Code of Conduct

Treat everyone kindly and patiently. Harassment, bullying and discrimination are not allowed, whether it’s about someone’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, background or musical level.

Feedback should be about the music, not the person. Every style of music and every starting point is welcome.

Come to the lessons you agreed to, on time. If you can’t make one, let the other person know on the Lessons page as early as you can.

If you need to stop lessons, tell your mentor or student, and let the team know through the contact page, so nobody is left waiting.

Many of our students are under 18, and many of our mentors are students too. For everyone’s safety:

• Lessons happen online, over the video call link on the Lessons page. Don’t meet in person.
• Keep in touch through Note by Note messages. Don’t ask for or share personal phone numbers, social media or home addresses.
• Keep conversations about music and lessons.
• Join video calls from a suitable place, dressed as you would for school.
• For students under 13, a parent or guardian should be nearby during lessons. Students under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent before lessons start.
• Don’t record a lesson, or take photos or screenshots of the other person, unless both of you agree. For a student under 18, their parent or guardian must agree too.
• No gifts and no money. Lessons are free, and mentors never ask for payment.

• You’re a role model. Be patient, encouraging and honest about what you can teach.
• Keep a friendly but professional relationship with your student and their family.
• Keep what you know about your student private. Don’t share their details outside Note by Note.
• If a student says something that makes you worried about their safety, tell the team straight away through the contact page. Don’t try to handle it on your own.

• Use what you can see in the staff area only for your role, and only when you need to.
• Don’t copy, download or share anyone’s personal information outside Note by Note.
• Admins read messages between mentors and students only to keep people safe, such as when one is reported.
• Don’t make decisions about your own application or your own lessons. Ask someone else on the team.

Share only things you have the right to share. Respect copyright: don’t pass on paid sheet music or recordings that aren’t yours to share.

A student’s recordings, compositions and other work belong to them. Don’t share them with anyone else without their permission, and their parent or guardian’s if they’re under 18.

Messages between mentors and students stay on Note by Note so that we can keep everyone safe. Note by Note admins can read them, for example when a message is reported. Other volunteers can’t. More about this is in our Privacy Policy.

If something doesn’t feel right, tell us. Use Report on a message, a lesson or a mentor’s page, or report a concern from your dashboard. You can also write to us through the contact page. The person you report isn’t told who reported them.

If someone is in danger, contact your local emergency services first.

Depending on what happened, we may give a reminder, pause lessons, end a mentor and student pairing, remove someone from the program or close their account.

If we’re worried about a child’s safety, we may tell their parent or guardian and, where the law requires it, the authorities.