Frequently Asked Questions

Hands-On Music is a 12-week after-school group piano club for elementary students. Students meet once a week for approximately 60 minutes and learn foundational piano and music skills in a fun, social group environment.

Hands-On Music primarily serves students in Kindergarten through 5th grade.

Students are generally grouped into:

• Kindergarten–1st Grade
• 2nd–5th Grade

Exact groupings may vary depending on enrollment and available space at each school.

No! Hands-On Music is designed to be beginner-friendly, and no previous piano experience is required.

Students who have some previous experience are also welcome. Because this is a group club, students who are significantly more advanced or who need highly individualized instruction may be better served through private lessons.

Students work on age-appropriate skills such as:

• Keyboard and piano fundamentals
• Rhythm
• Note reading
• Finger numbers and technique
• Musical vocabulary
• Songs and performance skills
• Listening and ensemble skills
• Musical games and activities

Our goal is to help students build a strong musical foundation while developing confidence, independence, and a love of making music.

Each Hands-On Music class is approximately 60 minutes and takes place once per week after school.

Each semester includes 12 club meetings.

School holidays, breaks, teacher workdays, conference days, and other school closures are taken into consideration when we create each school's calendar.

Yes. Hands-On Music instructors complete required background-check procedures and receive club training before teaching in our schools.

Hands-On Music is operated by Southern Art Music Initiative, and our instructors are not employees of the individual elementary schools.

Registration is completed through Hands-On Music. Space is limited at each school, so registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please make sure you provide accurate information for your child, including:

• Student first and last name
• Grade
• Homeroom teacher
• Normal dismissal method
• Parent/guardian name
• Parent/guardian phone number
• Approved pickup persons

Please enter the student's name in the student fields—not the parent's name. Our rosters are shared with schools, so the student's information needs to match the name the school recognizes.

Sometimes. If space is still available, we may be able to accept a late registration.

Please contact us before registering late so we can confirm that there is still space and arrange your child's materials.

Once a club reaches capacity, additional students may be placed on a waitlist.

Depending on instructor availability and your location, we may also be able to offer private in-home piano lessons as an alternative.

Registration is handled by semester. Families should watch for registration information when enrollment opens for the next session.

Tuition for the 12-week club is $300, plus a $15 registration fee.

This includes your child's instructional materials and take-home keyboard package.

Yes. Families who prefer not to pay the full amount at once may be able to use Klarna at checkout.

Klarna allows eligible customers to divide their purchase into smaller payments based on the payment options available to them.

Payment options, approval, due dates, and any applicable Klarna terms are determined directly by Klarna.

No. Hands-On Music does not manage installment payment plans directly.

If you would like to divide the cost of enrollment, please select Klarna at checkout if it is available to you.

Because Klarna manages its own payment schedules, approvals, and payment methods, questions about a Klarna installment or payment should be directed to Klarna.

For questions about your Hands-On Music enrollment, tuition total, registration, or student account, please contact us.

Online payments include a 3.5% transaction fee, regardless of the payment method. Any charges will be shown during checkout before your purchase is completed.

Yes. A $15 sibling discount is available for families with multiple students.

Please make sure both students are registered together so the discount can be applied appropriately.

Refunds depend on the circumstances and timing of the request.

If we are unable to place your student, a club is canceled, or there is another unusual enrollment issue, our team will work directly with you regarding the appropriate refund or alternative.

For withdrawal requests or individual circumstances, please contact us so we can review your account.

Please note: If you used Klarna to pay for your registration, an approved refund will be processed through the original payment method. Klarna will then handle any adjustment to your payment schedule or account.

Yes!

Every Hands-On Music student receives a keyboard as part of the club package, and the keyboard is theirs to keep.

This allows students to continue practicing at home throughout the semester.

Students receive a Hands-On Music materials package that includes:

• A keyboard to keep
• A Hands-On Music tote bag
• A method book
• Access to online practice resources

No. A keyboard is included with enrollment, so families do not need to purchase an instrument before the club begins.

No. The keyboard and materials are part of the complete Hands-On Music club package, so we do not currently offer a materials opt-out discount.

Returning students for the Spring 2027 year will receive a new book, pencils, and crayons.

The included bag is a Hands-On Music tote bag, not a padded or hard-shell keyboard case.

Yes! Students are encouraged to use their keyboard, book, and online resources between classes.

Regular practice—even in short sessions—helps students feel much more confident when they return to class the following week.

The school is responsible for routing registered students from their normal school-day dismissal to the Hands-On Music meeting location.

Hands-On Music instructors receive the students once they arrive at the club area.

No.

Our instructors are supervising the students who have already arrived and cannot leave the club area to search the building or retrieve individual students from classrooms, buses, aftercare clubs, or other locations.

Yes, please!

Especially with younger students, we strongly recommend reminding your child on the morning of their club day that they will be staying for Hands-On Music.

It can also be helpful to remind their classroom teacher.

Please contact the school and let us know what happened.

Hands-On Music instructors take attendance when students arrive, but they cannot intercept a student once the school has already dismissed that student to a bus, car rider line, aftercare club, or another dismissal location.

If your child is at school but does not arrive at Hands-On Music, the school is the best first point of contact for determining what occurred during dismissal.

Yes! We are able to send your student to their after-school program at their school after the club is over.

If you know your child will miss class, you are welcome to let us know.

