A non-refundable $25 registration fee is required at the time of enrollment. 

Includes a RMS School of Music Coupon (good up to $15) to be used toward teacher-recommended lesson materials. Details of value/usage will be listed on the coupon. 

Additional family members may register at a discounted rate of $20 (including a RMS School of Music Coupon). 

The registration fee is waived if an instrument is purchased or rented from Robert M. Sides. (Note: No coupon is included in this case.) 

A recurring payment method (credit/debit card) is required to register and maintain ongoing lessons. 

Monthly tuition is automatically charged on the 1st of each month, or on the next applicable business day. 

Example: Tuition for July 2025 will be charged on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. 

To cancel a student’s lesson for a specific day or specific multiple days, please utilize your Opus1 account. 

This will immediately notify our Staff and the affected Teacher of a student’s absence. 

If you are unable to use your Opus1 account to cancel a lesson(s), then this must be communicated to the Lesson Coordinating Staff by the student or a parent or guardian if the student is under 18. 

Accepted methods of communication: 

Email to lessons@rmsides.com 

Call to store 

Williamsport – 570-326-2094 

Arnot Mall – 607-739-1559 

State College – 814-861-6882 

Direct verbal communication to Staff (not the applied teacher) 

We understand that schedule shifts happen. Please notify the Lesson Coordinating Staff  directly to update a student’s permanent lesson schedule. 

Discussing schedule shifts with the assigned teacher is recommended but does not officially modify a student/teacher’s schedule. This must be done through the Store Staff. 

Due to the full schedules of our faculty, make-up lessons are not offered. 

Each student is assigned a dedicated weekly time slot. Missed lessons—regardless of reason—will not be refunded or rescheduled, as the time is held exclusively for that student. 

Our tuition is based on a flat monthly rate, not per lesson. We encourage students to attend all scheduled lessons to receive the full value of their enrollment. 

Teachers will wait up to 15 minutes for a student to arrive. After that time, the lesson will be considered missed and will not be rescheduled or refunded. 

If a student arrives late, the lesson will still end at the scheduled time to respect the next student’s appointment. 

If a teacher is more than 10 minutes late and cannot be reached by the store staff, the missed time will be credited to the student’s account. 

If a student has two or more consecutive unexcused absences (i.e., no call/no show), our school reserves the right to remove the individual from the lesson schedule. 

This decision would be determined by the assigned instructor and the Lesson Coordinating Staff. 

If a lesson is canceled by the teacher, a credit will be issued for the missed session. This credit will be automatically applied to the next lesson payment cycle. 

Applies to band/orchestral instruments (brass, woodwinds, and strings) 

Drum sets, Guitars, Bass Guitars, Ukuleles, Banjos, and Mandolins are not included 

Rent-to-Own allows the student to learn on a reliable instrument 

Maintenance/repairs are done by our service department as a part of the rental agreement 

No lessons will be held on official holidays observed by Robert M. Sides School of Music: 

New Year’s Day  

Easter/Spring Break (Good Friday through Easter Sunday) 

Memorial Day  

Independence Day  

Labor Day 

Thanksgiving (Wednesday through Sunday)  

Christmas/Winter Break (Begins Christmas Eve through the new year, dates vary) 

These closures are factored into our annual lesson schedule and tuition structure. 

All stores & locations are closed on Sundays. 

In the event of severe weather, our store staff will contact students and families directly regarding any lesson cancellations. 

Notifications will be sent to you via phone, email, or text. 

Lessons are billed at a flat monthly rate, which secures a weekly session with one of our instructors. 

This monthly rate is based on an annual total of 48 lessons, accounting for: 

Scheduled holiday closures 

Occasional months with five weeks 

While the number of lessons may vary from month to month, students are guaranteed a minimum of 48 lessons per year. 

Students should wait in the designated waiting area until their teacher arrives to begin the lesson. 

Students under the age of 12 must be picked up promptly at the end of their lesson. 

Teachers often share important updates or practice tips with parents/guardians, so timely pick-up allows for this valuable communication. 

Students under the age of 12 are advised to be supervised by a parent or guardian while on the premises. 

Our store contains a variety of musical instruments and equipment, and we want to ensure a safe environment for both students and instruments. 

We encourage exploration and curiosity in music but ask that it be done under staff supervision to maintain safety and respect for our space. 

Online lessons are conducted via secure video conferencing platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom, or through the Opus1 lesson management system. 

The assigned instructor will determine which platform is used for each student’s online lessons. 

Students and families are responsible for ensuring a stable internet connection and a quiet, distraction-free environment during the scheduled lesson time. 

Online lessons follow the same attendance and cancellation policies as in-person lessons. Missed online lessons will not be refunded or rescheduled unless canceled by the instructor. 

Teachers will wait up to 15 minutes for a student to join the online session before marking the lesson as missed.  

The specific behavior of concern will be discussed. 

Expectations for appropriate conduct will be clearly outlined. 

A verbal warning will be issued. 

A note will be added to the student’s account for documentation purposes. 

A second meeting will be scheduled with the same parties. 

A formal written agreement will be presented, outlining the behavior, expectations moving forward, and consequences of further misconduct. 

All parties (student, parent/guardian, and staff) will be required to sign the agreement. 

Refusal to sign the agreement will be treated as a third instance of misconduct. 

The student’s lessons will be terminated immediately. 

No refunds or credits will be issued for any remaining lessons in the current month. 

A final note will be added to the student’s account and  

The student will no longer be eligible to enroll in lessons at Robert M. Sides School of Music. 

Continual disruptive behavior that is not conducive to lessons 

Name calling, slurs, and overall harmful language towards other customers, faculty or staff 

Neglecting/littering lesson spaces and items (studios, instruments, waiting areas, store front, performance spaces, etc.) 

Lesson times will not be reserved without payment. 

To retain your scheduled time slot during a break, the regular monthly tuition must still be paid. 

If you choose to pause lessons without payment, your time slot will be released, and you will be placed on a waiting list should you wish to resume in the future. 

All lesson membership cancellations must be processed through store staff, not directly through faculty members. 

For students under 18, a parent, guardian, or account manager must provide a cancellation notice. 

Tuition is charged at a flat monthly rate, not per lesson. 

If termination occurs after the 1st of the month, no refunds or credits will be issued for the remaining lessons. 

We do not offer prorated refunds for mid-month cancellations.