When a new student books a trial lesson with you, Tunelark has already invested approximately two hundred dollars to bring that student to your studio. That investment covers marketing, onboarding, support, and the operational costs of running the platform that connects you with new students.

By the time a student selects you and books their trial, that money has already been spent. They chose you based on your profile. They booked a time that your calendar told them you were available.

Here’s what our data tells us.

When a teacher initiates any change to a trial lesson — even something as minor as asking the student to move from 3 PM to 4 PM on the same day — forty percent of those students never take a lesson at all. They cancel. They no-show. They disappear.

Why does this happen? New students are often in a vulnerable place. Reaching out to book a music lesson takes courage. When the teacher they selected says “actually, I’m not available when I said I was,” it can feel like a rejection — even when that’s not your intention at all.

And here’s what’s important to understand: even if your student tells you it’s totally fine to reschedule, that’s what people say. Our data tells a very different story. Forty percent of them don’t come back — regardless of what they said in the moment.

The consequences escalate:

First offense: You will be ineligible to receive new Tunelark-referred students for a minimum of 30 days.

Second offense: You will be suspended from receiving new students for 60 days.

Third offense: You will be permanently removed from Find-a-Teacher. You may continue teaching your existing students, but Tunelark will no longer invest in bringing new students to your studio.

These consequences apply even if the student in your particular situation was fine with the change and continued lessons with you. The policy exists because the pattern causes enormous damage, and we enforce it consistently.

What should you do instead?

Maintain your Google Calendar so it accurately reflects when you’re available — in real time. If a performance, an appointment, or a personal commitment comes up, block that time on your calendar immediately. Your calendar updates in real time. Students can only book times you’ve marked as available. Prevention is everything.

If a true emergency arises — a hospitalization, a car accident, a family emergency — contact team@tunelark.com immediately. We handle genuine emergencies on a case-by-case basis.

Every trial lesson is someone’s first step into music, or their first step back into music. Honor that by being there when you said you would be.