That is pretty outrageous, and I'm a degreed musician.

Just so you know...I only charge 50 cents a minute when I give lessons ($15 for a 30 minute lesson). But I AM on the cheap end of the spectrum. However, my Dad teaches voice and guitar at a private music school, and they charge based on the experience/education of the teacher, but even there I don't think they charge $1 a minute. He certainly doesn't get paid that, and he has a Masters Degreen in music.

I will say this, though--most private teachers and by this, I mean those that teach in their home (like me, though I'm not currently giving lessons) don't have 40 hours worth of students and are usually doing it in addition to their full time jobs (even if, like me, a SAHM, they don't acually get paid $$ for their full-time jobs) and are taking time away from their families to teach. So in those cases, they do have to make it worth their time. I'm not saying that means $1/hour; I'm just saying I wouldn't do it for minimum wage.

But I do agree with you that is over the top for a beginner student.

That was funny. Thank you for your tongue in cheek humor.

Really does have to be worthwhile. I don't take on jobs that don't pay well and the piano teachers I know will negotiate price but have to start somewhere. My daughter's guitar lesson is a half hour at $25 dollars but she gets a lot out of it and I want her to learn something that she's really interested in. I pay what the teacher asks because I want to secure my spot. If he lightens his load I don't want her to be one of the students that gets dropped.
When the piano teacher travels to the home of the child I know many that factor in gas since gas is such an issue these days.
Margaret Garcia-Couoh

Your post is a bit misguided.

You are comparing apples to oranges. The comparison rates you show should be adjusted to their "fully loaded" rates.

Any usability cost-benefit analysis should value people's time based on their fully loaded cost and not simply on their take-home salary. The cost to a company of having a staff member work for an hour is not that person's hourly rate but also includes the cost of benefits, vacation time, facilities costs (office space, heating and cleaning, computers etc.), and the many other costs associated with having that person employed.

All of those costs are absorbed into that music teachers $60 an hour rate because they essentially are doing all of those things. If you added all those things into the other rates I think you would be surprised at what they are.

Having taught piano for 20 years and owned a commercial music studio, I can tell you that piano teachers do not make that kind of money. With my studio, the overhead of the building, insurance,advertising, etc would cut that number easily in half. Even teaching out of the home, there are expenses--health insurance, pay for holidays, etc. And then there are the hours--you start at 3pm when the kids get home and maybe, go until 8pm. Most parents I worked with balked at that late a time, so I usually had my last lesson at 7:30. So that's 4.5 hours a day x 5 days a week x 35 weeks per school year = $47,250 not counting expenses. 35 weeks a year is realistic (and what I based my studio tuition on) with school vacations families don't want lessons. The numbers of students who continued lessons through the summer was only a handful. But teachers still have to pay their mortgage and put food on the table during school vacations and summers, so this amount evens out to a comparable salary to a school teacher. All of my teachers had a minimum of a BS in Music, most also had a Masters. Their education and talent earn them this pay.

I certainly hope this was a joke -- a teacher is an out-of-work version of the real thing??? Like the old joke, if you can't do; teach. How offensive.

I know we are talking about whether someone can support themselves on $60/hour piano lessons, but don't let that also decide whether the market can bear $60/hour piano lessons. I see many commenters who teach who do not charge that amount so I guess that $60 is on the high range. Just because a teacher has high overhead or costs doesn't mean they can or should charge that much. Competition will drive the price they can get down. If the overhead costs more than you can charge, cut the overhead or choose a different business, or find some way to increase the value for your customer so they can stand the price.

That being said, as soon as my son is old enough, into piano lessons he goes. I would even pay a premium for a good teacher. We'll see what price I have to wince at then.

1. It is difficult to find students.

2. Most musicians invest a huge amount of time in their lessons from the time they are young children. Those of us practice 3 to 6 hours a day in addition to a full schedule of college, homework, and classes. It's not an unreasonable price for a conservatory trained musician, given the knowledge base that they are drawing from.

Wow. What you don't know about music and teacher could fill a library. No offense.

Perhaps a bit more research before writing things like this might have help you on the "journalistic integrity" thing.

Musicians are highly trained professionals, many of whom have been paying for their own education since they were children themselves. (I began paying for my own lessons at 14, with money from my first job.) You're comparing workers like hair cutters (who learn their moves in a matter of months) to someone who teaches a skill that has taken decades to master. Figure: $50 an hour (a going rate in highly expensive New York City) for about 20 hours a week, with dozens of lessons missed because of school holidays, the flu, vacations... and you're not talking a huge income. And, self-employed musicians have to pay for their own health insurance, work-related expenses, and sometimes they must pay for rented studio space.

You may also want to be careful about comparing performing musicians with teaching ones. In most cases they are one and the same. And many great performers are lousy teachers, giving lie to the old expression: "Those who can do, those who can't teach."

It's clear from your article that you're not a musician yourself and don't realize just how much work and training (and money!) goes into becoming a GOOD musician. If you think all early musical training requires is identifying notes and banging out a few chords, you're quite mistaken and you may be doing your daughter a disservice by entrusting her to any random street performer.

$60 may be a bit high where you live, and I have a feeling that if you look around you'll find a qualified instructor who charges less.

Let's look at some things in perspective: your high-end haircut probably costs between $40 and $60, and how much time and energy is your hairdresser putting into this high-end haircut? If it's bimonthly, then you're not cutting off a lot, so your hairdresser is getting paid $40-$60 for a half-hour's worth of work to snip off a mere half inch of your hair (which means that you're paying for more than $1/minute). A piano teacher that gets paid $60/hour (on the low end from what I've experienced) will enrich your child with a great deal of technical ability and musical understanding - a type of growth that isn't unsightly after 2 months and needs to be trimmed off, rather a growth that will impact your child for the rest of his/her life. A piano teacher of mine used to say that people approach their lives the same way they approach their instruments: a great piano teacher will leave your child with values they will uphold for life, not just the ability to identify notes and bang out some chords (if this is all you expect out of your child's music lessons, then you should seriously seriously go read a few books on music and listen to some CDs of true artists). Furthermore, it is extremely ignorant to say that teachers are just out-of-work musicians - many great teachers were originally great performers, and it is very common for teachers to balance their teaching schedule with performing. Who wouldn't pay $150-$200 for a lesson from Leon Fleisher, Emanuel Ax, Andre Watts, or Menahem Pressler?

There are two things you should do: first, research a topic that is unfamiliar to you before making such bold (not to mention egregiously misguided) assertions; and secondly, sign your child up with that $60/hour teacher, and make sure the teacher is capable of teaching beginners. If you get him/her started off with the equivalent of a street musician, he/she will not get the basic technical and musical training that is required, and if your child continues to study in the future, he/she will be seriously hindered by his/her lack of great technical background and musical insight. You wouldn't want your child learning math from any person that had a four-function calculator because a) there's a chance they won't teach math correctly and b) consequently it would hurt your child's future progress.

Simple: You get what you pay for.

What this article doesn't mention is the high cost of the top-level music training it takes for us to *get* to the stage where we can teach your children without making a total hash of it. Which none of us want to do, believe me. Any music teacher worth their salt wants the very best for each child/teenager/adult who walks through their door.

It's very rare to come across a music teacher who can handle 40 hours a week, for a start. What we do is incredibly emotionally demanding, and the time spent preparing for lessons goes well above and beyond the actual time spent with each student.

When I first started teaching, I charged only $10 an hour, reflecting my experience. Fortunately I had some very understanding students and parents who encouraged me to grow in my teaching as they grew in their learning, and I did not lose a single student through increasing my rates. Now, with over 10 years' experience and several degrees and diplomas in hand, I feel well and truly justified in charging what I do. Which is not a dollar a minute, in any case.

