Piano Lessons

[kuusimo]

I am thinking about teaching piano lessons.

I wanted to know if anyone else taught piano- how many students do you managed- What do you charge- What do you do with your other children while you teach. (I have a 2 & 4 year old- they are pretty good boys)

If you have a child taking piano- what do you currently pay- do you pay each time or month in advance- how long are the lessons. How young did you start your children.

I started piano when I was three, but my mom taught piano and I would correct her students when I was two. I am just curious what rates are across the country, as well as if there is the demand out there. It doesn't seem like it is as popular as it was when I was little. ALL my friends took piano. It is hard to find people who do it, but it is a skill that you have forever.

Thank you!

 

[ckoncurat]

The going rate around here (Maryland) is about $25-30 an hour; Most teachers require you to pay up front once a month. You might have to charge a little less if your kids are in the house.

 

[goofygreb]

My DD takes piano lessons and we pay $32 a month. She goes on Mondays for 1/2 hour and we pay the $32 on the first Monday of the month. The lessons start in Sept and go thru June. She has a recital with all the kids at the end of May. There are about 8 other students. Her teacher is a pastors wife and the recital is at their church. We all bring goodies and have a reception after. Good luck

 

[imsayin]

My kids took lessons from a lady in the neighborhood (in her home). It's been about a year, but I paid $18 for half an hour.

She had us put a one week deposit down, then paid each week. Don't forget to have a procedure for the quitters, i.e. 2 weeks notice or something, otherwise, you may get drop outs at any point.

I'm in the Chicago area.

 

[icebaby]

My DD (8) takes piano lessons weekly. She has been taking lessons for 2 1/2 years now. Her piano teacher (Irina) charges $48 a month for 30 minute lessons once a week. For additional $10 there is an optional 45 minute theory class at her studio once a month. There are 2 yearly recitals(fall and spring). She takes the month of July off. Her studio is in the basement of her home. The recitals are held at a local church. She has many students. Her older students (high school/college age) take private lessons (more $$$) directly from her. The elementary school age children are taught 3 out of the 4 weeks of the month by an high schooler (a piano tutor) at the younger student's home. The 4th week is a lesson with Irina at her studio and the piano tutor is there to take notes and to update progress. The younger students (Kindergarten and younger ) are taught in a group lesson at her studio by her oldest and most experienced piano tutor. She pays her tutors a certain rate per younger student. (and rumor has it,if they rather have it they get a cheaper rate for piano lessons from her instead.) I thoroughly love the idea of how she runs her business for many reasons: 1. My daughter has her lessons right in our home 3 out of the 4 weeks of the month. 2. She is taught by someone she can relate to a little better than another adult teacher. 3.It's cheaper. Good Luck. . .

 

[CheapMom]

Maybe I am paying too much but we go to a music learning center and pay $85 month- for 30 minutes - once a week.
We do guitar but for the same price you can do piano, drums, bass, fiddle...
I shopped and shopped and this was the best deal I found other then a chain music store that has a mediocre reputaion for lessons.

 

[horseshowmom]

DD hasn't taken piano lessons for quite a few years, so the amount charged won't help you much. We paid by the month, and we were expected to pay whether they attended the lesson or not (which I think is reasonable, because you've reserved that teacher's time). We paid at the end of the month (not in advance), but we're a small rural community where everybody knows everybody, and she didn't really have to worry about whether she was going to get her money. I'd probably ask for it up front in today's world. She was about 6 or 7 when she started.

 

[jeancbpugh]

A friend teaches piano. The youngest student she'll take is eight years old. I haven't asked how much she charges.

 

[Poohbeck]

My sons take guitar and piano. The lessons are $18 for a 1/2 hour and you pay at the end of the month for the next month. If you miss, you still pay, but, if the instructor misses you get credit. My son who take piano started at 5 and my son on guitar started at 6.
Good luck!

 

[tar heel]

We pay $50 a month for two 1/2 hour lessons and a group lesson every other month. We pay at the first lesson of each month. We are also responsible for paying for books. It's expensive, but our teacher is wonderful and has a long waiting list. We have one recital a year in the spring in the library auditorium. The December group lesson is at a retirement community and has a big audience.

Our teacher offers a separate summer program. It's going to be $225 this year for 10 private lessons and three group lessons. She cheerfully reschedules the private lessons when you have conflicts. She recommends that students not doing the summer program schedule one lesson a month so they don't get rusty.

I would be very unhappy if I were paying almost a dollar a minute and my son's teacher was disturbed by her own children. I think you have to hire someone to take care of your children while your teaching. If your teaching after-school/Saturday mornings, then you should be able to get a teen without spending a lot of $.

 

[graygables]

My DDs' teacher is more laid back about things. She charges $10 per half hour in her home, and DDs go one after the other. I just drop them off and come back in an hour. I'm not sure how many students she has, just enough to make the May recital seem a tad long, but not nap-long! The recital is held in the fellowship hall of a church and everyone brings food. It's a very nice time and she has some very talented students!

We pay when we can (she has some students who are months behind b/c of financial problems, but she doesn't make them stop if they want to continue). I usually pay once a month and have told her that if we miss b/c it's our fault, we don't need a credit. She doesn't charge if she has to call off, which she does change us around sometimes (we homeschool, so are during the day, there are times she needs to be with her son at school, so we shift around her schedule). She takes a month off in the Summer and we usually take December off. I really like working with an individual rather than a studio b/c we don't get tangled up in a bunch of policies. I think it's important to have some guidelines, but people will cooperate more and stay loyal if you are easy to work with.

 

[challada]

WOW! Sounds like some folks are getting a real bargain on their piano lessons out there!

