Refund policy for lessons, classes, courses, subscriptions, and gift certificates

All lesson packages, class passes, course sales, subscriptions, and gift certificates are final. No refunds will be issued. Should you decide to cancel lessons or stop attending class during the middle of your subscription or package for any reason, you will not be refunded for any remaining lessons or classes, and must continue your monthly payments until you have fully paid for your subscription minimum commitment (three months) or until 30 days' notice has been received.

Subscriptions

By purchasing a subscription, you understand that subscriptions have a minimum commitment of three months. The subscription will continue to renew until you cancel it. If you would like to cancel your subscription, email us at least 30 days in advance of your renewal date. All sales are final.

Cancellation policy for all voice lessons

All lessons canceled less than 48 hours prior to the lesson will not be rescheduled or refunded. Cancellations made at least 48 hours in advance will not be refunded; however, the client will receive a lesson credit to use within one month. In the event that your teacher needs to cancel a lesson, you will be rescheduled at your earliest convenience.

NYC clients of Dr. Rollings Bigler

If you opt for an in-person lesson in NYC as part of your discounted lesson subscription, there will be a $60 additional charge per lesson.

Group class attendance

Group classes are not rescheduled, refunded, or credited for missed attendance. If you are unable to attend live, the class video is sent to all registered singers and remains available for one week from the date it is sent. Access expires at the end of that week and cannot be extended.

Class passes

Class passes expire on the final day of the session for which they were purchased. Unused classes do not roll over into a future session, cannot be extended, and are not refundable. Passes are for one singer and may not be shared, split, or transferred to another person.

Lessons with associate teachers

Should an associate teacher no longer work for The Phonation Company or be called away to perform, you will be assigned a teacher at the same rank or higher.

Instructor substitutions for group classes

Should your instructor be ill, called away to perform, or otherwise unable to teach a scheduled group class, the class will be taught by an associate teacher of The Phonation Company, or rescheduled to another time that week. Substitute-taught classes carry the same replay access and are not eligible for refunds, credits, or transfers. In the rare event that a class must be canceled outright and cannot be rescheduled, that class will be added to the end of the session.

Ownership of class materials

All content presented in lessons, classes, and courses — including vocal exercises, exercise sequences and progressions, written materials, handouts, slides, and all audio and video recordings — is the original intellectual property of The Phonation Company and Dr. Amelia Rollings Bigler, and is protected by copyright.

Your license to use class recordings

Registered participants receive a personal, limited, non-transferable license to access class recordings for the stated access period, for their own private study only. Except for recording your own 1:1 lesson on your own device, as described below, you may not record, screen-capture, download, duplicate, transcribe, distribute, publish, or publicly share any portion of a lesson, class, or recording — including on social media, video platforms, or in any online community — and you may not share your access link or login with anyone else.

Voice teachers and studio use

Voice teachers are warmly welcome to apply what they learn in their own private teaching with their own students — that is part of why these classes exist. You may not, however, reproduce, publish, sell, or otherwise distribute this material as your own, or incorporate it into courses, workshops, curricula, books, social media posts, videos, or other commercial offerings, without prior written permission from The Phonation Company. When sharing an exercise learned here in a professional or public setting with permission, attribution to Dr. Amelia Rollings Bigler and The Phonation Company is expected.

Consent to be recorded

Lessons, group classes, and courses are photographed and recorded. Group class recordings are distributed to registered participants so they may access the replay. Photographs and screen captures may also be used promotionally, as described below; class video and audio are not. By attending live, you consent to being photographed and recorded. If you prefer not to appear, you are welcome to keep your camera off and your microphone muted at any time; you may attend the entire session that way and nothing will be captured of you.

How we record — Fathom

We use Fathom, a third-party AI notetaking service, to record lessons and classes and to generate transcripts and summaries. Fathom joins the session as a visible participant, so you will always know when it is in the room. Recordings are stored in the United States, and Fathom's AI subprocessors are contractually prohibited from using them to train their models. You can read Fathom's privacy policy at fathom.ai/privacy.

