music so simple
  • Home
    • student/parent login
    • Student Gear
    • Blog
  • REGISTER
  • About
    • Our Studio
    • Our Policies
    • Teachers >
      • Stathia Orwig
      • Robin Coolidge
      • Logan Herod
      • Kamilya Akhmetova
      • Chiara La Ferla
      • James Landrum
      • David Large
      • Meredith Manley
      • Astrid Morales
      • Lynne Nevill
      • Employment
    • Testimonials
  • Lessons
    • Babies & Toddlers
    • Preschool
    • Private Lessons
    • Group Piano
    • Studio Kids: Ensemble Piano
    • SUMMER 2022 >
      • Your Summer Classes & Camps
      • Summer Private Lessons
    • Calendar
  • CONTACT

We've got a lot to talk about

The Price is Right!

8/13/2016

0 Comments

 
-Meredith Manley

​This week I am writing about what really goes into the cost of private lessons. Some people are a bit surprised when they learn how much private lessons can cost, but there are a lot of things that must be considered when determining a rate.
Picture
First off, we look at what other teachers are charging in the same area; the price for lessons varies all across the metroplex. Rates are usually higher in affluent neighborhoods and if there is a lack of teachers in the area. If several teachers are offering the same services in one place, rates may be a bit lower to give a competitive edge.

Besides the expertise and guidance a teacher offers in the actual lesson, there is a lot of prep work that occurs before, especially when it comes to choosing repertoire. On average, I’d say it takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to find two or three pieces for a student and and then play through them to see if it is a good fit. Now, multiply that time by how many students you teach (usually around 20-25 students). That’s a lot of time spent just finding pieces! Planning recitals and attending festivals that our students participate in is also extra time that is usually unpaid.
Picture
We have to tack on any administrative work that is required to keep the studio running (checking in with our families, purchasing and picking up new music and materials, billing, and marketing). Keeping up with social media accounts and blogs also takes time, but again, we think it’s important to send our families the latest research, events, and insight and to build a sense of community within the studio.

Another factor that increases a lesson rate is if the teacher travels to your home for the lesson. Obviously, this is extremely convenient for families as it is one less activity to drive to. Most traveling teachers expect their travel time to be incorporated into their rate since that time is taken out of their teaching schedule. If you are unable to take lessons at the teacher’s home/studio space or prefer to have lessons at your home, expect to pay a bit more.


​Lastly, I have to mention every self-employed person’s favorite topic: taxes. Outside of paying ourselves, we also have to budget for quarterly payments. Self-employment can be a beautiful thing, but let’s face it, those taxes can take a real hit financially.


So, why be a teacher when there is all of this extra unpaid work outside of lesson time? This may sound cliche, but watching a student progress, achieve new goals, and grow as a person through music is priceless. Our goal is to provide something wonderful for the community, but also to be able to make a living, so please remember everything that happens outside of lesson time that we must account for in our rates. We feel that our prices reflect the high quality of our teaching, but we still remain accessible to families in our area.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2022
    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    40 Piece Challenge
    About Our Teachers
    About Us
    Contests
    DMTA
    Ear Explorations
    Early Childhood
    Festivals
    For Our Parents
    For Our Students
    Goals
    Honor Roll
    Music Bucks
    Music Library
    Policies
    Practice
    Recital
    Research
    Student Of The Week
    Summer
    Theory
    Theory Test
    Voice Lessons
    What To Expect At A Recital
    Written Work

    RSS Feed

MUSIC SO SIMPLE
469.778.2121
​
info@musicsosimple.com
​
1144 Plano Road, suite 142, richardson, texas 75081

Music So Simple, Music Schools, Richardson, TX
  • Home
    • student/parent login
    • Student Gear
    • Blog
  • REGISTER
  • About
    • Our Studio
    • Our Policies
    • Teachers >
      • Stathia Orwig
      • Robin Coolidge
      • Logan Herod
      • Kamilya Akhmetova
      • Chiara La Ferla
      • James Landrum
      • David Large
      • Meredith Manley
      • Astrid Morales
      • Lynne Nevill
      • Employment
    • Testimonials
  • Lessons
    • Babies & Toddlers
    • Preschool
    • Private Lessons
    • Group Piano
    • Studio Kids: Ensemble Piano
    • SUMMER 2022 >
      • Your Summer Classes & Camps
      • Summer Private Lessons
    • Calendar
  • CONTACT