Why is music considered an inferior skill to, say, being a barrister or a doctor? Quite often, just as much (if not more) time and effort goes into music, and the rewards are often far meaner. But we do it because we love it, and we get articles like this one in response when we only charge what we are worth and what we need to make ends meet. Running a music teaching studio is not a cheap thing to do, by any means, and it takes over your life.

There are different niches in music, as there are in all professions. A great misconception is that a high-level performer will make a better teacher than someone who teaches full-time. Not always the case.

By all means, look around and find someone who charges what you'd rather pay. You may be lucky and find a teacher who is very fine and undercharges, but for the most part:

You get what you pay for. Good luck.

This kind of reminds me of a job I auditioned for at a pricey restaurant. I was being offered $75 for 3 hours of playing piano and a free meal. When I asked for $100, the owner said she needed to check with her husband, the cook. He commented that he didn't think it was fair that the dishwashers had to be there for a longer time, and that it wasn't right that the piano player just walks in and plays for 3 hours and gets more than the dishwasher!!! JUST WALKS IN?? How many years of lessons and practicing did those dishwashers pay for?? Funny how some people think!
I did reason with the wife and got my 100 bucks!

Totally agree with you. Music teacher is NOT out-of-work musician. I am not a music teacher but know more than ten. Qualified and good teachers invested their life, get college degree & certifications, and have professional career training and development just like other profession. They do a lot on their own times and $ without getting pay or someone (i.e. company) pays for. The ones I know have to chose career path too - performer vs teacher or combination. Teach at school, university or have own studio. They are undervalued just because most people think everyone can play music and do art. Those who teach have to prepare for class even if it is a one-on-one lesson.

With CA state cutting more on music & art in school, hopefully people realize more how valuable music and art is and willing to pay more on their own. (I am completely oppose state cutting school teachers & budget.)

I have to pay for my kids lessons too - I have to cut on down to only four times a year haircut ($20 for straight cut that takes about 20 min) instead of monthly treat.

I understand that many teachers don't really bring home much money even after the the high price of piano lessons, but how do they think they will ever get more students if they continue to charge those prices. Especially during today's economy, most parents simply cannot afford 60/hour for piano lessons. For a parent that makes 10/hour, that's almost an entire workday. When the child isn't even certain that that is what they want to do, it makes it even worse. Perhaps the music teachers should work out a compromise. For the first 1-3 months of lessons (when the child is only learning very basic stuff anyway) make the lessons half priced. If the child wants to continue on afterwards, then they can charge their full price. This way children can at least know whether they like playing in the first place.

I am a young classically-trained lyric coloratura soprano who has studied with world-class singing artists for 15 years. I perform professionally in the greater New York City area on a regular basis. I also graduated with high honors from an Ivy League college, where I studied music theory and history while performing in semi-professional productions. My top-notch credentials, combined with my excellent vocal technique, ability to communicate difficult concepts to even the youngest and most inexperienced students, and love for the human voice make me worth what my clients are willing to pay, which is more than twice what the piano teacher quoted you. I have a number of students who have worked with me consistently for more than a year, and I can barely fit everyone who wants to work with me into my schedule.

In addition, your assumption that private music teachers are merely out-of-work performers is misinformed, as well as obnoxious! I have dozens of colleagues who maintain dual careers as performers and teachers, and I cannot think of one person who teaches for a lack of "better options." The musicians I know who maintain private teaching studios do so because they love to share their knowledge with students and take part in their artistic development. I take great pride in my students' growth, and when they do well, I feel as if I haven't let them down. I am personally and professionally invested in their singing, as well as their general well-being. And while I'm pretty quick to toot my own horn (pun intended?), I could give you the names of 20 colleagues who are just as talented, committed, and capable, if not more so. So, please tell me, what do you think we're worth?

As you are a mother, you don't realize what it is truly like to deal with kids. For all of the the things that my music teacher has to deal with, or really any regular teacher of mine has to deal with on a day to day basis, they need to be paid much much more than they are currently paid. Also if it helps, don't think of it as a payment, but more as an investment in your child's future.

I have inherited piano pupils from those $15 hour teachers. Most I have found to be under par. The child takes lessons for 2 years and can hardly read a note and is stuck on level 2. No wonder they give up eventually. Some pupils reach the level of the teacher which is at times no more than level 4. This is a terrible atrocity. It's like going to a MD who has reached the level of first aid.
Some children survive despite this.
I charge $60 an hour but the children have a repertoire and play competently at two recitals a year. They enjoy their piano because they play pieces they like, as well as have a sound foundation in theory, sight reading and technical exercises/scales taught every lesson. Just because you can play a few pieces on the piano does not make you a teacher.
I find that sometimes piano teachers are treated as "help" when they teach at the pupils home. But that is on very rare occasions when the parent is incapable of recognising the status of a qualified musical professional. Just as you would not choose the cheapest hairdresser, dentist or lawyer, should you not choose the cheapest piano tuition around. Give the best (music major with experience) a try, and if you feel it is a waste of money, scale down to your hearts content.

Would you pay a dentist half of his rate just because your child will lose it's teeth and anyway they are small teeth.

I am an exceptional piano teacher located in the West Hartford area and until recently charged $75 an hour traveling house to house teaching piano lessons. I have recently lowered my price to a very reasonable $65 due to the horrible economy.

As I teach house to house I can fit in about 14 hours a week at most. Many people can't start until 4:00, it takes 30 minutes to get from house to house, people don't like lessons past 6:00, and weekends are almost always out. I also don't teach much in the summers and people are sometimes not home and I am stranded for an hour and half before the next lesson and most people will not pay me the fee even though they originally agreed to it.

I have a Master's Degree, traveled Europe, and worked with one of the best international pianists in the world. I practiced over 4 hours a day for seven years, in addition to doing all of my school work. I average about 4-5 hours a sleep (including weekends) during that 7 year period. I have a 3.8 GPA and I have chosen to not concertize and perform. The reason I have chosen to teach is NOT because I am unable to play well!

Most children I work with have had lessons for a few years before they meet me. These lessons are almost always from incompetent teachers who are charging less money and are extremely unqualified. Most students that have had 3 years of lessons before they met me would have been better off NEVER having these lessons at all. I can get further in one year with the average beginner, over the player who has had 3 years of bad lessons, which is mostly what is out there for bargain prices. People say no to me and find the $35 an hour guy and come to me 3 years later. It is more difficult to undo all of the mistakes they have learned, then it would be for them to start completely fresh if possible.

To say your article is misguided is an understatement. $65 for a professional in a specialized field to travel to your home for one hour is fantastic. Most people in service business charge more and have less experience and education.

I strongly advise you to pay the money if you decide to give your children lessons, and DON'T go for the bargain basement price.

Stephen

Author is completely clueless - piano teachers don't teach 40 hours a week, that's suicide. For each teaching hour, most teachers spend another hour on top of that planning, shopping for music, attending concerts, recitals, etc...working on lesson plans for goodness sake! Now, if the teacher doesn't have a degree, certificate and doesn't have lesson plans then you are over-paying. Do the teachers get paid shop, plan, react and keep your child involved and interested in music? Not directly, "by the minute", hence the cost of tuition. A dollar a minute is a very silly and juvenile way to think about music study. A massage lasts a few days (call that a dollar a minute if you want) - but music will last a lifetime (if taught correctly). Put a price on that, on wait, you already tried.