My kids both take piano b/c DH is a big pianist (lessons thru college). My DS started at age 7 and DD started this year when she turned 5 (she would have liked to start at 4...LOL).

Over the last 3 years that we have gone to the same instructor, the kids go once a week for an hour...a half hour individually on the piano with the teacher and a half hour on a computer theory program. My kids now flip their hour (one on computer while one is on piano and vice versa) so that I only have to be there an hour total. The kids really LOVE the computer program which I think looks really boring, but it gets them practicing their theory stuff pretty well.

I pay $70/kid/month for piano and have for the last 3 years. So I pay $140/month total and pay by month. Our teacher charges a $25/kid/year "materials" fee for all the notation paper, loaner books, etc. which gets charged at the beginning of the school year.

Calendar runs like the school year calendar but my kids also do summer (same price, same schedule of once a week).

 

[dizagain]

Wow! Hold onto your hat...my DD takes a 45 minute lesson each week for $120 a month!!!!! We just moved to the Chicago area but in the Dallas area it was about the same. We also pay for books at cost with teacher's discount as needed.

Her old teacher had young children and she had older students watch them during lessons at her home...I think they could choose to get paid or lesson credit. The sitters just kept the kids in the playroom or outside and my girls said they very rarely saw/heard them at all.

Both of my girls began piano lessons in the second grade...one took only two years and one is on her 4th.
Good luck!

Oh! Her Texas teacher required summer lessons to keep up...you could pick and choose your 7 weeks to take lessons, but you had to do it to take from her in the fall...I have to say it made a difference!

 

[Az Pirates]

Wow...
Some of you really ARE getting good deals!

I'm in AZ too.
We were paying $30 per half hour, by the month, in advance.

Of course the teacher was classically trained, had a masters' degree in music, had done studio work, had perfect pitch, could sit down and transpose anything by ear (amazing to watch btw) and was on the faculty at a major university.... Whew! So she could charge more.

Probably don't need all that for a beginning piano student.

I will say that I once pulled my DD from lessons that a friend was giving in her home. Her kids were good kids too, but they were pre-schoolers and when I sat in on a few lessons I felt like there were just too many interruptions.

Are you in an HOA? I know there was quite a blow-up around here a year or so ago when a local piano teacher was forced to quit giving lessons in her home. Her neighbors complained about the added traffic and the HOA sided with the neighbors, said it was considered a home business and was not allowed. Sad but true.

Maybe you could start with just a couple of students at first to see how your boys do with it?

Looks like you've gotten some good ideas on how to set things up.
I particularly like the idea of a yearly materials fee and then supplying at least some loaner books etc.
I hated buying a book only to have the teacher decide it was too easy and requesting a new one within just a couple of weeks.

 

[challada]

Yea, the first year we paid the $25 materials fee and the teacher said "it's for the paper" (which he sends home for a list each week of what the kids are working on), I said "I'll buy you some paper for less than $25!".

Then I discovered it meant that wall of piano music that he has is "loaner" music for the kids and figured out quick that I was definitely getting a good deal for the $25! My kids usually have between two and six music books out from him at any given time (at Christmas it's more w/two to four additional books of Xmas music). Since I hear that music every day for weeks, I am glad to give it back when they are done w/that piece and moving to the next. The piano teacher writes his name in big Sharpie marker across the front of the books so you don't get them confused w/books you might have at home.

Our piano teacher is an older gentleman who does it so he can have enough money for his fly-fishing hobby (LOL)...so he runs lessons from about school release time (3ish) to evening (about 8) four days a week during the school year (three in summer). I figure he probably has about 20-30 kids at any given time.

 

[kuusimo]

Thanks for all the feedback. I am not in an HOA. There are just four homes in my little area. Everyone has a buisness from their home. I have had a lot of people ask me if I taught for either themselves or their children so I don't think I would have a hard time finding students. You just hate to overvalue/undervalue your time and their money.

Like I mentioned earlier my biggest concern with not starting sooner was my boys. Maybe I could work out a deal with my neighbor and swap lessons for her children for watching my boys.

Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.

 

[sk!mom]

I pay $75.00 per month - Sept. to May. Our Teacher takes off all week long school holidays but we pay the full amount each month. We also pay any competition fees and about $50 every Sept. for music and supplies.

This is for a 45 min. weekly lesson and a once a month group theory class. The weekly lesson is a 30 minute private lesson followed by 15 minutes of theory work in a workbook or on the computer.

Our teacher does not have young children so I don't know how that can be managed. I would have a problem though if lessons were interrupted by young children. Our teacher is very professional and in 4 years she has never interrupted DD's lesson for any reason. She doesn't even answer the phone but has it on an answering machine in another room so that the ringing won't cause a distraction.

My DD started lessons at 6. Our teacher is outstanding and has a waiting list.

 

[badhairday]

My daughter takes piano lessons once per week and the fee is $15 for a half-hour. We live in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

The woman goes to her school, and she has her lesson during her lunch hour (she has a schedule at the school and has lessons every week before school, during the lunch hour, and right after school on certain days).

During the summer, I take my daughter to her home for the lesson. She has the children scheduled one after another, and has the next student wait in her living room, and she has magazines etc. for them to read while they wait.
She has a recital at the end of the school year (June) for all of her students.

Good luck with it! I think it would be a great business to start and an enjoyable one too!

 

[Trixiezzz]

We pay $45 per month for a 30-min lesson once a week.
It's by check in advance on the first lesson of the month.

Our teacher starts them in 2nd grade.

 

[stacy347]

We pay $15/half-hour lesson, plus we buy all of the books. She has us pay monthly ~ good luck