REGISTRATION
Our program is designed as a six-month session running in Spring Term and Autumn Term to coincide with our annual recital taken place twice per year. However, we accept enrollments for the school throughout a year. Upon enrollment, all students must fill out “TAIKO-LAB REGISTRATION FORM”.
REGISTRATION FEE
There is a one-time non-refundable payment by cash due the your first lesson. This first payment includes: REGISTRATION FEE, TUITION FOR YOUR FIRST MONTH and CLASS MATERIAL. For class materials, we will give you drum sticks and stick cover.
CLASS SCHEDULE
For your first year, you start with STANDARD class. Please check the class schedule and see which day works for you. Each class is taken place twice per months or three times per month depending on the length of lesson.
(e.g. 90min class ⇒3 times per month / 120min class ⇒ 2 times per month)
TUITION
As for the tuition price, please consult the price chart. Once enrolled, you are supposed to pay your tuition monthly. We accept Auto-pay via Credit Card (Visa, Master, American Express, JCB, Diners, DC), so you do not have to worry about the payment every month.
ABSENCE AND MAKE-UP LESSON
When you will be absent from a lesson, please let us know in advance. The lesson you missed will be made up by attending to 1 DAY Wadaiko workshop or another standard class lesson of the same duration. (e.g. If your regular class is a 90 minutes-class, you can attend to another 90 minutes-class as a make-up lesson.)
A make-up lesson is valid during 3 months from your absent day.
VACATION or EXTENDED BREAK
If you will be absent for a whole month, please let us know through the web form by the 20th of the previous month so that you don’t have to pay monthly tuition. You can also fill out the absence form at store’s front desk.
・We cannot accept applications over the phone.
・You will be charged 1,100 yen (tax included) per class/month as a list management fee.
・If you are going to be absent for more than one month, please submit the absence form every month. ・Once you come back to the class, you will be charged the regular tution.
CHANGING CLASS
When you want to change your class, you should visit and notify the front desk by 20th of the previous month so that you can start in the new class in the following month. (e.g. if you want to participate to the new class in March, you need to notify us by February 20th.)
QUITTING/DROPPING CLASS
When you want to quit your class and cancel your membership, please submit the application form to store’s front desk by the 20th of the month you would like to quit.
・We do not accept requests from anyone except you.
・We cannot accept applications over the phone.
・If you apply after the 21st of the month to quit, you will be able to quit the regular class at next month.
STUDIO EXPECTATIONS
- Students are supposed to bring appropriate workout clothes, in-house shoes and drum sticks.
- To avoid any noise disturbances, students are not supposed to open the soundproof double doors during classes. If you need to walk out of studio, please open the door one by one.
- Please watch your steps when you open the studio doors to avoid any injuries.
- Students are not supposed to leave things (especially your drinks) on a drum, as its surface is very sensitive.
- Please keep enough distance between each drum, and please do not hit the drums that are not assigned to you.
- Please present your membership card, or “Point Card”, at the front desk. Please do not forget to pick up your card after the lesson. We will give you a stamp on your card each month when you attend to the lesson. Once collecting twelve stamps, you will get coupons for workshops.
- When you lose the point card, it can be reissued for free, but please note that stamps you collected before will be no longer valid.
- Class schedule will be announced every three months on our website. Please check your class schedule every month as the time schedule is subject to change depending on months. On occasion, a lesson might be given by a substitute teacher due to various reasons.
- The students start from “Standard class”, the beginner level. As you get better at drumming, you can take other advanced classes after consulting with your instructor and getting approval from him/her The level of difficulties in class is as follows: STANDARD⇒ADVANCE⇒MASTER⇒JYO-KYU
It will take about a year for a beginner to move up to an advanced class. - Participating in annual recitals is not compulsory but optional. Participating in recitals costs participation fee, and we will announce the detail during application period.
- Other than regular classes, we also have workshops and studio live event as well. Please check our announcement on website or e-mail newsletter.
FAQ
Q. What do you do in Advanced classes?
A. In addition to learning Sueoki-gata (the basic style with the drum placed on the floor), you can learn different drumming styles such as Yoko-uchi (side stroke) or Naname Uchi (slanted stand) style. The composition you learn in advanced class varies from traditional songs to contemporary ones.
Q. I’d like to take an Advanced class but I cannot find any class that I can fit in.
A. You can continue your STANDARD class but with an advanced music sheet. Therefore you can learn a composition that is designed more complicated for an advanced student while other STANDARD students in a class will learn the same composition designed easier for STANDARD level.
Q. What is a workshop class?
A. We have various workshops such as a special workshop by a prominent instructor, or a workshop for traditional drumming style.
OTHER MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES
- When your friend(s) become our membership through your invitation, you will get special drumming sticks with your name engraved on. Also, no registration fee will be charged for your friend.
- When you enroll for another class, you will get a tuition discount. Please ask to the front desk for the detail.
- You can rent our studio when it is not used for classes. You can make a reservation two weeks before your desired date and time.