What a pathetic post! I don't know any private instrumental teachers who charge $60 per hour, but if it is a high cost metropolitan area (such as NYC or DC) perhaps that is the norm.
You should also consider, when providing you diatribe, that the figure quoted includes all costs assumed by the teacher - insurances (because we know that you'll be suing if your child slips on the stairs up to the piano teacher's house), utilities for the teaching space, (quite possibly) rent of the teaching space, tuning and maintaining a decent instrument on which to teach, et cetera. Also consider who pays for the piano teacher's sick time (ie: no one, sick leave when you are a self-employed teacher is simply a period of no income), who pays his/her vacation time (again, same answer), who pays for the health insurance (oh, that would be same said self-employed teacher), employer SS contributions, et cetera.
You also need to do some better research before launching off on such a bender, because no decent piano teacher spents 40 hours a week teaching, just as no school classroom teacher teaches the same number of hours as officeworkers - but instead spends time in preparation, planning, etc.
Do some better (any?!) research before your next posting, so that at least your article will be vaguely plausible next time. And remember: the reality is that, if the cost isn't worth the benefit you receive, don't buy it. I suspect few piano teachers (or teachers of any kind) wish to have to deal with parents with the low level attitude you demonstrate.

Wow. I agree with an above poster that there's so much wrong with this article I don't even know where to begin. But I'll just limit myself to stating that the money we spend on piano lessons for my 9-yr-old daughter, who has a wonderful teacher who works 7-day weeks and still lives hand-to-mouth, is far and away the best-spent money in our budget.

You have been greatly misinformed about that matters in which you write and have made some very erroneous, uneducated, and unfounded comments about private music lesson teachers. I think it be best if you educate yourself before making such broad blanket statements such as:

“First question: Why do the out-of-work musicians (i.e., piano teachers) make more than the in-work (i.e., performing) ones? Just something to think about.”

I am a very successful voice teacher in the NY/NJ metro area. I went to school and received a bachelors and masters in voice performance from two of the country’s top musical conservatories. I could have easily made a career performing however my passion was always in teaching. It was never an either or. Nor was it, I’ll teach when I’m unemployed as a performer. Granted there are certainly those “teachers” out there, who do it just for the reason stated, but they are by no means the vast majority and such a statement on your behalf is insulting.

Secondly, the figure of $120,000 is grossly exaggerated. While a private music teacher may charge $60 for a lesson the reality is they will walk away once all expenses are taken care of with probably $40 and that’s being conservative. Let’s take a look at private music teachers’ expenses throughout a given year:

1) Private music teachers do not have taxes taken out of their payment by the government, so they must do that themselves. So anywhere from 15-20% of every lesson payment is normally put aside for tax purposes.
2)Rent
3)Health Insurance
4)Gas - If a teacher travels to a studio or to a students’ house.
5)Car maintenance
6)Instrument upkeep (i.e. Piano tuning)
7)Lesson supplies
8)Music

These are just the majority of expenses; I know I am missing several. I wish with the 40 plus students I do teach in a week that I could make $120,000 annually but realistically that is not the case once you factor in everything that goes into being a successful teacher.

Finally let me end with commenting on the following statement you made:

“But c'mon, the physical risk is low, and the overhead even lower. Can piano teachers honestly say that their job is really almost FIVE TIMES as much work as it is to get two bison to mate in a timely and productive manner? I know which career path I’d choose, given the option!”

You have NO idea how much work it takes to be a successful private music teacher. Private music teachers are our own self promoters. Nobody is successful if they do not market their services and craft. I have spent countless hours doing just that and in five years gone from 2 students to now over 40. That doesn’t just happen. Additionally to be a successful teacher you travel to every one of little Jane or Jimmy’s recitals or performances. You prepare your own students for private studio recitals which happens with some teachers 2 or 3 times throughout the year. Then you have the students who call you up and ask for last minute lessons for auditions and guess what you do that because that’s what it takes and that’s what being a good teacher is all about. It’s the countless little things that always goes unnoticed by parents that does justify asking and getting paid $60 an hour if not more for our services. Perhaps you should do some field study on this instead of watching those two bison mate.

I must say $60 and hour is some what cheap depending on the level of the teacher and the student. I am a music major in college and I also teach private lessons. On average lessons range any were from $60 to $80 an hour that's for a good teacher. Now if the student is a beginner or a child yes $60 might be a bit much, but if the teacher does lessons plans, buys music for the student, give time in there home or traveling to the students home, $60 is not much for a good teacher. It is ridiculous for a person who does not teach privately to compare prices. And I don’t know one private music teacher who works 40 hours a week just in private lessons. Most teachers have regular jobs in a school, college or studio and are willing to teach to keep the art of music alive. If you have a child who wants lessons and you want to see them go far with music the price should never be an issue. If you pay cheap money you get cheap lessons. And I feel sorry for teachers who are getting underpaid for what they do. A good teacher should not lower there standards by charging less money for lessons. People who train with personal trainers pay on average $70 per hour plus gym expenses yet private music teachers have to make nothing…

Here is the authors bio:

"Lain Ehmann is the author of "Snippets: Mostly True Tales from the Lighter Side of Scrapbooking" (CKMedia, 2008), and the author of over 1000 articles for magazines ranging from Runner's World to Family Life. A transplanted Californian, she lives with her three children (ages 11, 9 and 5) and husband in a converted barn in Lexington, MA."

Over the last few years I have noticed the caliber of journalism is very poor. Now I know why. This is an experienced author who has written over 1000 articles and a book. Yet, she has not taken the time to properly research the work of a music teacher before writing her blog.

Shame, shame on you Lain. Your blog, which reached status in a Yahoo article, has caused a lot of pain and destruction to the careers of hardworking musicians who love their work, love teaching children, and are also trying to eat and keep a roof over their head.

I am one of those music teachers who charges $60 an hour and am barely making ends meet. I also carry at least 2 students on full scholarship (that's right -- they take their lessons for free because they are talented and work hard and the family is undergoing financial hardship). And, through my years of teaching I have noticed that those who struggle financially never complain about my tuition rate. But, those who are financially well off are the ones who complain. I suspect you are one of those, as scrapbooking is an upper middle class and wealthy woman's hobby. Shame, shame, shame on you Lain! Go back to your scrapbooking and keep the journalism to those who know how to do their research!

As a recently divorced music teacher (freelance, self-employed and performer) my x-husband tried to convince the courts that I made $25/half hour lesson x $50/hour = $104K salary. More accurately, private lesson earnings must be calculated based on the number of students participating in the "studio" x the number of weeks they attend per year. The annual income I report from my studio averages 30 students x $25/lesson x 30 weeks attended = $22,500 per year. Why 30 only weeks of lessons per year? Many students take summers off, have cancellations for illnesses, family vacations, and school exams. Whether a Private Music teacher charges tuition or goes week-to-week it's the same income. Furthermore, the most students I have been willing and able to take on has been 40 per week. As a maximum, the yearly income would still only come out to $30K. However, It's just not feasible for one person to teach a 40 hour continuous stream of private students - not only does it take an enormous amount of energy and concentration, there must be allotted a certain amount of non-teaching per week for bookkeeping, marketing, planning, etc. and general office responsibilities. Unfortunately, your article portrays music teachers as upper class income earners when in reality it is common knowledge that most of us live on a near-poverty salary, but we continue to do what we do because of the love of our art and the desire to make a difference in many children's lives. I invite you to attend one of my recitals to see for yourself. Parents who understand the benefit of music lessons know that their children are learning so much more than being able to play a few songs. Thank you,
Sheila Hamilton hms@hvc.rr.com

Piano teachers aren't out of work. Teaching is their job and it is a completely different skill set. There are plenty of piano players that can play okay but wouldn't be able to teach a child scales without psychologically scarring everyone involved. It takes a special kind of person to be a good music teacher and it takes a special arrangement to make a good music student. A kid that isn't dumb or undisciplined and parents that will be involved but not domineering. A price tag is one way to separate the parents that don't care from the ones that do.

