Want to learn a musical instrument at Discovery College?
Discovery College offers quality instrument lessons from highly experienced peripatetic music tutors conveniently located in our school’s music rooms. Our tutors are not only highly experienced tutors but also professional musicians in Hong Kong. They are outside providers who conduct private lessons independent of curriculum classes. Our tutors offer lessons on range of instruments including woodwind, brass, strings, guitar, bass guitar, piano, voice and drum kit.
We are very excited to announce that the peripatetic music programme will be back in person, for all instruments except woodwind and brass. Woodwind and brass will be running online using Zoom until further notice.
Instrument Hire
To promote the instruction of brass, strings and selected woodwind instruments, Discovery College hires these specific instruments FREE OF CHARGE to students who participate in the peripatetic music programme. Applications to hire these instruments will be based on the order applications submitted to the College Reception and the suitability of instruments to students.
Please note that while lessons are online, you will need to make sure students have access to either an acoustic or electric version of the instrument. Instrument Hire forms are entered into our database in the order in which they are received. While we have a number of hire instruments, we may not be able to provide for all students. In such cases, students will be put on a waiting list until an instrument becomes available.
DC_Instrument_Hire_and_Rental_Scheme
General Information
When you apply
Applications are entered into our database in the order in which they are received. We will attempt to provide lessons for every student that applies. To avoid students missing the same class each week, music lessons during school hours are scheduled on a rotating timetable only. In some cases, make up lessons may be scheduled before or after school. After school lessons will be at fixed times. Requests for specific times will be filled in the order that forms AND cheques are submitted.
Please note that only some instruments are suitable for 6 to 7 year olds. Most instruments are suitable for 8 years and up.
Payment confirmation
Starting from this year, all cheques will be made out to the tutors.
When lessons start
Term 1 (11 lessons) will start during the fifth week of school. Term 2&3 (17 lessons) will start the second week back after the Christmas holiday and will run continuously through the end of the school year.
Timetables will be posted on Ding! and the Explorer and message is sent via the ESF App to the parents before the lessons commence so that students can check when their lesson is. We strongly recommend students glue this into their instrumental diary.
Getting to lessons
Students are responsible for getting themselves to lessons on time. Our tutors will not collect students and bring them to the music rooms. You can assist your child by getting them a watch with an alarm, ensuring that they have their timetable card filled in, and writing a reminder note in their diary. Classroom teachers will have a copy of the timetable of students attending lessons for primary only. For students in Years 1-3, teachers will remind students about lessons, but will not be held accountable if a lesson is missed due to forgetfulness.
Communication
Students will be provided with an instrumental lesson diary. This is for peripatetic teachers to record student progress and practice requirements, as well as a means of communication between peripatetic teachers and parents.
Terms and Conditions
It is important that you read the terms and conditions carefully prior to signing the eNotice on Gateway.
• Applications will not be accepted unless PTA fees have been paid in full.
• Each set of lessons must be paid for in full, prior to the commenced lessons.
• The number of lessons offered each term allows for contingencies such as school closures, trips, exams and other disruptions to the normal school day and/or when teachers may not be available.
• You are only charged for the days when our tutors teach. Therefore, if a tutor is absent on a day when your child is scheduled to have a lesson, the lesson will be given a make-up lesson the following week or added on at the end of the term.
• If your child is absent from school through illness on a day when a lesson is scheduled, you must give your child’s tutor at least 24 hours notice so that the lesson can be re-scheduled. If you fail to give the appropriate amount of notice, the lesson will not be made up and no refund will be given. This also applies to scheduled assessment tasks, school excursions and other school-based activities. The music tutor agrees to reschedule the lesson for an alternate time if classes are cancelled due to adverse or inclement weather conditions in line with HK Government, ESL and Discovery College guidelines. On such days, updates can be found on the Discovery College website. If the college is closed on these days, there will be no extracurricular classes. School camps, No Boundaries and public holidays have already been taken into account. School camps, No Boundaries and public holidays have already been taken into account.
• Scheduled lessons continue on CPD days, Student-Led Conferences and Three-Way Conferences.
• Timetables of the lessons are published on Ding! and the Explorer and message is sent via the ESF App to the parents. It is the student’s responsibility to make a note of when and where each lesson occurs.
• The music tutors are wholly responsible for invoicing and collecting payments. DC will be collecting the payments on the tutors’ behalf before lessons begin. Any disputes on payment must be resolved between the music tutor and the parents.
• Refunds are to be requested in writing to the music tutors two months in advance, and must be accompanied with relevant withdrawal from school documentation, medical certificates in the case of a student withdrawing from the activity due to illness. If a student gives no notification of withdrawal or non-attendance then no refund will be made.