Should Your Music Teacher Give Makeup Lessons? - Piano lessons Amsterdam

I’ve seen lesson policies from music schools and private teachers that promise flexibility, saying things like: if you're sick, there’s a party, or you just don’t feel like coming, you can make up the lesson later or cancel without paying. Sounds great, who wouldn’t want that?

After chatting with several of my colleagues, I’ve heard countless stories of “flexible” arrangements that often backfire. The stories resonated deeply, especially since they echo real challenges teachers face, and I want to keep them here, because they matter.

One key theme that comes up is how one missed lesson can spiral into chaos. Say your teacher works from 3 to 7 pm, Monday through Friday. That’s 20 hours. You miss your Wednesday slot from 4 to 5. Now your teacher either has to find time outside those hours to make it up, without extra pay, or cancel the slot and lose income. Suddenly they’re working 21 hours for the pay of 20—or, worse, effectively working for 19.

A colleague put it like this: imagine turning up at work and being told there’s no work, and no pay - for one hour, but you need to come in early the next day to catch up. Sounds unfair, right? Multiply that by dozens of students, and you’ve got chaos during busy seasons like the holidays. That stress drains teachers and eventually diminishes the quality of teaching.

Some studios stay flexible because they fear losing students. Others have no-makeup policies, which often indicates teachers with stable, professional practices. Overworked, underpaid, or burned-out teachers risk quitting entirely, and that hurts students too. This also makes it harder for teachers with fairer policies, since prospective students may go to the teacher down the road who promises endless reschedules and a casual pay-as-you-go option.

I also understand that from a student’s or parent’s perspective, missing a lesson feels like paying for something you didn’t receive. That frustration is real, and it’s why I’ve shaped my policy to offer flexibility where it’s practical. The goal isn’t to penalise anyone for life happening, but to protect the rhythm of learning for all my students. A regular, predictable schedule gives the best long-term progress, and policies that support that rhythm ultimately serve students as much as teachers.

At Cleary Piano Lessons, I took those lessons to heart. Here’s what I do instead:

• You need to give 24 hours’ notice if you must miss a lesson.

• If you do, I’ll offer a make-up lesson, ideally within two weeks of the original time if my schedule allows, by giving you the slot of another student who cancels.

• If no suitable time exists, the lesson is unfortunately forfeited, so picking a time slot you can commit to is important.

• If you reschedule but then cancel again with less than 48 hours’ notice, that make-up is also forfeited.

• When in-person make-ups aren’t possible, I offer two alternatives:• Online (Zoom) lesson, or• Feedback on an audio recording of your playing.

This approach helps your learning stay uninterrupted, while keeping my schedule dependable and sane. No last-minute shuffle, no unfair extra workload, and no need to sacrifice teaching quality.

If life throws you a curveball, just let me know as early as you can and we’ll figure out the best path forward.

— Lorcan