I agree with many things that previous posters have said. I am a music teacher and make $83 an hour working 40 hours a week 10 months of the year. I take 2 months off in the summer which is one of the best things about teaching (haha). One thing that I have noticed that no one is mentioned are the levels or grades involved when studying an instrument. There is curriculum for Levels 1 through 10 and then after finishing Level 10 a student can feel like he or she has accomplished the equivalent of a High School Diploma in music and move onto something such as AP Music Theory or college level music work. If you are playing a cheaper price for lessons, and your child does not practice and does not keep up with the lessons, you could pay for five years and not get through Level 1. I do not continue with students who do not practice at Level 1 35 minutes a day for 6 days a week, Level 2 for 50 minutes 6 days a week and for Level 3 and above 70 minutes a day for six days week. That being said, I have seen research that said that 85% of people who begin piano lessons quit at Year One and 95% quit at Year Two. It is a big commitment. Personally, I am a teacher instead of a musician for a few reasons: I do not like sitting around waiting to perform, I took a career personality test and I was 2nd most like a teacher in personality, and I have two children and choose not to be traveling around the world or country and be away from them.

AMEN!!!

My son takes piano lessons, his teacher charges $60/hour. That is a little on the high end where I live (medium sized mid-western city) but there are other teachers who charge more. I don't like having to pay this much, but I don't resent the teacher's need to make a decent living.

This article is not well thought out, and numerous commenters have already pointed out its many flaws.

However, a $60/hour fee does make it impossible for many deserving kids to receive musical training. Additionally, if the child does not have an instrument in the home to practice on, lessons are worthless. Musical training is usually only available to children whose parents can afford it. Group music classes in public schools are certainly worthwhile, but no substitute for individual lessons, and whenever the economy goes sour, many schools cut music and art classes to save money. Many poorer districts have limited arts programs even in the best of times.

In another vein, I am an artist and an art teacher. I have a master's in painting and drawing and state certification to teach. I give private lessons to students after school, on weekends and during the summer. I only charge $20 per hour, and I provide many of the materials the students use. Why do I charge so little? Because that is what the market will bear. Even though I have as much education and experience as my son's music teacher, most people do not see visual art as being as important as music, nor do they think that students need private lessons to learn how to draw, paint, sculpt or design, even though school art lessons are usually only once a week, and art class sizes are anywhere from 20-35 children.

Every argument that has been made in these comments about the importance of music education I could apply to art education, but most people simply will not pay for art lessons for their kids, no matter how talented they may be.

What I would like to comment on is Lain's assumption that only gifted children should have music lessons! Despite the "handicap" of two tone-deaf parents, your daughter would benefit from a few years of piano - in fact, it would improve her success in both ice hockey and knitting!

Why? Research shows a significant link between early music instruction and cognitive growth in areas such as math, memory, language and literacy skills, and spatial-temporal reasoning. Balance, rhythm, and both fine and gross motor skills are also affected positively.

Despite proof that music helps children grow, they get precious little exposure to music and the arts in the public school system. Whenever a school budget is cut, music is the first thing to go. Music teachers, therefore, should be supported and honoured for their contribution to society!

I cheerfully paid the going rate for piano teachers for my six children, not because I expected them to become Mozarts (or even professional musicians), but so they could become fluent in the language of music. My oldest daughter now plays Chopin for her children; three sons play guitar and drums, one son plays the trombone and designs websites, and the youngest (who had Kindermusik at 6 and piano from age 8) is a budding actress and film-maker. All six are graceful, literate people who appreciate music and beauty.

Parents, money put toward music education for your children is the best investment you could possibly make!

While it's true that piano teachers make more per hour than loggers, you also have to consider that loggers don't have to go to university to train to do their jobs. A good piano teacher (i.e. one who can charge $60 an hour) is usually one who has at least 2 degrees in piano performance. Or a degree in piano performance and a specialized graduate degree in teaching piano. That's 6 years of university, and a BIG tuition investment.

University music programs are considered professional programs, along with law, medicine and dentistry. But piano teachers don't make anywhere near as much as lawyers or doctors! The next time you complain about paying $60/hr for a piano lesson, just think about how much you'd pay for an hour of legal advice -- probably more like $400/hr. So piano lessons are actually a pretty good deal!

I am a registered piano teacher, and while I do not charge that high for private lessons, I can easily defend the cost. Firstly, I hope that for $60.00 an hour you are getting a very qualified music performance instructor with lots of experience and musical insight. But to become an instructor of such calibre takes many, many, many years of training and experience. Also, the price of BEING an instructor is high, as well. Owning an instrument of decent quality costs over $30,000.00--and many quality music performance instructors will own two or even several pianos for different uses. Then there are instructional material. Music texts and books. If you're paying $60.00 for an instructor, I hope he or she is not an underqualified teacher who only teaches out of the books that he or she studied out of. I personally spend thousands of dollars on music books and readings each year, and these materials I use to expand the repertoire of my students. One may argue that a beginner doesn't need a high calibre instructor, but that claim is completely wrong. An inexperienced instructor can lay bad habits into the foundation of a child's musical education--I have personally received many students whose teachers never instructed them about basic finger posture and sitting positions, the use of music terminology, and even how their instrument works. If you and your child is serious about studying music, then a good teacher is absolutely worth the price. And I guarantee you: we're not making a forture on your money, either.

Not only is this article an insult to musicians, it is a greater insult to the profession of teaching. No, Ms. Ehmann, that "sidewalk musician" may not be able to teach your Kinsey to pluck out a few notes. Would you pull aside a runner in the park to give you personal fitness training? Music teachers who are charging a professional rate are highly trained musicians AND highly trained teachers. We have backgrounds in child psychology, growth and development, and teaching techniques that work. Every child that walks into my guitar studio and commits to 30 minutes of practice 4 times a week, ends up playing the guitar whether or not he or she is TONE DEAF. I have taught many tone deaf people.

I know I could teach Kinsey how to play the guitar. And, she would love her lessons and her guitar and come to know the Beatles, Bach, Dylan,....and even play her favorite Taylor Swift song. But, poor Kinsey has an ignorant mommie and she is never going to get the joy of music appreciation; and a life-time of enjoyment playing an instrument.

I charge a professional rate and I DO NOT MAKE A 6-FIGURE SALARY. I know loads of music teachers -- including those that teach at a university level and they are NOT MAKING A 6-FIGURE SALARY. My pay is comparable to an elementary school teacher in a private school setting. Less than $40,000 a year.

I CUT MY OWN HAIR so that I can send my son to his drum lesson and I would pay the teacher double his rate because he is fabulous and my son is thriving. Hair is going to grow back in 6 weeks and need a new cut. A child who plays an instrument will have a lifetime of joy. In addition, it has been proven beyond a doubt that music enhances a child's growth, development, and learning by leaps and bounds.

You are a fool, Mr. Ehmann. You will part with $60 for a fancy haircut, but not part with $60 to give your child a gift that will last a lifetime. And, your children will suffer for it. The sad part is that if you have enough time to sit around scrapbooking and writing, you probably have enough money to fund music lessons.

You know absolutely NOTHING about what you are writing about. You had best stick to your scrap booking. I think your next article needs to be one of APOLOGY to all music teachers!

This article is ridiculous. I am currently a music student moving to NYC to pursue my Master's degree. I am most appreciative towards my parents and TEACHERS who really nurtured my love for music and were willing to do whatever it takes to help me pursue my dreams. Yes, there were times when it was difficult due to the cost of lessons, but my parents never felt that it wasn't worth it. Knowing all of this encourages me to teach my students with love and nurture them so that they can reach their best potential. My teachers did the same, and I will do the same towards my students. It takes patience to teach and as a musician, you are always learning and you constantly share you knowledge with your students.