If you would prefer we not use Fathom

Tell us before your lesson or class and we will record through Zoom instead — no explanation needed. For 1:1 lessons, you are also welcome to record your own lesson on your own device for your personal study. That exception applies to 1:1 lessons only: group classes and courses may not be recorded by participants, because a participant recording captures the other singers in the room.

Media release — photographs

The Phonation Company LLC may take photographs and screen captures during sessions, including images of the Zoom gallery view, in which your face, name, and likeness appear. By booking and attending, you acknowledge and grant The Phonation Company LLC and Dr. Amelia Rollings Bigler the unrestricted, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, edit, publish, and distribute those photographs and still images — including anything or anyone appearing in the background of your image — in any medium now known or later developed, including social media, websites, email, advertising, printed materials, and the promotion of lessons, classes, and courses. You waive any right to inspect or approve the finished materials and any right to compensation for their use. You release The Phonation Company LLC, Dr. Amelia Rollings Bigler, and their legal representatives from all claims and liability relating to those photographs and still images. Participants under the age of 18 must have this release granted by a parent or legal guardian.

If you would prefer your image not be used, email admin@ameliarollingsbigler.com.

Class video and audio are not used promotionally

Class recordings exist for one reason — so that registered participants may access the replay — and are distributed only to the participants of that class. We do not publish, post, or otherwise use video or audio of you to promote lessons, classes, or courses. If we ever wanted to, we would ask you first and you would be free to say no.

Please note

Unauthorized recording, sharing, or use of class materials is a violation of these policies and of copyright law. It may result in immediate removal from the class or course without refund, revocation of recording access, and any further remedies available under law.

Technical requirements

You must have a stable internet connection (ethernet preferable) and a space where you can sing freely. 1:1 lessons additionally require a webcam and microphone; most built-in computer webcams and microphones suffice. For group classes, your camera and microphone are optional and entirely your choice.

Technical difficulties

We are not responsible for missed lesson or class time due to technical difficulties on the client's side.

Lessons, classes, and courses offered by The Phonation Company, LLC are voice habilitation (not rehabilitation). They are not medical care, voice therapy, or treatment of any kind. We are not physicians or licensed healthcare providers, and nothing said or demonstrated in a lesson, class, course, video, or written material constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a voice complaint or a health concern, consult a physician, laryngologist, or licensed speech-language pathologist.

Remote instruction — what we can and cannot observe

All instruction is delivered remotely, and how much we can observe depends on the format. In a 1:1 lesson, we can see and hear you. In a group class, your camera and microphone are entirely your choice: if your camera is off we cannot see you, and if you are muted we cannot hear you. You are welcome to attend an entire class that way — but it means we may have no way of monitoring what you are doing. In a self-paced course, no instructor is present at all; nobody sees or hears you at any point while completing the videos, and unless you elect to do check-ins (if included). You decide what is right for your voice on any given day, and you are solely responsible for monitoring yourself and for stopping when you need to. If something feels off, reach out immediately.

Work only within your own comfort

Every exercise is scalable. Do only what feels comfortable, and stop immediately and reach out to us if you notice any pain, strain, vocal fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, breathlessness, or anything that simply doesn't feel right. If you need to step out of an exercise or modify it, please do. You may also reach out to us to help you modify exercises as well. Because all instruction is remote, we cannot assist in a medical emergency — if one occurs, stop immediately and call 911 or your local emergency number.

Medical clearance

Consult your physician before participating if you have or suspect any physical or vocal condition; a recent surgery or injury; or if you are pregnant. If you have a diagnosed voice disorder, or you are under the care of a laryngologist or speech-language pathologist, you must (1) let us know before participating and (2) be released by your medical team to return to voice training. Tell your instructor about anything that could affect your safe participation, both before you begin and if things change.

Release

By participating, you accept the risks that come with singing and any physical activity. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you release and hold harmless The Phonation Company LLC, Dr. Amelia Rollings Bigler, and its associate teachers, employees, contractors, and agents from any and all claims, demands, damages, and causes of action arising out of or relating to your participation, including any injury or illness, except to the extent caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct. Participants under the age of 18 must have this release granted by a parent or legal guardian.