Tips #3 - Your Fee
Martha Beth Lewis
1. What your students pay you is TUITION. It is not an hourly fee for a
service rendered (like baby-sitting). Each student is paying for a
guaranteed place in your teaching schedule and your waking-hour concern
for their problems and achievement. Trust me: you won't "turn off"
your
brain during non-teaching hours; you'll always be mulling over problems
and possible solutions. Not to mention time spent hunting for new
music, preparing special stuff, etc. A student's lesson is NOT just
those few minutes he is with you during the week; you are committed to
him and his musical advancement full-time. Therefore, don't see your
fee too low. Anyone with a bachelor's degree in music should be
charging at least $12/half-hour. More if you have more degrees and/or
more experience. Note, however, that people looking for teachers place
more importance on degrees than experience. This may be because a
degree is easy to evaluate--either you have it or you don't--but it
might also 15 years and never have made any effort to upgrade your
professional training.
2. Set your fee in accordance with what other teachers in your area
with the same or similar credentials charge. Be guided by your local
colleagues but don't be dictated to by them. If you are worth more,
charge more. If you are charging too much, you 'll soon know it bcs you
won't be able to get students at that rate. Another way to get a
feeling for your fee--espe. if you're new to the area--is to call around
other activities for children, such as dance and martial arts.
3. Charge everyone the same fee. Word will get around if you charge
some students less. If you have different fees, bring those people up.
4. Don't negotiate or justify your fee. It is what it is. If callers
complain, "That's too much" or "So-and-so charges less," just answer:
"I understand, but that is my fee."
5. Don't have family rates. Is your time and expertise worth less to
person in the family than another? Should you charge less for piano
instruction than the parent would be willing to pay to give that same
child dance or other instruction? Parents know these activities will
cost money. Besides, how much of a reduction is going to make a real
difference? $1? State your fee and don't wobble.
6. Don't succumb to any blandishments of cash payment in exchange for a
lower fee. Such people insult your integrity. Answer: "It doesn't
matter whether you pay by cash or check. I report all income."
7. Most teachers price hour lessons at twice their half-hour rate;
45-min lessons would be 75% of the hour rate. Each group lesson (whether
30, 45, or 60) minutes is generally priced at the same rate as a
half-hour private lesson. Other fees--computer lab fee, library
fee--may be added; there's no generality possible here. Some teachers
charge extra fees; some simply raise the tuition to cover all these
extra expenses, time, and effort.
8. Don't teach bi-weekly lessons. Usually these are requested by
someone hoping to get piano instruction for half price; usually this
person says, "I just don't have time to practice often enough or long
enough to justify a weekly lesson." Answer: "I understand. In this
case, I'd recommend that you put off study until you have 30 minutes a
day to devote to playing each day. If you don't have that kind of time,
you'll be very frustrated with your slow progress." If you do teacher
biweekly lessons despite my advice not to, charge a special biweekly
fee, which is 80% of the hourly rate for a HALF-hour lesson. This is
usually enough to make the student see the economic and pedagogic sense
of taking a weekly half-hour lesson instead.
9. If you are self-employed, probably half your income will go to taxes
and business expenses (including fully-funding your retirement acct for
the year). If you're an employee teacher of someone else, after
deductions for taxes, etc. you'll probably keep about 75% of your hourly
wage.
10. Differentiate between what you NEED to earn and what you WANT to
earn. Knowing the difference will save you from stress, exhaustion, and
family friction.
11. Three indicators you should raise your fee: (1) your roster is
full; (2) you haven't changed your fee in 2 years; (3) you are below the
prevailing local rate for teachers of your qualifications and
experience.
12. Students taught free ("on scholarship" for either hardship or merit
reasons) are just that. You have made a gift of your services. The IRS
does not allow you to deduct--as a charitable contribution--any free or
reduced=fee lessons you teach. If you teach "on scholarship," do so for
the right reasons. Claiming a tax deduction isn't one of them.
copyright Martha Beth Lewis, 1995
Noshir Patel
Martha Beth Lewis (mar...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: Beginning Teacher Tips #3 - Your Fee
: 5. Don't have family rates. Is your time and expertise worth less to
: person in the family than another? Should you charge less for piano
: instruction than the parent would be willing to pay to give that same
: child dance or other instruction? Parents know these activities will
: cost money. Besides, how much of a reduction is going to make a real
: difference? $1? State your fee and don't wobble.