$60 maybe be just a little much, but isn't that bad. I'm a student taking piano lessons in my free time as a hobby (completing my 10th level for the RCM) and I pay $40/h, which I think is very reasonable. Most teachers, I'd say, do NOT work 40 hours a week and therefore your calculations for an annual wage are quite off. How much would you pay a tutor to home-school your child? Music teachers are quite specialized and the good ones can and should charge what they're due. It's a lot of work to learn, and even more work to teach. It's not just playing pieces; there's also music theory, technical components, and so much more.

Lain,
Clearly you have much misinformation in your article as can be seen by the many responses from frustrated musicians who have been misrepresented by your writing. If you have any sort of journalistic integrity or a desire to present accurate information to your readers, you need to seriously edit your article or remove it altogether. Already, this article has been linked to from a popular Yahoo article, so your misinformation is spreading at an alarming rate.
Please do the right thing by admitting to, and correcting your mistakes.
Sincerely,
Joe (musician/teacher)

Lain,

I agree with Joe #76. You have highly insulted the music and teaching professions. The professional thing to do would be to edit and apologize for your misinformation, and/or remove the article.

Donna (musician/teacher)

I found this article yesterday and have been reading the responses on and off. My heart has been very heavy. My rate is $60/hour. I do not make $120,000 -- wish I did! The reality is that my income is less than $40,000. I live in the Los Angeles area and the cost of living is very high. My rate is similar to other teachers in the area. My heart is especially heavy from the lack of respect that Lain has given to the teacher of music. I have spent much time and money in my development as a teacher. When I am teaching my instrument to a child, I consider myself a teacher first and a musician second. The skill set of a teacher is very different from the skill set of a musician.

Just as we music teachers have a responsibility to research and present accurate information to our students, Lain Ehmann has the responsibility of a journalist to research and present accurate information in her articles.

I decided to write Lain Ehmann a personal e-mail and ask her to issue an apology and remove the article. If you google her name, you will find her scrapbooking website and can e-mail her from there. I have also issued a complaint to the administration of this website (click "contact us"). I encourage all music teachers reading this to do the same.

What Lain has done is unprofessional and lacking in the spirit of true journalism. I can only hope that she will be professional enough to remedy this terrible insult.

Lain,

You are 100% correct. Music teachers don't deserve the money they get paid; THEY DESERVE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THE GET PAID. How about $100 an hour to put up with all the nonsense they have to endure?

I'm a jazz guitarist but I don't have a music degree. I can play, read music, improvise and compose all because of the wonderful teachers I studied with. My Dad was a school music teacher and taught privately as well; I know from watching him that it can be very rewarding but also a huge pain to teach kids who don't necessarily want to be taking lessons.

I occasionally take on advanced students who need help with certain aspects of jazz guitar (they can already play) but I would never teach a kid who was just beginning. The folks who do this, especially the pianists, really need to have a certain skill set. I give them so much respect and you should too. Many times I will go to folks such as the ones who have posted comments above to expand my knowledge of theory.

I'm also an actor, a member of SAG and Equity. With your attitude you'd make a great producer; they don't think musicians or actors are worth the money.

So I have question for you:

Do you write for free?

I didn't think so...

From someone who took piano lessons her whole life, I'd say I have to dsagree with this. I took them once a week for half an hour for $18 a lesson. I chose to take them at the age of 8, which is when the studio allows people to start taking lessons. Every year my mom asked me if I wanted to continue with it. Every time I said yes. Unlike my younger brother and sister who quit after a few years, I stuck with it for 9 years. This year I made a hard decision to quit. While I didn't want to stop, I knew I had to. I wanted to take up guitar before heading off to college and I didn't want my parents adding another $18 a week.

Music taught me a lot of things. I finally realized I want to major in theatre and it taught me to apprectiate music in many ways. It was also cool being the one who could play awesome songs with friends watching in awe as I plunk away at ease. Taking this away from your child could be heart breaking. If your child loves it, they'd know. They wouldn't dread going to lessons or practing.

I also had the great opportunity of doing a competition every year. It taught me great skills on memory (you had to have each piece you perform memorized). It also gave me a confidence booster for having to play in front of a room full of people. Also at my studio they would get you in the habit of having you play your competition songs in front of the people in the waiting room. It was always dreaded for me as a kid, but I loved doing it. I'm no longer afraid to speak in front of a class or perform in front of hundreds of people.

So, please. Before you bash the musicians. Get your facts right. It really made my life a whole lot better. Instead of doing drugs or drinking, I was into music. Also, studies show that band kids score 30% more on their SATs then regular, sports kids.

My daughter-in-law charges about $100/hour. She provides monthly workshops where students perform and critique each other. She provides 4 recitals per year, all recorded so they can critique their performance. An annual scholarship for $300 is offered to the best worker. She enters the children in many competitions/auditions/performance opportunities outside the studio. She has state competition winners all the way down to local Bach Festival winners. She has 4 kids and a musician husband.They work VERY HARD from 12-10PM. Have you any idea of the hours required to support the State Music Teachers' organization that coordinates the local branches. The local branch in our area requires perhaps 200 hours of work in any given 3 year period. Many untold hours are spent co-ordinating, filling out forms, scheduling and rescheduling due to conflicts with sports, etc. Can YOU add up the hours she spends outside of the lesson. It boggles my mind!
The kicker: Her student families appreciate her. She is the recipient of numerous goodies, gifts for her children, flower bouquets and recital food.

Honestly, since when is $30 an hour a lot of money for a trained, most likely degreed professional? I have a double degree in Music Theory and Ed, put together 2 private recitals (made up of my own students), plan music related field trips annually, continue my education through workshops, books, etc, and work putting together 3 other recitals yearly with my music teachers association, of which I'm president, to name just a few things.

I'm not tooting my own horn, just trying to point out the responsibilities that go along with being a teacher, and some of the things we do to always try to provide the best for our students.

I am a teacher that travels to my students homes. They are one on one lessons, with most being 30 minutes, and some 45 and 60 minutes.

I realize I am on the high end, but make no qualms about it. A 30 minute lesson with me is $50. If I have a sibling at the same house, I will charge $45 for the second lesson since I don't have to travel.

It's not only unfair to think this is exhorbitant, but also ridiculous. Anytime you are teaching someone one on one, it is always, or at least should be, more expensive. Especially when that person is highly degreed and qualified.

Traveling to and from homes, arriving on time, the price of gas, dealing with traffic, etc, can be very challenging. But I'm doing what I enjoy, so it's all part of my day.

Now, for the handful of students that come to my home for their lessons, I charge $35 for a 30 minute lesson. And just to possibly annoy those doubters any further, in regards to those students I travel to, I charge more the further I have to travel after 12 miles one way!!

In closing, love what you do, enjoy it and make no apologies for it.

Wow Lain.

You can't even find time to respond to all these comments much less remove you POS article. I have pity on whoever has to deal with your children. Music Teachers, Babysitters, Classroom teachers...

This was great satire! You should submit it to The Onion for their "Arts" section. I LOL'ed.

On the other hand, if you were being serious, then shame on you...but I'm sure that's not the case.

Amen. Thank you for hitting the nail on the head here.

No! My above comment was supposed to be a direct comment to Robert Turk's response about the author's selfishness, prioritizing haircuts over her child's education.

This blog shows a complete ignorance and lack of respect for music and arts education. The price of a piano lesson includes far more than just the 30 or 60 minutes sitting with the student. It involves many more hours per week creating lesson plans, picking out music selections for each individual student to suit his/her needs and taste, emailing and calling parents for scheduling purposes or to follow up on a student's progress, recital planning and renting of recital space, not to mention time spent networking with fellow teachers and attending professional development lectures and conferences.

I take high offense to your comment about music teachers being "out of work," rather than "in work" musicians who perform for a living. First of all, most music teachers regularly perform in a variety of capacities. Secondly, teaching music is very different than performing it. Just because someone can perform music well, does not mean that they can teach it well! It requires a completely different skill set. That being said, the best teachers are the ones who have acquired those teaching skills while also being accomplished performers.

