Terms, Conditions, Policies and Procedures
Thank you for being a part of our studio. By using our website and by engaging our studio and our teachers, we thank you for considering and adhering to the following terms, conditions, policies and procedures:
General in-studio and lesson policies and procedures
For in-studio lessons
Students are encouraged to arrive 5-10mins early in order to be relaxed and prepared for their lesson if held in-studio. It is expected that students will bring their materials to each lesson, however we also keep copies of all materials in studio for each student. Don't worry - we can print your lyrics in-studio!
For online lessons & classes
Please do not "arrive early". Please join your lesson on time, and wait for your teacher.
For children's online group and livestream class contexts, we require students to switch their video on. This is part of our child-safety policy for online teaching and allows us to verify between children and any other adult participants during classes held online. Participants who do not adhere to this will be removed from online classes.
Behaviour and conduct
We pride ourselves in being a fully inclusive, and non-discriminating environment. At all times, we expect students, patrons and staff to to treat our teachers, staff members, and fellow students, with respect, dignity and kindness. We do not tolerate poor behaviour in-studio, or online, on any of our teaching and learning platforms, including all social media channels. Failure to adhere to this will result in enrolment and services being terminated.
Disengagement
If a student or class participant shows consistent disengagement or cancellations, we will asses future lesson suitability with our teachers and may recommend other alternatives.
Video recording during lessons
Video/sound recording during lessons for the purposes of personal study (and not for online publishing) is permitted after a teacher is advised. Please do not record your lesson without permission from your teacher. We encourage students to avoid publishing themselves singing until they reach a certain level of skill and to always discuss this with their teacher and parent/guardian, due to the risks of social media harassment, bullying, and various issues that many singers may experience online.
Covid-19 Procedures:
All lessons and bookings are subject to our CovidSafe procedures. Please click here to view our most recent updates.
Travel to the studio
If students are allowed to travel alone to their lesson (such as from school), please advise us of this in writing. In typical circumstances, and for very young students, parents are required to drop-off and pick-up their child as close to their lesson/class time as possible. If a student is required to be dropped off earlier or picked up later, please let us know and we will endeavour to accomodate this where possible. Teachers are busy while teaching and therefore we cannot always watch over waiting students.
Communicating with teachers during lessons
We kindly ask that parents avoid communicating with students and teachers except for reasonable instances or where teachers relay information (such as homework and practice requirements) to parents. This is ensure our lessons run on time and as structured.
Lesson Cancellations
Opening Times
We are an evergreen training facility and remain open throughout the year, except for the Christmas/New Year break and Public Holidays. We are open Monday-Saturday from 10am-7:30pm.
*Parents, kindly note that our studio remains open and lessons continue throughout the School Holidays - if you pause due to holidays yet require us to maintain or hold your time for your child, our billing continues as usual however we can assign homework or make-ups where reasonable.
Ongoing Lesson Enrolments
Active Until Cancelled - Please allow 14 days before your next billing date for all changes or cancellations. For missed lessons with over 48 hours of notice, or lessons that fall on a public holiday, homework will be sent in lieu of your session, or a make-up session arranged with your teacher or a member of our staff, where reasonably possible. For parents, please note our studio remains open throughout the school holidays; lessons and billing continue through this period. During the Christmas closure period, billing continues and 2 make up lesson credits may be used any time the following year.
For more info on Ongoing Lesson fees, inclusions and conditions, please click here
Casual Lessons & Casual Passes
Please allow 48 hours for cancellations or fees are forfeited/payable. Passes are active for 3 months. Passes for lessons with directors are active for 6 months.
For more info on Casual Lesson and Casual Pass fees, inclusions and conditions, please click here
Illness
Where a student is unwell, please advise us by email. Our cancellation policies apply to cases of illness however teacher discretion and schedule availability is used to ascertain whether a make-up lesson can be re-scheduled.
Teacher Cancellations
Where a teacher is unable to teach you, a member of our staff will be assigned as a substitute. In instances where this is not possible, you will be credited a make-up lesson to be scheduled at a time suitable.
Projects & Performance Events
Short Term projects, programs & Events - Such as Small-scale One-Off Workshops, Webinars or Performances
Short term projects include one-off events such as workshops, webinars, performances/gigs, production and single-date event management. All short-term projects are provided with a proposal and project quote. To accept a proposal and quote, a deposit of 30% is required to secure your intended event dates, or to secure your project timeline, at least 30 days prior to event or project start date and before any work begins on deliverables. Full fees are required 14 days before your event or project start. Cancellations made after a deposit is paid forfeits the deposit; where required a retainer may be required to continue project milestones as agreed. Cancellations made under 14 days forfeit the full fee. A service agreement may be provided and entered into where relevant and/or required.
