
Current 1/4/21
HCMS Winter/Spring 2021 Registration
Classes will resume on Monday, January 11, 2021. Gull Lake Partnership students will begin on January 18, 2021. A calendar and Student/Family Handbook will be provided.
- Students currently on the roster from Fall semester will be contacted and scheduled. New students may contact us at: amanda@thornapplearts.org, call and leave a message at 269 948 9441, or text 269 908 0870. You may also message us on the Hastings Community Music School Facebook page.
- If you are currently taking Zoom lessons, we ask you to continue to do so. If you are new to HCMS and have the capability to take virtual lessons, we ask that you do so.
- Masks are required for staff, students, and anyone entering the Hastings Community Music School. Social distancing is required. Some classrooms have been rearranged or moved. Staff will have the necessary supplies to sanitize after each lesson.
- The number of people in common areas is to be limited. We are requesting that not more than one person accompany a student to a lesson.
Regarding cancellations due to weather only: if Hastings Area Schools are closed, HCMS will be closed.
The Hastings Community Music School, a program of the Thornapple Arts Council, is committed to providing quality music education to students of all ages in Hastings and the surrounding area.
For more information, call or text 269-948-9441 or visit the HCMS Facebook page.
The HCMS office is located on the lower level of Ace Hardware.
200 S Boltwood
Hastings, MI 49058
HCMS offers lessons in electric, acoustic, classical, and bass guitar. Other lesson options include accordion, cello, clarinet, drums, flute, harmonica, percussion, piano, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, ukulele, viola, violin, and voice.
The winter semester begins on January 11, 2021.
Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Barry County, lessons are now being conducted virtually whenever possible in accordance with state and local mandates.
Payment Information
Tuition payments may be made weekly, monthly, or in full at the beginning of the semester. Virtual lessons must be paid in advance.
Lessons are $20 per half hour, $30 for 45 minutes, and $40 for one hour. There is a $10 registration fee per person per school year. Lessons may be terminated for nonpayment.
Refund/Withdrawal Policy
Registration for piano and violin/viola is a semester commitment. All other lessons may be scheduled in six or twelve-week blocks or by special arrangement with the office staff and instructors. We also offer special classes, group lessons when appropriate, and short-term tutoring.
To withdraw, a student or parent must contact the HCMS office. Nonattendance or notice to the instructor is not sufficient notice of withdrawal.
Inclement Weather Policy
The Hastings Community Music School closes when the Hastings Public Schools do. Please check online at the HCMS Facebook page, WBCH, Channel 3, or Channel 8 for announcements of school closings due to weather.
Performance Opportunities
Students are encouraged to perform to further their skills. HCMS offers a variety of performance opportunities throughout the year at the school and in the community. Please contact your teacher or ask the office staff for more information.
Student and Teacher Absences
Registering for private lessons at the Hastings Community Music School is a commitment of a designated weekly time for student and teacher. Please check your family schedule carefully when registering to ensure that you will be able to keep that commitment.
1. If a teacher cancels, or weather dictates HCMS cancel, prepaid lesson(s) will be credited to student accounts at semester end unless other arrangements are made for a make-up lesson.
2. Student cancellations must be communicated to the HCMS office at least three hours prior to the lesson time on the day to be cancelled. Failure to contact the office will result in the lesson being charged to the student’s account. No-shows and lessons cancelled with less than the three-hour notice time may not be made up or credited.
A make-up week is available at the end of fall and winter semesters for eligible make-up or rescheduled lessons.
Progress Reports/Evaluations
Students receive a written progress report from their instructor in the fall and winter semesters. With the teacher’s permission, parents/caregivers are welcome to sit in on their child’s lesson. Please contact the teacher first with any concerns or questions you have, remembering that lesson day is not usually the best time for an extended conversation, as the teacher may have other students waiting.
Health and Safety
The Thornapple Arts Council and the Hastings Community Music School are committed to providing the safest environment possible for our students, staff, families, and the community. To that end…
- all teachers and staff members complete background checks and fingerprinting.
- there are plans in place that provide for the safe evacuation of the building if necessary.
- the HCMS sanitation policy regarding COVID-19 is compliant with the most recent guidelines provided by the CDC, Michigan Department of Education, gubernatorial executive orders, and the local Barry-Eaton Health Department.
Community Support
Tuition and fees do not cover the total cost of HCMS programs; fundraising events and other community and state resources also help cover costs. One of the main HCMS fundraising events is an annual student event from which all proceeds benefit HCMS programming. All students are asked to take part as they are able.
Questions and Concerns
If you have questions or concerns about HCMS or its programs and policies, please contact the HCMS office at 269-948-9441. HCMS can also be contacted via email or Facebook message.
Instructor Videos
Not able to join us quite yet? Keep your skills sharp with these instructional videos from select HCMS teachers.