For the one commenter who thought that this was a high fee to charge for a beginner, I beg you to realize that the first year or two of music study is the most crucial and therefore should be instructed by an experienced and qualified teacher, one who may charge more than the 16 year old kid down the street. A student can spend the rest of their musical life undoing poor habits and attempting to fill in holes originally created by a poor teacher.

Music education is a noble and valid profession. It is people like you, Lain, who seek to discredit our profession and sabotage future generations from quality music education. If we cannot make a living teaching music, we cannot provide our services at a high quality, if at all.

You should be ashamed of yourself as a parent and as someone in the arts, if you consider writing this ignorant drivel an art.

Your post is a sign of the times. You are a mother who cares more about the appearance of her own head than the development of her child's brain.

Sincerely,

A French horn and piano teacher/performer, $50 per hour, and worth every penny.

Well first of all there are few teachers I've come across that charge $60 per hour. Second of all few teachers still give hour long lessons. Third of all if music teachers and musicians make $120,000 a year then how come every music teacher i've met is working one or more jobs on top of lessons? Or has a spouse working as well? My old instructor had a job at Hal Leonard on top of the lessons AND studio work etc. and his wife still worked too so no music teacher can make $120,000 a year on lessons alone. And, might I add, there is absolutely no way there is a teacher that does 40 hours a week. But for the sake of argument lets pretend they do. Given the fact that most teachers do half hour lessons a single teacher would have to take on 80 different students of all different skill levels. While Jack might be working on a C chord and maybe a few minor scales. Susan might be hammering out triads pentatonics and learning the different shapes and patterns of the A#maj7 chord. On top of the patterns and chord shapes the teacher would have to remember for each student, (mind you my teacher who had about ten students barely remembered the ones he gave me) he would also have to help them learn songs. Again, while Ben might be learning Yankee Doodle, Jim is learning Classical Gas. Think of it this way, you said you were a writer. Lets say you give classes a half hour each and you have hmm 30 students of all different skill levels. How easy would it be for you to teach them all? Stan is learning the difference between a noun and a pronoun while Megan is learning to analyze the works of Shakespeare and Homer. On top of this you assign and revise all their homework. Is this possible? No, probably not. Alright well I've had my say. Oh and what's so wrong with great clips?

You obviously don't know the tremendous perseverance it takes to even get a degree in the field. Musicians/artists are some of the least-appreciated people in the world. How do you think some professional musicians get to where they are now? Every degreed musician studies under another musician to get his/her degree. Are the teachers of these future professional musicians "out of work?"

Most teachers barely make ends meet, even if they perform on the side. Sixty dollars is honestly not that much if the teacher knows what he/she is doing. My teacher regularly gets gigs from all around Southern California, teachs two instruments, and now has a full-time gig with the Disneyland All-American band, and still, he's forced to live with his parents. Now, he may not be charging as much as this teacher, but even then, he wouldn't have enough to be independent.

-A musician who was forced to start at 5 years old, and has been playing for 13 continuous years ever since.

Since many others have already eloquently stated what is oh so ignorant about your post (ignoring a lifetime of training, multiple advanced degrees, and extreme patience that are required of those "overpaid" piano teachers), I will not waste my time arguing with you. And for those who thought the blog was funny, perhaps you need to go study with a stand-up comedian, who I hope charges you even more than $60/hour.

Sorry, the Bugatti costs $2 million. Not $200,000. My mistake.

Oh, so you feel that creative expression, something like your children's, oh, what was that condescending term you used, "masterpieces", is something to be taken lightly? You feel that getting a haircut twice a month is something that's more important than giving your child an education? Because music is an education. Grades are not what get you far, balance is. And if you actually think that you can get the same out of a sidewalk organ grinder, heh, well, let's see if they're even willing to be degraded down to your level first. Maybe science, business, accounting, isn't all there is in this world. Maybe there's something out there that's worth infinitely more than 60 dollars a week. I agree fully with post 105, "Think before you speak next time." Nobody's expecting you to obtain a 60$ teacher. I agree that that's a sizeable sum. But at least show the goodwill and interest to actually attempt to show an interest in cultural intellecuality.

I hope you don't delete this article because I'm going to show everyone I know.

A teacher should not lower his or her rate just because the student is a beginner. In some ways, it is even harder to teach a beginner than an accomplished musician. With a developing musician, the teacher is a guide who helps direct the student towards the goal they wish to achieve. When teaching a beginner, it is the teacher's responsibility and duty to help the student build a good foundation, on which more can be added as the years go by.

Whether or not you particularly are just looking for 'casual lessons' so your child can 'get a hang of music', it is the teacher's duty to give the best that he or she can to your child. If a teacher charges $60 per hour for experienced students, then that is the same rate he or she should charge for beginners.

Perhaps you don't understand the importance of a good foundation for musicians, but maybe you'll get the picture if you think of houses, or even better, skyscrapers and 25 story condos? They don't use cheaper material for the base or the foundation, so why should the teacher charge less for such an important task - to build the roots and foundation of your child's musical education and experience?

Most importantly though, music teachers don't just teach music. What they teach is so much more than anyone, who has never experienced it, will ever know or understand. From my music teachers, I learned not only music but a way of life. Through them and the support of my parents, which I can strongly say that YOUR children are lacking, music is not just about lessons, performances, competitions, money, or even a wonderful experience - it's my life. Sadly, it seems that your children won't have the opportunity to see if music is their life.

To express my next point, I will quote Kierkegaard:

'The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about, nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived. '

To learn music or any other form of art is a wonderful experience. Sure, you can put on a CD of Claudio Abbado conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker performing Mahler's 5th Symphony. Or you can even bring your kid(s) to a breathtaking recital featuring Hilary Hahn playing the complete Bach sonatas. Or you could put on a DVD of Oscar Peterson's live performances. As good as those options sound, it's nowhere close to the real deal. By that, I mean truly experiencing music, like using music as a way to express one's feelings and emotions.

For some people, words are the perfect way to communicate. They can write captivating novels, thought-provoking articles, or deep song lyrics. For others, visual displays are the way to go. Like the saying goes, a painting can say a thousand words. The artists can pick up a paintbrush, some paints, and an empty canvas and emerge from the room with a masterpiece. Like an earlier poster commented, I believe that your use of the word 'masterpiece' more or less degraded your children's efforts. A masterpiece is not necessarily something that other's define as a masterpiece, but rather it is when the artist has achieved his or her goal. When the artist, musician, novelist, etc. has accomplished the goal which he or she had in mind, which is to fully express his/her thoughts, feelings, opinions, and emotions on that which cannot be expressed in any other way, then THAT is a masterpiece.

But anyways, I went off topic. My original point was that some people use words, some use visual depictions, some dance, some act. Just because you 'write', you shouldn't look down on musicians and music teachers; they are equally as qualified as any other profession.

As I said, I sure hope you don't get paid to write this shit.

I agree with no. 76 also. This article is very inaccurate and offensive to many musicians.

People have a funny idea about what they should be charged.
I charge an hourly rate for what I do, probably a lot more than the ones discussed here.
But that is for contact time. For every hour of contact time there is another one or two of prep, assessment & professional development then pay the rent, phone plus, then god help us, the insurance!
So add that back in and divide the hourly rate by those hours and overheads and count yourslef lucky who are employed in a regular job!

What I have found is that a teacher who is charging the higher end of the going rates, is generally a better teacher. In my area the rates for musical instruction are $40-$65 per hour.

It all depends on what you want for your child. A beginner instructor is important. I have taught children who had poor beginning instruction and the first 6 months or even longer that they spend with me is spent fixing poor technique.

