Studio Policy

This “Studio Policy” is an evolving document comprised of the “Terms of Use” as well as “Terms & Conditions” of Make Loud Noise and are designed to protect the interests of visitors, students, and Make Loud Noise owner alike. The Make Loud Noise “Studio Policy” has been borne out of the lived experience of running an alternative voice studio with each included point, no matter how strange it might seem to the reader, having a genuine precedent that has occurred in real life necessitating its existence. As such, each student or visitor to makeloudnoise.com and the Make Loud Noise studio, both online and in person, agrees to this “Studio Policy” in totality as the “Terms of Use” as well as “Terms & Conditions” between themselves and Make Loud Noise owner, Anita Marie Martin. The “Studio Policy” is firm but fair and is a reflection of the professional standards of the Music Industry and best business practices in Australia. This document was last updated on the 23rd December 2024.

Terms of Use

By using the website at makeloudnoise.com and any of its social medial presences you accept these Terms of Use as well as Terms & Conditions. If you disagree with any part of these Terms of Use or Terms & Conditions you must not use makeloudnoise.com, any of its social media presences, or engage Make Loud Noise for any services. You agree to:

• Not intentionally or unintentionally steal, duplicate, borrow, modify, alter, misconstrue, defame, or misrepresent the Intellectual Property of Make Loud Noise or its owner, or the good name of Make Loud Noise and its owner.

• The Music Industry is a space of commerce and as such professional standards founded on mutual respect and human good will are essential. Make Loud Noise works to ensure a respectful and safe workplace.

• Make Loud Noise and its Owner are not liable for damages sustained to your voice due to unsafe vocalisations, substance abuse, or your failure to follow instructions. The Owner is not a medical doctor or counselor and advice should not be used in place of a registered medical professional advice.

Terms & Conditions

Payments
Initial consultations, casual passes, and group lessons are to be paid for in advance in full and are not able to be rescheduled or refunded. Weekly/Fortnightly/4 weekly lessons are invoiced on a per term basis. To hold your regular weekly/fortnightly lesson time, lessons are to be paid in full up front or by agreed payment plan on the due date. Payment plans are offered at the discretion of the Director. Non-payment for lessons provided that are not a part of “Pay It Forward” lessons or scholarships are classed as theft and will be referred to the appropriate authorities.

Fair Go Policy
The “Fair Go” Policy means even if you’re unwell or otherwise absent the booked lesson fee for that term still stands with up to 2 lessons able to be rescheduled per term for weekly students, and 1 lesson per term for fortnightly students. All reschedules will happen within the term. No credit is applied to future terms. A rescheduled lesson cannot be rescheduled ad infinitum and will be forfeit if the rescheduled lesson is not able to be attended by the student.

Responsibilities
Be on time. The lesson starts at the scheduled lesson time not when the student arrives.

For your vocal safety and the health and well being of the Director please do not smoke for at least 2 hours before your lesson and for in person lessons do not work with pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides for 2 days before your lesson. Both contain noxious chemicals that cause the Director’s red blood cells to die off due to a condition known as G6PD Deficiency. If you have not met these conditions you will forfeit your lesson and possibly be denied future lessons.

You must supply your tracks for your lesson ahead of time using Dropbox or Google Drive, bring a folder, a water bottle, and a notebook. After your first lesson you will be expected to come to your session hydrated, warmed up, and have a specific idea of what you would like to focus on for the lesson. You are welcome to record your session, but do not have permission to publish this recording or use it in any way other than for private practice without the express written permission of the Director.

• You are responsible for ensuring that drug, alcohol, and prescription medication use is disclosed before each session, as these substances will alter the way your voice works. You are responsible for your own hydration and vocal health. If you show up to your lesson under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol including having smoked cigarettes 1 hour before your lesson your lesson will be terminated, you will be charged the full fee for the lesson, and you will go onto Studio Probation. Make Loud Noise acknowledges Substance Abuse is a mental health issue and is compassionate towards that, however, safety of students needs to be maintained.

• You are responsible for your own craft; nothing can substitute for action or practice. Due to the nature of extreme vocals and certain high-performance singing styles there can be no promise made that damage will not occur to your voice especially if you do not follow instruction. You undertake all tuition and recommendations as your own risk.

Vocal Health First Aid
Those on staff at Make Loud Noise are accredited Vocal Health First Aiders. Any information given is of general advice according to the vocalhealth.co.uk guidelines and are not to be used in place of a Doctor's advice or Speech Pathologist’s advice.

Mental Health First Aid
Those on staff at Make Loud Noise are accredited Mental Health First Aiders. Any information given is of general advice according to the mhfa.org.au guidelines and are not to be used in place of a Doctor's advice or Mental Health Professional’s advice.

Ill Health

• If you are sick with a cold or flu you are not to attend your lesson in person but, are entitled to have a Zoom lesson to assess the condition of your voice and will be given the opportunity to work on breathing, theory, or song writing. If you are so unwell that you cannot do an online lesson the you will need to provide a Doctor’s Medical Certificate.

• Any student showing up with a cold or flu will be sent home in line with our Covid Safe plan, and the full amount of the lesson charged to you.

  If your teacher is unable to attend your lesson a lesson credit will be given to you for your next term if you have paid in full for that lesson. Teachers cancelling lessons is always a last resort and is not taken lightly.

Short Notice Cancellation
At Make Loud Noise we understand that sometimes life happens. If you are unable to make your lesson for any reason, please let Make Loud Noise know ASAP. Lessons with less than 48 hours notice of Cancellation and without a medical certificate will incur a Short Notice Cancellation fee. The fee is equivalent to the total lesson price for that lesson.