Family rates are a reasonable business practice. If it will bring in more
students and raise one's income, why not do it? Not all teachers have as
many students as they would like, and this may be a way to get more students
with less cost than lowering rates until more students come to you. In other
words, it may be possible to make more money by having a family rate than to
simply lower rates across the board. Works for many other businesses. I
would be surprised if dance studios etc didn't have similar rate plans (I
can't speak from experience here, as anyone knows who has tried to dance with
me...).
: 7. Most teachers price hour lessons at twice their half-hour rate;
: 45-min lessons would be 75% of the hour rate. Each group lesson (whether
: 30, 45, or 60) minutes is generally priced at the same rate as a
: half-hour private lesson. Other fees--computer lab fee, library
: fee--may be added; there's no generality possible here. Some teachers
: charge extra fees; some simply raise the tuition to cover all these
: extra expenses, time, and effort.
I would be very unlikely to attend a group lesson taught by the same teacher
for the same price and time as a private lesson. To charge the same price
would be, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I really don't care if this
practice is considered usual or not.
: 8. Don't teach bi-weekly lessons. Usually these are requested by
: someone hoping to get piano instruction for half price; usually this
: person says, "I just don't have time to practice often enough or long
: enough to justify a weekly lesson." Answer: "I understand. In this
: case, I'd recommend that you put off study until you have 30 minutes a
: day to devote to playing each day. If you don't have that kind of time,
: you'll be very frustrated with your slow progress." If you do teacher
: biweekly lessons despite my advice not to, charge a special biweekly
: fee, which is 80% of the hourly rate for a HALF-hour lesson. This is
: usually enough to make the student see the economic and pedagogic sense
: of taking a weekly half-hour lesson instead.
This would have prevented me from taking lessons at certain times. College
students with no income can find even $40 a month difficult. I would choose
being able to eat over piano lessons any day. I would say make the case for
weekly lessons, yes, but refusing to teach weekly lessons only makes sense
as a money issue for the teacher (which I could understand) or contempt for
the supposedly undedicated student. For the record, I preferred weekly
lessons and took weekly lessons when money permitted. A refusal to allow
bi-weekly lessons would have probably precluded my coming back for weekly
lessons later.
--
Noshir Patel
"I got 7000 channels of shit on the usenet to choose from (choose from...
choose from...)" - if RW was on internet...
Martha Beth Lewis
You must, of course, do as you wish but you will
NOT make more money at family rates!! Why add a
student for $1-2 less than your normal rate when
you can add one at your full tuition rate? Seems
like a no-brainer to me! Any teacher who does not
have enough students needs help with marketing and
advertising. Look for a coming post on these
subjects!
>: 7. Most teachers price hour lessons at twice their half-hour
rate; >: 45-min lessons would be 75% of the hour rate. Each group lesson
(whether >: 30, 45, or 60) minutes is generally priced at the same rate
as a >: half-hour private lesson. Other fees--computer lab fee, libray
>: fee--may be added; there's no generality possible here. Some
teachers >: charge extra fees; some simply raise the tuition to cover
all these >: extra expenses, time, and effort.
>
>I would be very unlikely to attend a group lesson taught by the same
teacher
>for the same price and time as a private lesson. To charge the same
price
>would be, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I really don't care
if this
>practice is considered usual or not.
I don't teach group lesson at all. What I was reporting
was data from an MTNA [Music Teachers National Asso.]
survey done with 1989 data. The data reported that teachers
who do teach group lessons usually set that lesson fee at
the same rate as a half-hour private lesson.
Some teachers substitute a group session for one
private lesson a month. Group lessons are more common
for children than for adults.
You have a choice, of course, as to whether you attend
a group session. And whether you select a teacher who
teaches group sessions--in addition to the month's private
lessons or as a substitute for one of them.
As I said above, I do not teach group lessons, and I am
NOT defending them. Remember, these tips are written for
piano teachers!!! And some of them teach group lessons
and want some guidance in how to price them. I simply
reported the norm, as shown by the data.
Again, remember I am writing this for the teacher, not
the student. There are a lot of people who'd like to take
piano instruction but can't afford it. There are a lot of
people who'd like to drink champagne but can't afford it. I
am advising teachers to follow intelligent business practices.