Long-term projects - Such as Course Design, Teacher Training & Bespoke Educational Resources
Long term projects include larger programs such as multi-day workshops, coursework and webinars (i.e. weekly, fortnightly or monthly delivery), multi-day event management and performances/gigs that require larger production and musical arrangement, and similar. All long-term projects require a full client brief prior to being provided with a proposal and project quote. To accept a proposal and quote, a deposit of 30% is required to secure your intended event or project dates at least 30 days prior to start and before any work begins on deliverables. Full fees are required 14 days before your event or project start and where negotiated, paid in instalments or by retainer billed monthly in advance under 14 day payment terms. Cancellations made after a deposit is paid and under 30 days notice forfeit the deposit and any fees owed for services and resources utilised within the 30 day period are due in full or unless stated otherwise in the provided service agreement. Cancellations of long-term projects are subject to negotiation as per provided service agreement.
Professional Singers/Musicians Outsourced for HSC, Auditions, or Tertiary Performances
HSC and/or professional singers who require our teachers/singers and musicians to travel and/or perform at rehearsals, external performances, examinations and/or auditions, a call-out performance fee applies. This fee varies depending on the experience and scope of the performance work required. Please see 'short term projects' above for more information.
Payments & Fee Inclusions
Ongoing Lessons
Ongoing lesson fees are billed by auto-debit monthly using our payment platform, Stripe. Please maintain an active "ongoing lesson" option to maintain lesson times. To cancel an enrolment, please allow 14 days before your next billing date by emailing accounts@sydneyvoicestudio.com.au. A payment pause applies during our Christmas closure period. For more info on Ongoing Lesson fees, inclusions and conditions, please click here.
Casual Lessons
Casual lesson fees are paid at the time of booking or with an active Casual pass. If your lesson is booked through your teacher, an invoice will be sent to you. For more info on Casual Lesson and Casual Pass fees, inclusions and conditions, please click here.
Courses
Fees allow access to your purchased course, and are billed either as a on-off payment or by auto-debit instalments using our payment platform, Stripe.
Creative Kids Vouchers
As at July 1, 2024, we currently do not accept the $50 Creative Kids Vouchers.
Funded Payments - NDIS, Professional Development or Health-related Reimbursements or Funding Acquittals.
We are able to support tailored billing solutions as required by criteria, and where applicable by our services. Please contact the studio directly by email to accounts@sydneyvoicestudio.com.au to arrange your requirements. For NDIS funded placements, please apply here using our intake form: NDIS/NDIA students - please note, as of October 3, 2024, singing, voice training and performance coaching may not longer be funded as a support. Please check with your plan manager for more details.
Student Requests, Changes to Enrolment, Refunds & Updating Credit Card Details
For all enrolment and billing requests, please CLICK HERE to fill in our request form.
For enquiries related to payments, such as refunds or credit, please contact accounts@sydneyvoicestudio.com.au. Refunds are not permitted on Gift Card purchases, or enrolments/bookings cancelled outside of our standard terms and conditions however requests will be honoured on a case-by-case basis.
Copyright Policy: Music, Materials & External Performances
Where sheet music, charts and other materials (such as backing tracks, examination books, audition manuals, etc.) are required by students and sourced/provided by our teachers for the purposes of lesson/content, costs incurred are payable by the student.
Copyright protected material is not included in fees however all in-studio and in-house resources, such as library access, and Sydney Voice Studio designed curriculum material is included, and are free to use using licensed platforms, such as Spotify, Itunes, etc., or our student portal).
Inclusivity Policy
The Sydney Voice Studio is committed to each student’s success in learning within a caring, responsive, and safe environment that is free of discrimination, violence, and bullying. Our studio works to ensure that all students have the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential. We service diverse students of different abilities, cultural backgrounds, language, gender identities and nationalities.
We require all students, patrons and staff to maintain respectful behaviour towards other teachers and fellow students/singers, and families. We also require all students and families to display respect towards our students and teachers in all online correspondence, including social media, email and/or related forums.
We pride ourselves on upholding a culture of inclusivity and reserve the right to withhold our services if deemed necessary for the mental and physical safety and experience of all patrons and guests.
Our studio adheres to the national guidelines, policies and rules in relation to bullying: see www.stopbullyingnoway.gov.au
Child Safety Policy
All of our teachers hold current Working With Children checks, verified via the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. Our studio adheres to the state guidelines, policies and principles on child safety in accordance with the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian: see www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/child-safe-principles. We have a specific child-safe policy in place and welcome parents/guardians to read this policy. These principles are as follow:
Principle 1: The organisation focuses on what is best for children
Principle 2: All children are respected and treated fairly
Principle 3: Children’s families and communities are welcome and encouraged to participate in the organisation
Principle 4: Children receive services from skilled and caring adults
We thank you for your consideration and acceptance of our studio terms, conditions, policies and procedures.
Privacy Policy
By using our website and engaging with our studio, our services and our teachers, please be advised of our privacy policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected by Sydney Voice Studio Pty Ltd (we, us or our) via the website located at www.sydneyvoicestudio.com.au (Website).