Termination Of Lessons
Weekly/Fortnightly Lessons
Should you wish to terminate your weekly/fortnightly lessons, please give two weeks written notice so that your lesson time may be filled. If this is not done, a Short Notice Cancellation fee equivalent to the full fee of two weeks worth of lesson fees will be added to your account payable before recommencement of lessons. Termination of your lessons may occur at the discretion of the Make Loud Noise owner if you violate the Terms of Use, Terms & Conditions, especially the items relating to respect.

N.B. If you experience sudden loss of income or change in financial circumstances and think you need to cancel your lessons, please let Make Loud Noise know as soon as possible so that together we can come up with an arrangement that works for both of us. If you choose to quit lessons without consulting Make Loud Noise about an alternative solution what you’re saying is you’ve already decided that what Make Loud Noise has to offer you is of no value. If you feel lessons are not going in the direction you would like, please speak with the Director about this. There may be more options than you think. Talk with us! Make Loud Noise can assist with many things, but we cannot change closed minds.

Respect
Make Loud Noise is founded on the currency of mutual respect. The Director/paid workers will respond to lesson enquiries, support requests, and return calls around the needs of family and business. The Director is not available 24 x 7. The Director is am available during the listed business hours on Google, Facebook, and the Website, however these times are subject to change. A student’s lack of planning is not the Director’s emergency. If you are experiencing a medical emergency please dial 000. If you do not respect the studio policy outlined here, and do not display common decency and personal human respect towards the Director, those on staff at Make Loud Noise, or Red Star Music, or your industry peers, you will be barred from the studio.

Occasionally lessons will go overtime. Any additional time provided to students by the Director’s initiation is at the discretion of the Director. If the Director says they have a few minutes spare to continue on it means no more than an additional 15 minutes. If we have come to the end of your scheduled lesson and you/the student would like to continue on and the Director is able to accommodate you and consents to this, then additional fees will be charged at the hourly rate the student is presently paying. If we have come to the end of the lesson and you wish to continue on and the Director states they cannot accommodate you/the student, you/the student are welcome to book in an additional lesson at a mutually agreed upon time. Please do not exploit the generosity of the Director.

Studio Probation
Make Loud Noise encourages personal growth, however, boundaries need to be in place to guide us through your education. Make Loud Noise’s Studio Probation is essentially a 3 strikes and you’re out policy. Engagement in the behaviours listed below will immediately place you on Studio Probation. Each violation of these boundaries will incur a Strike. If 3 Strikes are accrued your lesson term is terminated, no refund is given for lessons paid for in advance, the balance of any outstanding lessons must still be paid however the lessons will not be given, and no further lessons given. It is at the discretion of the Director as to if a Second Chance can be given to the student.

• Showing up to an in person lesson having had a cigarette or vaping less than 60 minutes before your lesson

• Smoking or vaping during an online lesson

• Showing up for an online or in person lesson under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol

• Leaving your teacher waiting for you for your lesson without letting them know you will not be able to make it and just expecting they will charge you the Short Notice Cancellation fee this includes going on holidays without advising you will be taking a break from lessons. Student that leave the teacher waiting for more than 15 minutes will have their lesson canceled and be issued a Short Notice Cancellation Fee.

• Professional Contemporary Gigging Singers who disregard the vocal health first aid advice of having an ENT conduct a transnasoendoscopy to clear the singer from vocal health pathology when continued episodes of dysphonia or unintentional vocal noise are being experienced by the singer will not be allowed to continue on with lessons until such time as the singer’s vocal health has been assured in writing by an ENT with an accompanying video of the stroboscopy.

• A student displays a repeated lack of willingness to engage with the repertoire, exercises, and Standard Operating Procedures of vocal health first aid

Second Chance
If a student has gone on Studio Probation and has accrued 3 Strikes and wants to resume lessons then Director is open to the student making amends and mentoring the student through a better way of living. Each student returning from Studio Probation on Second Chance terms will have an individual contract of appropriate behaviour. If the student violates the conditions of that Second Chance agreement, then the studio will be barred from the studio.

Loyalty Rates
Some students who have been with Make Loud Noise for a considerable time will be on Loyalty Rates. This means that they pay an agreed rate as opposed to the advertised rate for their lessons. The agreed Loyalty Rate will lapse if students on this rate have more than 1 term off. Upon resumption of lessons after the 1 term off students will be required to pay the advertised lesson rates at available at http://www.makeloudnoise.com/lessons.

Data Collection
Anita Marie Martin, Owner and principal singing teacher at Make Loud noise is constantly reflecting on her teaching practice in line with best common practices in the research community. As a matter of improving her practice, non-identifiable/de-identified reflections and observations may be made resultant from your lesson. If you do not wish for this to occur you must provide this in writing to anita@makeloudnoise.com.

Refunds
Unless there has been an admin error made by Make Loud Noise, there will be no refunds. There are no change of mind refunds. You are welcome to on-sell your lessons or transfer them to another person if you no longer wish to continue, however Make Loud Noise is not liable to organise this for you.

Covid-19
Make Loud Noise offers a mix of online and in person lessons due to Covid-19. For in person lessons, social distancing, and the use of hand sanitiser is mandatory. At times, due to outbreaks and Government imposed lockdowns, only online lessons will be available. If you want to have online lessons but can’t due to it being too late/early please speak with us about it so your lesson spot can be held and a temporary lockdown time can be found. If you desire in person only lessons you will be required to continue to pay for your lessons in full to hold that under-utilised space. Online lessons are just as effective as in person ones! If you are unwell, please stay home. Your name and address details will be kept as part of a Covid-19 register for contact tracing purposes and you MUST check in using the Check In Qld app for in person lessons. If you experience sudden loss of income or change in circumstances and think you need to cancel your lessons, please let Make Loud Noise know as soon as possible so that together we can come up with an arrangement that works for both of us. There may be more options than you think. Talk with us!