It has been my experience every time I've tried to give
biweekly lessons that they do not work. The student invariably
starts calling and says, "I didn't get to practice much this
week; can I come next week?" Then the schedule gets thrown into
a cocked hat and the teacher takes the financial hit bcs the
student wasn't committed enough to practice--for whatever
reason. If a husband and wife team or sibling team wants to
trade off week to week, fine, but I caution teachers against
taking biweekly students bcs they are nothing but trouble.
And then they quit bcs their progress wasn't fast enough--when
they actually got exactly what they deserved based onthe effort
and committment.
If you can't afford weekly lessons, make arrangements with the
teacher for an as-needed basis. You call when you're ready and
the teacher fits you in where she has a space.
thanks for your input! martha beth
Steve Adams
>Beginning Teacher Tips #3 - Your Fee
[snip]
>8. Don't teach bi-weekly lessons...
I have to respectfully disagree with you here, Martha Beth. I am 43 now
and am fulfilling a lifelong dream by learning to play the piano. It
is next to impossible to get at least 1/2 hour a day, *every day*. Weekly
lessons will just waste my time and the teachers time. Every couple of
months I have to "pull all-nighters" here at work. They don't have a
piano here, so that day is shot for practice, as well as the next day due
to lack of sleep. And there are lawns to mow, food to cook, house to
clean, kids to spend time with, and everything that adults have to do
which children don't. (And I don't watch television. Don't even have one.)
I`m up by 4:30 a.m. and usually down by 10:00 p.m. My progress may not
be as fast as I would like, but at least I'm doing it. Somethimes, we
all have to be flexible and accomodating.
You have contributed much to this group, Martha Beth. Keep it up, you
have taught me much. Thank you.
(Really didn't meant to give a sob story. But, what the hay...) :)
Jeff Hrrsn
>I would be very unlikely to attend a group lesson taught by the same
teacher
>for the same price and time as a private lesson. To charge the same
price
>would be, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I really don't care if
>this practice is considered usual or not.
Uhh...I don't think you'd have to pay the same price, Noshir. The idea
here is that the teacher makes the same money per hour, but can still
teach groups and the people in the group get to split the cost. Get it?
* jeff harrison * corona, ca. *
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Martha Beth Lewis
Adams) writes:
>
>In article mar...@ix.netcom.com (Martha Beth Lewis) writes:
>>Beginning Teacher Tips #3 - Your Fee
>
> [snip]
>
>>8. Don't teach bi-weekly lessons...
>
>I have to respectfully disagree with you here, Martha Beth. I am 43
now
>and am fulfilling a lifelong dream by learning to play the piano. It
>is next to impossible to get at least 1/2 hour a day, *every day*.
Weekly
>lessons will just waste my time and the teachers time. Every couple of
>months I have to "pull all-nighters" here at work.... My progress may
not>be as fast as I would like, but at least I'm doing it. Somethimes,
we>all have to be flexible and accomodating.
>
I am all for being flexible and accomodating. I bend over
backwards to accomodate adults with business trips, sick
kids, and all that kind of stuff. Remember that what I
wrote is for piano TEACHERS. (You students are just getting
an inside look and the mechanics of this business.) If you
are in a position where you cannot take a lesson, ask your
teacher if you can double up (double time for double dollars).
Do NOT ask your teacher if you can cancel w/o paying. You
would not appreciate your teacher not being there on your
lesson day. Your teacher does not appreciate your not being
there on your lesson day. You'll recall from the first item
on this tip that I discussed what student fees actually pay;
it is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT service rendered for the
duration of the lesson!!!!! PLEASE adjust your thinking!!
You and your needs are being considered all week long by
your teacher. If they weren't, when you asked for what book
you should buy next, your teacher would answer, "Well, be
quiet for 20 minutes while I think about it." You don't
expect that. You expect the teacher to say, "Please purchase
this-and-so." At the very least, you expect the teacher to
say, "I'll think about it and tell you next week." When do
you suppose the teacher will be doing all this thinking
about you and your needs? Right-o. NOT during your lessons
but during the balance of the week. Your teacher will consult
her literature lists, visit the music store, take time to
play through some of the things and evaluate whether or not
they are right for you at this stage of your musical
development. These activities take TIME. That's what
enrolling in a teacher's studio means. Your teacher is now
committed to YOU. For that, you owe her the normal weekly
fee, whether or not you attend lessons or attend them as fully
prepared as you'd like to be!