I think that the author wants to expose her child to music to first see if she is interested and then go from there. I would recommend music classes. There are many places that offer piano classes or singing classes or guitar classes, etc. Though usually when a child asks to play an instrument, a parent should react seriously and do something about it. I have had 2 types of students - the child who asks and the parent who forces. The child who asks is more often the one that is successful in music.

I can see that this author was trying to be "cute" or "funny" in her blog. However, it was at the expense of what is one of the most noble professions there is: The Teacher. Perhaps she is being pressured to put out blogs for this particular site, so she targeted the teaching profession. If that is the case, it's very sad and doesn't say much for journalism these days.

In the academic realm, all children are beginners. In the academic world, parents shop around for schools. Some opt for very expensive schooling even at the preschool level. When my child was a toddler, I had a friend who spent loads of money on a private preschool. Her opinion was that the very beginning child must have an excellent foundation in order to succeed in life. In that case, it would be smart to go with an excellent music instructor too.

Anyway, bottom line -- the author has the right to shop around; but as a journalist, she has the responsibility to do her homework and research before hacking down an entire profession. The author pretty much appears to be an idiot and that doesn't say much for the profession of journalism.

Thanks for your comment on behalf of the many private piano teachers who do it for a living. I'm in Canada, and the most expensive rate I've heard of here is $50 an hour. I charge $40 per hour, but as you said, I don't teach 40 hours per week. As you are aware, there is work that is done outside of lesson times, which is of course unpaid. Last year I taught about 18 hours, and if you add in about 10 hours of prep, administration, banking, communicating with parents, advertising, meeting new prospective students, etc, in reality the hourly rate is a lot lower. I think the author of this article is clearly misguided, and perhaps should spend a day in the life of a piano teacher before she is so quick to judge us.

You're probably right that the six figure salary estimate should be cut
by half but one thing is for sure the $60/hr lesson is the real thing and
if you want to learn only as an hobby it,s start to be a little expensive to
say the least...

This article is just so discouraging. I even wrote to the author and asked her to rethink her thoughts. She stands by them and feels she is justified in her comments that are just incredibly disrespectful to the teaching profession.

Then I read comment #119 and feel encouraged. I am one of those teachers that charges $60/hour. I just raised my rates this year from $50 to $60. I also do classes. I am actually teaching about 20 hours out of the week. The rest of my time is spent in lesson preparation and research, practice, taking continuing education, etc. I have a thriving studio of 46 students and my income last year was $31,000.

I volunteer a lot of my time -- most especially taking children out into the community to share their music. For example, this last year I was in awe of how beautifully my little ukulele students played (aged 7 years), so I took them to a Senior Center. The seniors were moved to tears as they sang their hearts out. I wasn't paid for this -- I consider it part of the "package". When I do concerts -- I don't charge students for these or for the extra rehearsals. Again, part of the "package".

My students are constantly taught to give back with their music and they see this in a tangible way when we do our yearly big concert. It is a community fund raising event. It's been going on for so many years now that people who don't even have children in my guitar program come to this concert. When the concert is over, many are in tears. Older people tell me how inspired they are by the children. And my students inspire me. Picture it: 6 teenage boys dressed to the nines in ties, shirts, and dress pants playing classical guitar; kids on electric rock guitar, teenage girls playing and singing Taylor Swift songs. Tiny little ones on ukuleles. It's a wonderful event that I tear up at as I watch these kids inspire the community.

When I do an analysis of the amount of hours I spend in my work, my actual salary it more like $20 per hour. And that is before taxes and all the extras such as insurance on the private studio, purchase of sheet music, supplies, paper, pencils, continuing education and all the other things that are part of a private music teacher's expenditures. I also take lessons myself so that I keep up on the latest techniques and I put in at least 2 hours of practice a day. So in the end, $60/hour translates to less than $40,000 a year income -- not anywhere near the $120,000 that the author is claiming.

I struggled with raising my rate to $60/hour this year. But when I did, the parents were incredibly supportive. Many told me that they spend more for sports such as traveling teams, etc. for their children. The parents of my students are incredible people. Some of them are really struggling financially, but they do everything they can to give their child a rich education and music is part of that. My advanced students are excellent in the world of academia -- just as an example, I have advanced students playing Bach on guitar who are taking AP classes in Math and Science in HS and excelling. I have advanced students writing there own music - from classical to country and performing their music at venues throughout the community. My advanced students are all high thinking and amazing kids. It has been such a pleasure to watch them grow up from little 8 year olds (beginning guitar) into teenagers planning for and applying for college. They have big and exciting plans for their lives. What I see are teens that are busy in music and other aspects of their lives and not going anywhere near drugs or alcohol or sex. They are excited about life and give me great hope for the future of our world.

Performing music fills children with confidence and a sense of organization. When there is a show to do, kids learn how to set goals, plan practice and rehearsals, and experience great outcomes. I am a trained musician, but have spent years in learning the profession of teaching as well. I am educated in child growth and development and child psychology. I have mentored other teachers and have given classes to prospective teachers on how to work with children. When a child learns how to organize and plan and has a successful concert, that child is learning some of the basic skills to be successful in life. This year, I had a new teenage girl in my studio who was terrified of stepping out on the stage and performing. However, she told me that she badly wanted to perform. She told me she had performed before and it was a disaster. So we spent a lot of time preparing for performance and learning all the ins and outs of it. When the concert came, she walked on the stage and just owned it. She played and sang a Taylor Swift song and I had hired a drummer and bass player to back her up (another expense of my own). She was amazing. Her mom was in tears. Just imagine how confident that little child is now! These kinds of things are my great rewards and I am so blessed to be able to do what I do.

I work with an amazing group of parents who are supportive and loving. They truly value the music teacher and know how very important it is that a child have the best possible music teacher right from the start. The cost of phone service, hair cuts (as the author mentioned), even gassing up the the car are much more than the cost of a quality music instructor that will change a child's life for the better.

My .02,

Donna Zitzelberger
http://www.donnaz.guitarinstructor.info/

Donna, your comment (#122) is wonderful. I love your site! It's great to see a fellow guitarist comment on this and I'm very happy to see that you are not just teaching guitar, but also music. It's very easy with our instrument to get away from that. It's been years since I've seen a photo of a guitarist next to sheet music in years! :-)

I put up post (#82) and have been following this thread closely. I believe that you are the first person to indicate a response from the author. Are you paraphrasing or is that exactly what she said? Very terse and cowardly, I think, to not at least come on here and say something.

I'm getting tired of seeing this thing referred to as some sort of satire. Robert Benchley, The National Lampoon, The Onion and Dave Barry, to name a few, are satire. This is tragedy.

yikes. i hope i don't end up depriving my kid of music lessons for haircuts. that's a little harsh.

It's people like you who make me sad. Teachers who are giving music lessons priced like that ARE OUT OF WORK. Why do you think they're charging so much? And NO, THEY DO NOT WORK 40 HOUR WEEKS. Do you not understand that music and the arts is the first thing EVERYONE cuts from their budget? It's probably the first thing you'd cut too. Why don't you look for a high school student who is a good pianist to teach your child if a professional is too expensive for you? If your kid is just learning "chopsticks" then why the heck do you need a professional? There are tons of middle/high school/college student musicians who'd LOVE to make a little pocket money by teaching your kid.

You need to get over yourself.

Dear Lain,

I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to find a teacher within your budget. However, I think your calculations are skewed.

Most decent music teachers in this area charge around $50-60 for a 1 hour lesson. Few teachers book a solid 40-hour per week schedule, at least partly due to the large time commitment that the business requires outside of teaching. In addition, few teachers keep so much of this fee because of overhead.