If your child is absent from school, no additional action is required from our instructors. If your child is at school but should not attend club that day, please notify the school as well so they can follow the correct dismissal procedure.

Hands-On Music uses a numbered car rider tag system for dismissal.

Each student is assigned a unique dismissal number. That number is connected to the student's profile in the Hands-On Music app, allowing our instructors to quickly identify which student belongs with each arriving vehicle.

Families will receive a car rider tag displaying their student's assigned number.

Please display your Hands-On Music car rider tag so the number is clearly visible to our dismissal team.

When an instructor enters or views that number in the Hands-On Music app, they can identify the student assigned to the tag and prepare them for dismissal.

Yes.

Possession of the student's official Hands-On Music car rider tag indicates that the person displaying the tag is authorized to pick up that student.

Please keep your tag secure and only provide it to people you trust to pick up your child.

Normally, no.

If you have the student's assigned car rider tag, our instructors can use the number to identify and dismiss the student.

That's okay, but we will need to verify your identity before releasing the student.

Please be prepared to show a valid photo ID. Our instructor will compare your name against the student's approved pickup list in the Hands-On Music system.

Students cannot be released to someone who cannot be verified as an approved pickup person.

Yes.

If they have your child's official car rider tag, the tag serves as authorization for pickup.

If they do not have the tag, they must show a valid photo ID and their name must appear on the student's approved pickup list before we can release the student.

We cannot release the student to that person until authorization can be verified.

For student safety, please make sure anyone who may need to pick up your child is included on your approved pickup list.

Please contact Hands-On Music as soon as possible so we can update the student's approved pickup information.

For same-day changes, please contact us before dismissal whenever possible.

Please contact Hands-On Music so we can assist you.

Until you have a replacement tag, you will need to show a valid photo ID and be listed as an approved pickup person each time you pick up your child.

The numbered system allows our dismissal team to identify students quickly without displaying student names publicly.

It also gives our instructors one consistent dismissal process across Hands-On Music locations while maintaining an additional ID-verification process for anyone who arrives without a tag.

No.

The Hands-On Music dismissal system is the same, but the physical pickup location may vary by school. Please follow the school-specific instructions provided for your child's location.

Please plan to be ready for pickup at the official end time listed for your school's Hands-On Music class.

Our instructors begin dismissal promptly so that all students can leave safely and efficiently.

Parents generally do not enter regular Hands-On Music classes for dismissal.

Please remain in the designated pickup area and follow the dismissal instructions provided for your school.

Hands-On Music classes are designed for students and instructors, so parents do not normally attend weekly classes.

School districts do not allow for parents to attend, except for our pre-approved Sharing Day.

Yes!

We typically hold a Sharing Day during the final class of the semester so students can share some of what they have learned with their families.

Specific Sharing Day information is sent to families closer to the end of the session.

Students are expected to:

• Follow instructor directions
• Remain with the group
• Treat classmates and instructors respectfully
• Use keyboards and materials appropriately
• Allow others to learn
• Follow all school safety expectations

Because students are using musical instruments in a group environment, listening and following directions are especially important.

Our instructors will first redirect the student and work to help them return successfully to the activity.

If disruptive behavior becomes persistent, significantly interferes with other students' learning, or creates a safety concern, club administration will contact the family.

Continued or serious unsafe behavior may result in a student being removed from the club.

Yes, please.

We want students to be successful. If there are strategies that help your child understand directions, transition between activities, communicate, or participate in a group, please share those with us.

Hands-On Music is a group club and cannot provide dedicated one-on-one behavioral or medical support. In some situations, we may recommend private instruction if it would provide a better learning environment for the student.

Please let us know!

Visual demonstrations, modeling, repetition, and other instructional strategies can be very helpful for young learners. Sharing what works best for your child helps our instructors support them more effectively.

Absolutely.

Please let us know if there are particular strategies that help your child understand instructions. Our instructors can use demonstrations, visual cues, repetition, and modeling whenever possible to support students in the group environment.

Usually not.

Each school's 12-week calendar is created around its district calendar, including scheduled holidays, breaks, conference days, and other days when students are not in school.

Always refer to your school's Hands-On Music calendar for the exact 12 lesson dates.

If a schedule change affects Hands-On Music, families will be notified as soon as updated information is available.

Because we operate in many different schools and school districts, changes may occasionally affect one school without affecting the others.

Yes. Southern Art Music also offers private piano instruction, including in-home lessons when instructors are available in your area.

Private lessons are separate from Hands-On Music enrollment.

Hands-On Music is a great option for beginning and early-level students who enjoy learning in a social group environment.

Private lessons may be a better fit for students who:

• Prefer one-on-one instruction
• Have significant previous piano experience
• Need individualized pacing
• Need an instructional environment with more individualized support
• Cannot attend the Hands-On Music club offered at their school

Possibly! If your school's Hands-On Music club has reached capacity, contact us to ask about current in-home private lesson availability.

Please contact the Hands-On Music/Southern Art Music team. We can help with:

• Registration
• Tuition totals
• Materials
• Rosters
• Car rider tags
• Approved pickup persons
• Instructor concerns
• Club questions
• Behavior concerns
• Private lesson options

Please contact your child's school first.

The school manages the transition from the regular school day to after-school activities. Hands-On Music instructors cannot retrieve students once the school has routed them to another dismissal location.

You are also welcome to let us know what happened so we can help communicate with the school when appropriate.