Now then, with 30 minutes every day you should be able to make
sufficient progress that you will judge yourself ready for a
lesson. Remember that most all lessons are NOT opportunities
for you to show what you can do. They are for getting
answers to questions and help with difficulties. Certainly
you have questions?! If you are having trouble making
sufficient progress, ask your teacher for help in practicing
efficiently. Second, don't be so hard on yourself. You have
other things that demand your time and energy. You can only
do the best you can do. Some weeks will be better than
others.
If you feel you are not ready for a lesson to show what you
can do, go with a short list of the worst places in your
most difficult piece and ask your teacher to work with you
on how to attack these places.
Even if you have no literature ready to present or no
questions to ask, there is still plenty to do at a lesson.
Trust me! There are gobs of things your teacher would LOVE
to teach you if time permits. On those weeks when you "have
nothing to show", ask your teacher to use th elesson time
for theory or to introduce a new technical exercise. There
are tons of things I'd like to cover in lessons, but we
always run out of time, and I know other teachers are the
same way.
>You have contributed much to this group, Martha Beth. Keep it up, you
>have taught me much. Thank you.
Thank you for your kind words!
Martha Beth (who doesn't watch TV either and notes with
interest that there have been no comments generated by the philosophical
stuff she posted in tips #1 and 2--when it comes to cash, it seems....)
Carol
>>Beginning Teacher Tips #3 - Your Fee
> [snip]
>>8. Don't teach bi-weekly lessons...
>I have to respectfully disagree with you here, Martha Beth. I am 43 now
>and am fulfilling a lifelong dream by learning to play the piano. It
>is next to impossible to get at least 1/2 hour a day, *every day*. Weekly
>lessons will just waste my time and the teachers time.
[snip]
>be as fast as I would like, but at least I'm doing it. Somethimes, we
>all have to be flexible and accomodating.
With Steve's schedule, I'm impressed he's found the time for piano
lessons and glad to hear he's progressing. IMO, he would be an
exception to the rule. Isn't there usually one?
I do think Martha Beth's advise against bi-weekly lessons is generally a
great rule, though. My daughter started piano lessons last June. I had
listened to some of her lessons and eventually decided I also wanted to
take lessons. I thought 1/2 hour every other week would be right for
me. Finding an instructor who would take adults was more difficult than
I had expected. I finally did find a wonderful teacher, but was
initially disappointed to hear that she felt I should be in lessons every
week for at least 45 minutes. She also said I needed
to practice at least 45 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week.
If I didn't practice at all for some reason during a week, she would
still have things we could do for a lesson. I decided to try it
and started lessons in Sept.
So far, I've been getting in much more time practicing than I had
expected I would have time or desire to do, usually an hour a day. I've
also found that the lesson time goes by much too fast. In my case, I'm
very glad my instructor wouldn't consider bi-weekly lessons.
--
car...@teleport.COM
Martha Beth Lewis
I finally did find a wonderful teacher, but was
>initially disappointed to hear that she felt I should be in lessons
every >week for at least 45 minutes. She also said I needed
>to practice at least 45 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week.
>If I didn't practice at all for some reason during a week, she would
>still have things we could do for a lesson. I decided to try it
>and started lessons in Sept.
>
>So far, I've been getting in much more time practicing than I had
>expected I would have time or desire to do, usually an hour a day.
I've>also found that the lesson time goes by much too fast.
Thanks, Carol, for the input from the student's point of view. As I
noted in my response, the STUDENT will be at a grave disadvantage with
such infrequent lessons, in addition to the teacher being at great
inconvenience. Really, biweekly lessons aren't good for either party.
Martha Beth
Noshir Patel
: Noshir wrote:
: >I would be very unlikely to attend a group lesson taught by the same
: teacher
: >for the same price and time as a private lesson. To charge the same
: price
: >would be, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I really don't care if
: >this practice is considered usual or not.
: Uhh...I don't think you'd have to pay the same price, Noshir. The idea
: here is that the teacher makes the same money per hour, but can still
: teach groups and the people in the group get to split the cost. Get it?
If this was, in fact, the case, then I rescind my opinion and state that I
am all for this group lesson price plan. I do not believe that this is
actually the case, however. Perhaps Martha Beth could clear this up for
us.