1. What information do we collect?
The kind of Personal Information that we collect from you will depend on how you use the website. The Personal Information which we collect and hold about you may include:
Your name or the names of students enrolled, your contact details, and the details of any other person/contact you provide whome you would like us to contact in the event of an emergency, or for billing purposes (such as an agency). We may also require your email address and payment details in order to process and provide services as requested. Where relevant, we may request for your date of birth if we are required to provide services or payments linked to third-party allied health (such as NDIS, or for other related consultative purposes) or government services (such as Create NSW vouchers or services linked to government funding).
2. Types of information
The Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) (Privacy Act) defines types of information, including Personal Information and Sensitive Information.
Personal Information means information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
(a) whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
(b) (ii) whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.
If the information does not disclose your identity or enable your identity to be ascertained, it will in most cases not be classified as “Personal Information” and will not be subject to this privacy policy.
Sensitive Information is defined in the Privacy Act as including information or opinion about such things as an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.
Sensitive Information will be used by us only:
(a) for the primary purpose for which it was obtained, such as for voice-related training, vocal health and care, and to enhance or support our educational services delivered to you.
(b) for a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose; and
(c) with your consent or where required or authorised by law.
3. How we collect your Personal Information
(a) We may collect Personal Information from you whenever you input such information into the Website, related app or provide it to Us in any other way.
(b) We may also collect cookies from your computer which enable us to tell when you use the Website and also to help customise your Website experience. As a general rule, however, it is not possible to identify you personally from our use of cookies.
(c) We generally don’t collect Sensitive Information, but when we do, we will comply with the preceding paragraph.
(d) Where reasonable and practicable we collect your Personal Information from you only. However, sometimes we may be given information from a third party, in cases like this we will take steps to make you aware of the information that was provided by a third party.
4. Purpose of collection
(a) We collect Personal Information to provide you with our services, and the best service experience possible on the Website, or in our facilities, and to keep in touch with you about developments in our business.
(b) We customarily only disclose Personal Information to our service providers who assist us in operating the Website and/or our services. Your Personal Information may also be exposed from time to time to maintenance and support personnel acting in the normal course of their duties.
(c) By using our Website and by engaging with our services, you consent to the receipt of direct marketing material. We will only use your Personal Information for this purpose if we have collected such information direct from you, and if it is material of a type which you would reasonably expect to receive from use. We do not use sensitive Personal Information in direct marketing activity. Our direct marketing material will include a simple means by which you can request not to receive further communications of this nature, such as an unsubscribe button link.
5. Security, Access and correction
(a) We store your Personal Information in a way that reasonably protects it from unauthorised access, misuse, modification or disclosure. When we no longer require your Personal Information for the purpose for which we obtained in, we will take reasonable steps to destroy and anonymise or de-identify it. Most of the Personal Information that is stored in our client files and records will be kept for a maximum of 7 years to fulfill our record keeping obligations.
(b) The Australian Privacy Principles:
(i) permit you to obtain access to the Personal Information we hold about you in certain circumstances (Australian Privacy Principle 12); and
(ii) allow you to correct inaccurate Personal Information subject to certain exceptions (Australian Privacy Principle 13).
(c) Where you would like to obtain such access, please contact us in writing on the contact details set out at the bottom of this privacy policy.
6. Complaint procedure
If you have a complaint concerning the manner in which we maintain the privacy of your Personal Information, please contact us as on the contact details set out at the bottom of this policy. All complaints will be considered by the Director/s and or management team of Sydney Voice Studio Pty Ltd and we may seek further information from you to clarify your concerns. If we agree that your complaint is well founded, we will, in consultation with you, take appropriate steps to rectify the problem. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
7. Overseas transfer and website privacy
Your Personal Information may be transferred overseas or stored overseas for a variety of reasons, mainly for the purposes of user processing, login support or payment processing. Our website is created by the platform Wix, and the privacy policy pertaining to user processing is available to you (click here). It is not possible to identify each and every country to which your Personal Information may be sent. If your Personal Information is sent to a recipient in a country with data protection laws which are at least substantially similar to the Australian Privacy Principles, and where there are mechanisms available to you to enforce protection of your Personal Information under that overseas law, we will not be liable for a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles if your Personal Information is mishandled in that jurisdiction. If your Personal Information is transferred to a jurisdiction which does not have data protection laws as comprehensive as Australia's, we will take reasonable steps to secure a contractual commitment from the recipient to handle your information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.
8. GDPR
In some circumstances, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides additional protection to individuals located in Europe. The fact that you may be located in Europe does not, however, on its own entitle you to protection under the GDPR. Our website does not specifically target customers located in the European Union and we do not monitor the behaviour of individuals in the European Union, and accordingly the GDPR does not apply.
9. How to contact us about privacy
If you have any queries, or if you seek access to your Personal Information, or if you have a complaint about our privacy practices, you can contact us through: accounts@sydneyvoicestudio.com.au.