How much for voice lessons?

[ceecee]

DD is in HS Choir this year and they are offering voice lessons for $16.25 from a private teacher. You have to have 100 extra points per quarter and this counts as their points. I can't help but thinking since this is a "fine arts" credit shouldn't they be teaching this in class? She had to try out in middle school and made it both years, this year they did not have to try out. I feel like I am buying a grade!!! There are other ways to get points such as reports worth 25 pts (which would be 4 per qt) or music lessons, WinterGuard (did this last year and it's $900). This is over $60 a month on top of a golf fee of $800, what a budget buster.

 

[superme80]

In college when I took private voice lessons it was $25 a lesson that was shared with a friend. We paid $25 each. Most people who teach voice I know charge between $30-$75 an hour. And ideally it would be nice to teach individualized voice, but with a class of between 20-50 kids, it is nearly impossible. Hope that helps.

 

[Ava]

When I was in high school, I took private voice lessons & I believe it was $25 or $30 for a 1-hour lesson. This was about 15 years ago.

The whole extra points thing sounds weird to me, but it's really not a bad price for a private lesson.

 

[ceecee]

The $16.25 is for a 20 minute lesson so I guess that's about the going rate. I've asked around and music lessons are around $20-30 but they are longer than 20 minutes.

 

[mjkacmom]

I pay dd14's voice coach $50 an hour, which is a STEAL around here. My neighbor pays her dd's coach $75 an hour, and my gf pays $85 for 45 minutes. Our moved out of town, and is now 1/2 hour away, but I think we'll stick with her for now, due to expenses.

 

[gatormom2tots]

I use to pay $50 a month for a 30 min. lesson once a week. But that was almost 20 years ago!

 

[Shleedogg]

Are the voice lessons coming from the choir teacher? When I was in hs you had to go to lessons, they were required, an hour a week. I took private voice lessons outside of school and they were $20/hr (she's now up to over $30/hr).

I went to school for vocal performance, took voice thorughout college as well as sang in select choirs, but ended up getting my degree in history instead of voice. Total I have about 2/3 of my music degree done...missing upper level theory classes and upper level electives. Because of this, I only charge $15/hr. That's really cheap. So you are getting a good deal. However, I'd want more information about the private teacher's qualifications, references, observe a lesson. There are a lot of teachers out there that are not good singers and don't have a good understanding of vocal techniques. My hs choir teacher was a prime example. Sweet lady, amazing pianist, but not at all a vocalist. She would be someone I wouldn't pay $5/hr to take a lesson from.

If it's someone good and your daughter wants to do it, the price is really good if it's an hr lesson. I would also check though and see what they plan on teaching. Are they working with her on solo pieces and her technique or will they just be working on the choral rep? If it's choral rep, waste of money. They should be working on her personal vocal technique. It should also not be a group lesson. It should be completely private, to focus on her.

It does stink that they require it but are charging for it. That seems a little fishy.

 

[richmond282]

Don't really understand the points thing at all. Is this lesson during school hours? If not, then it's not really fair to assume it should be free although I don't think it should be required for a grade. And, no, you don't learn the same things in choir as you do in an individual lesson. In choir class, a teacher is not going to have time to give every student individual attention. The focus is going to be on an overall "choir sound" as opposed to individual talent. In a private lesson, your daughter has the undivided attention of the teacher for the entire time. The focus will be on specific things your daughter needs help with vocally.

 

[scrapquitler]

At my daughters dance studio, voice lessons (and piano lessons) are $25 for a 30 minute lesson.

 

[Poohbear5]

We paid $45 an hour for our daughter's voice lessons.

 

[drinkme]

Right now, I pay $30 per 1/2 hour for my dd's lessons. When my oldest dd was in High School, it was required for the advanced choir students to take voice. The voice instructor taught during school hours, but we had to pay. It was something very cheap, like $150 per semester. The voice instructor was not the choir director.

 

[NewCrew42]

This is a little different, but my DD is required to take private drum lessons to be in the percussion section of the band. All the percussions students are. They school doesn't offer them. We pay $110 a month for 4 30 minute lessons.

Also, they give voice lessons at the studio where we take drums and the voice lessons are the same price.

 

[kathyell]

I have taught voice several times during my career and I've charged $100/month for four 50 minute lessons per month. The last time I taught was more than 5 years ago, so I would have thought the prices might be creeping up in the meantime. You didn't say how long the lesson is and if it is private or if it is given in a group setting, but if it's more than a half hour long, that's about the least I would have expected to pay for this.

 

[Hannathy]

If I am understanding this she needs 100 points a term for a certain grade correct and THIS is just one way to get them. They are not saying you need to do this just if you take private lessons we will let you use them toward your points and by the way we have arranged this person to offer reasonable lessons at this price...... (that is a reasonable price)

My DD's orchestra grade was like that, if you want an A do your work in school AND get so many points by going to performances, writing reports, taking private lessons, being in solo ensemble competition, etc.
It was always considerate I thought of the director to realize if they were taking private lessons that it took time and also was enriching them the same as the other options. But there were always free options, like the reports or finding free music performances like at the college.

 

[Auggietina]

For my dd it's $72 per month for 4 1/2 hour private lessons

 

[bettymae1121]

When I was in HS in the early 90's my mom paid $9 for a half hour of private voice training for me, so $16.50 over 15 years later doesn't sound unreasonable. My lessons didn't count towards my grade though, it was just something extra the choir director set up for us (he didn't teach the private lessons, an outside vocal instructor did).

 

[ceecee]

I guess that's about right for a 20 minute lesson, it is given during school (study hall or lunch) and I am assuming it is a private lesson, the paper just told us the teacher's name and that she has been teaching for 15 years. She doesn't have to do the lessons, she could do 4 reports (25 pt per report) per quarter as well but they are graded. She has always wanted voice lessons so hopefully it will help.