In any case, I am happy to see teachers frequenting this newsgroup. Hopefully
they won't be too stingy with advice... (Do you think we get charged group
rates? Heh.)
: * jeff harrison * corona, ca. *
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Henry van Cleef
Well, Martha Beth can respond to this from the teacher's point of view.
I learned to play the piano as a second instrument, and only for the
pleasure I get from it, not as something for giving recitals and
demonstrations of my virtuosity---of which, indeed, there is precious
little. But I have found that if I do not put in more than an hour in
practice---and it generally is more like two hours---every single day,
then I am not making progress. Half an hour, for me, is only enough to
retain skill; if I want to work on something and work it out, I have to
put time into it. The payback for putting this at high priority is that
I find it tremendously rewarding---a real psychological balance for
whatever else is going on in my life.
I may be a bit hammer-and-tongs with this approach, compared to doing
the same thing with my first instrument, the trumpet, which demands at
least a half hour a day just to keep your lip in shape. But if I don't
put in serious time, I am not going to develop the things I need to work
over with a teacher, and if I don't have things to work over in one
week, I am not going to have any in two, either.
--
===================================================================
Hank van Cleef The Union Institute History of Science
E-mail vanc...@netcom.com or vanc...@tmn.com
===================================================================
Martha Beth Lewis
>
>Jeff Hrrsn (jeff...@aol.com) wrote:
>: Noshir wrote:
>: >I would be very unlikely to attend a group lesson taught by the same
>: teacher
>: >for the same price and time as a private lesson. To charge the same
>: price
>: >would be, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I really don't
care if
>: >this practice is considered usual or not.
>
>: Uhh...I don't think you'd have to pay the same price, Noshir. The
idea
>: here is that the teacher makes the same money per hour, but can still
>: teach groups and the people in the group get to split the cost. Get
it?
>
>If this was, in fact, the case, then I rescind my opinion and state
that I>am all for this group lesson price plan. I do not believe that
this is>actually the case, however. Perhaps Martha Beth could clear
this up for>us.
>
>In any case, I am happy to see teachers frequenting this newsgroup.
Hopefully
>they won't be too stingy with advice... (Do you think we get charged
group
>rates? Heh.)
The idea on the group lesson at the same rate as the individual lesson
is that the group lesson was ONE HOUR in length and the private lesson
was only a half-hour in length. Twice as much time for the same amt of
money.
Another way teachers use group lessons is to teach large numbers of
kids--especially preschoolers who want a music and movement
experience,not piano-playing lessons.
And you're getting the best rate! Gratis!
martha beth
Julie Forney Menin
(Martha Beth Lewis) wrote:
> Beginning Teacher Tips #3 - Your Fee
> 8. Don't teach bi-weekly lessons. Usually these are requested by
> someone hoping to get piano instruction for half price; usually this
> person says, "I just don't have time to practice often enough or long
> enough to justify a weekly lesson." Answer: "I understand. In this
> case, I'd recommend that you put off study until you have 30 minutes a
> day to devote to playing each day. If you don't have that kind of time,
> you'll be very frustrated with your slow progress."
Hi, Martha Beth and other teachers out there. I'm a student, not a
teacher, but am curious about your "Beginning Teacher Tips" and especially
tip #8. Were these tips directed at teachers who are just beginning to
instruct or at teachers who instruct beginners? I ask this because I
wonder whether you recommend against biweekly lessons for all levels of
students. I'm somewhere between intermediate and advanced, and have taken
lessons on and off for about 11 of the last 23 years. I recently
(finally!) purchased a piano, and am back taking lessons again. I derive
immense pleasure from playing, and, depending on how hectic a week I have,
practice for between 4 and 10 hours. It's rare that I feel ready for a
lesson after one such week (could be that my practice methods are not very
effective?). Cost is also a factor; I can manage two one-hour
lessons/month but am not sure about four. My teacher and I get along quite
well, and she hasn't objected to this arrangement although I don't think
it's a common one for her. Her schedule is pretty well booked, but I don't
occupy a premium time-slot (8 A.M. on a weekday), so I don't think I'm
preventing her from taking another student to fill that slot (she still has
a few morning openings). I will continue with this schedule as long as
we're both agreeable, but I just wondered if, under these circumstances,
you think it's unreasonable for a student to request biweekly, hour-long
lessons (without paying a surcharge).
Julie
------------------
Julie Forney Menin
me...@neb.com