons to be paid at the regular rate. (Please note the sections on "Withdrawals and Refunds" and "Missed or Rescheduled Lessons" in our Handbook.) If circumstances make it difficult to attend lessons, please let us know ASAP so we can work with you.

4. If requested by CMS staff, we ask that the participant or family provide CMS with a testimonial about the lesson experience that we may publish. (CMS will not identify any student as receiving tuition assistance.) 

Fall 2023

• Lessons may begin as early as September 5 (actual start date depends on teacher and when registration is completed). Registration must be completed 2 business days before the lesson in order to not delay the lesson time.
• New students may register throughout the year.
• The due dates for payments are October 1 and November 1. 
• It is recommended to complete all lessons by November 30. 
• Lessons must be completed by December 5.

• Log into your Iris account: https://appstate.irisregistration.com.
• Click on "Registrations" and find the entry for your CMS program.
• Click the orange “Make a Payment” button.
  • Iris accepts MasterCard and Visa. 
• Payments are not to be made directly to teachers at any time. 
• Payment Due Dates
  • Fall 2023 Full Semester Private Lessons
    • October 1 and November 1
    • After your initial payment of 40%, you will make two payments of at least 30% by each payment due date.
    • You may pay in full at any time.
  • New Student Private Lessons
    • Students in the New Student package can add more lessons after their first 4. Any lessons added will need to be paid for before continuing with the added lessons. 
• For help making a payment in Iris, please contact Carey Driskell (driskellc@appstate.edu, (828) 262-2942).

Lessons will be paused if payment is not received by the due date.

• A lesson missed or rescheduled with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged as a regular lesson. 
• A teacher will reschedule one lesson without penalty if the student/family provides over 24 hours’ notice. 
• Even with advance notice, a teacher may not be able to reschedule frequently due to their other time commitments. For this reason, a teacher is not required to reschedule more than one lesson. Students and families are recommended to ask their teacher if and when a lesson can be rescheduled before planning to reschedule a lesson for a vacation, appointment, etc. Please note that unfinished lessons do not roll over to future semesters and are not refunded.

• Private lessons are typically not eligible for refunds except in extraordinary circumstances. 
• If a student needs to withdraw from private lessons, the student (and parent/guardian if applicable) must email a notice of withdrawal to Lisl Doughton,  Director (doughtonlk@appstate.edu).
• For lessons missed before officially withdrawing, no refunds will be given and no charges will be waived.
• If a student withdraws from private lessons and receives a waiver or refund, the following will be subtracted from the waiver or refund:
  • a $30 processing fee
  • the full value of any previous lessons (based on the regular price even if tuition assistance was received)

• Pricing is based on the instructor's training and experience. 
• See our instructors here. Each instructor's pay rate (Apprentice, Master, or Professional) is listed above their bio. 
• One $25 registration fee will be added in checkout. This covers fees charged by Conference and Camp Services.
  • Registering for more than one kind of private lessons this fall? Before completing payment on the additional private lesson registration(s), email Carrie Henderson (hendersoncf@appstate.edu) to have your $25 registration fee waived for those orders.

College students are welcome to join Community Music School programs that are open to their age range. CMS lessons are a great opportunity for adult students who are not music majors or minors to pursue their musical interests. 

However, college students should note that Community Music School-sponsored lessons and classes do not count for college credit. Students wishing to take music courses for college credit can find a variety of ensembles and classes on the Hayes School of Music's Opportunities for Non-Majors page. (Please also check the current course catalog for the most up-to-date class offerings and times.) 

Before choosing a lesson time, college students are encouraged to consider where they will be able to practice their instrument or receive online lessons. There are several practice rooms in the Broyhill Music Center designated for use by non-music majors. These are on the fourth floor and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.