First - For every one hour that I teach, I spend two hours on tasks directly related to my business, including marketing/promotion, developing lesson materials, improving myself as a teacher, managing my accounting and answering emails / phone calls from current and prospective students. To imagine that a teacher makes x-per-hour based on their rate is a fallacy.

Second - In addition to the above, I spend around 80% of my remaining time on musical activities that improve me as a player and teacher which indirectly benefits my students.

Third - There is a pretty high amount of overhead that you are probably underestimating. The cost of maintaining a website and professional materials, promotion costs, and the cost of materials which I give to my students for free (such as picks, strings and handouts) all add up. In addition, the number one cost that you are forgetting is rent. Teachers who rent a private instruction space give anywhere from $10-20 / hour to the studio for the space. Teachers who teach out of their home are not immune to this because they MUST live in a home that is suitable for teaching! They can't live in a crappy apartment, they can't have roommates, and they have to live in a good area that is accessible to students. I am looking for a new apartment, and I expect to pay more than twice as much for rent than I would if I wasn't teaching out of my home. This year, so far I've spent 1/3rd of my teaching income on business costs.

Fourth - There is the matter of qualification. Most of the teachers around here are graduates from top music schools and conservatories, with degrees which they have paid up to $160,000.00 to earn. Many have spent up to 10,000 hours of time practicing their skills before they begin to earn anything.

Fifth - you suggest that in order to deserve a wage that is 5x greater than another profession, the work must be 5x greater as well. Any study of jobs and employment in America will demonstrate that this untrue. In fact, it seems more like there is an inverse relationship.

Sixth - You suggest that music teachers are "out-of-work" musicians and that performers are "in-work" musicians. As a musician, I don't perform very often. I am
more interested in teaching my students. To hear somebody suggest that this makes me "out of work" is disheartening and discouraging.

I hope that my comments will help you better understand why music teachers have the rates that they do.

Best wishes,
Greg

The idea that teachers are failed performers is as misguided as saying a doctor is a failed sports coach. Both study the human body, and then apply that knowledge to a specialized field. A performer must have performing skills, have a repertoire that he can present to the public, know how to keep the public's interest, as well as having skills in playing the instrument.

A teacher must understand the mechanisms and theories of what he is teaching, how to organize and transmit the knowledge and skills (pedagogy) and is also responsible for not causing injury through those instructions. It is apples and oranges.

The quoted pay rates for other professions: are these net salaries or gross pay of freelance professionals before deduction of expenses?

Wow - this article is just ridiculous on so many levels.

Note: I am a piano student, not a teacher. So, if anything, lower prices would benefit me.

Let's compare what people make!

Where I live...

- 1 hour massage $80+

- 1 hour private yoga lesson $80+

- 1 hour therapy with an LPC (Master's level, not PHD) therapist: $110+ (PhDs will cost $125 or more)

- 1 hour life coaching? Good luck finding someone under $100/hour.

- I get fairly cheap haircuts (no dying, no perms, nothing fancy - just wash and cut) and they are always $50+

My piano teacher charges $50/hour, and is worth every penny. I actually think he deserves MORE. He's got multiple degrees, has authored music books, and composes professionally.

He also has to find and pay for his own health insurance ($$$) and has no benefits at all. In three years of lessons, he's never missed a lesson or taken sick time.

I honestly don't know what else to say. I'm just stunned at the ignorance of this "freelance writer".

I don't currently teach music lessons, but have been asked to several times and so I continue to think about it for the future. The reason I haven't started yet is that my free time outside my 'day job' is already precious. I would have to charge enough to keep me interested in giving the lesson...meaning that given the choice of two hours of students to make $40 or getting the errands done before the stores close (or making dinner at home vs. takeout, getting to watch my kids soccer games, having ironed clothes...you get the idea) I will want to raise the lesson rate to just feel compensated for my time. After all, you pay a babysitter $5-10 dollars just to sit and watch the kids, not even teach them anything.

Why say that teachers are failed performers? Many performers are failed teachers.

You could have teachers without performers, but not performers without teachers, so which is more important? (I know many performers are self-taught, but the majority will have read something somewhere(book, web page or whatever) written by a teacher.

I agree with #139 - you owe music teachers and teachers in general an apology. My son's drum teacher is amazing. He is at $50 per hour, and I would happily go to $60 if he decides to increase his wages. He has an incredible amount of experience working with children of all ages as well as performing. My son has been with him from the age of 9 (his is now 15). My money has been well spent. And, btw, I cut my own hair and budget a lot of things so I can send my son to drum lessons -- he is worth it. And, no one in my family is a drummer. We never knew he would have such a talent. He just asked if he could play the drums and we did something about it. We didn't ignore it. And, I would never have trusted someone off the street or a highschool kid to teach him.

Yep - you owe music teachers a HUGE apology.

you couldn't have said it any better!

You're talking about a skill that not every person has. 5% of the population can play piano at an advanced level. The fewer people that have that specific skill, the more the value of the ones that do.
You're paying for someone who not only has mastered the piano at an advanced level, but has mastered the skill of piano TEACHING, which is a different skill than piano PLAYING, but skill 1 is necessary for skill 2.
You're paying for a knowledge set which 95% of the population doesn't have- knowledge of classical repertoire, teaching repertoire, teaching techniques...
Just as a doctor relies on all his knowledge, skill, and experience from schooling, practical physical techniques of surgery which he/she themselves have had meticulous training for, and experience with previous patients, so a teacher uses their background to practically and intuitively diagnose the correct teaching technique, skill level and piece to assign, skill levels that need to be developed, and assessment of the student's learning. This requires a vast knowledge of repertoire that someone not trained just does not have.
Until you can see every Joe Schmoe on the street just walking into a music store and playing piano, please value the skills that take years to develop!

Thank you so much for introducing the idea of what markets will bear in other arts. I think music and other performing arts (acting, dancing) should be on a par with visual arts too.

I am a private music instructor in a Midwest Metro area and I feel that $60/hour ain't bad. If the teacher teaches at a music store (as I do) there is a "studio fee" which is automatically deducted from the teachers' pay. This fee is higher for piano studios so that the store can pay the piano tuner to keep the instrument in condition. The studio fee for all instruments keeps the store's lesson scheduling system running and pays for the clerks who take the students' payments in addition to keeping the environment heated or cooled.

To sum up: I charge $24 per half-hour lesson in this environment, of which I only see $15. I still have to pay taxes (which aren't withheld because I'm an independent contractor) out of that. When I teach at my home, I charge $20 per half-hour and report it all to the IRS.

I'm still wondering how much this author would charge a kid for a one-on-one writing lesson.

I'm just curious to know how much Lain would actually be willing to pay for a private music teacher?? Remember now, this teacher has the potential to be a significant adult role model/mentor to a child for the better part of the child's youth. This teacher can throw open the doors of personal expression, help to offer insight into different cultures through music, and instill a sense of pride & accomplishment after continued hard work. This teacher will help build the child's personal confidence and an ability to set and meet short & long term goals. Oh, right! This teacher will also teach a child how to play the piano.

How much is that worth, I wonder?

I'm also a California transplant who lives in New England. I live in a small two bedroom apartment, am a single mom of two young girls and make a living as an orchestral violinist and private violin teacher. Teaching is the "bread and butter" of our profession - the rates are based on usually over two decades of teaching experience, over thirty years specialty training, bachelors and masters degrees. The rates are higher if the credentials are top tier. I charge $75 an hour and hold degrees from UC Berkeley and the Royal Academy of Music, and performed professionally in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I also perform extensively as an orchestral musician, but much of the time the rehearsals are at night. Up to three hours or more of individual practice is fitted in and around this, so you can imagine musicians teaching all afternoon, wolfing down dinner in the car, driving an hour or more to a gig and returning home around midnight. It is a very demanding life. Teaching rates reflect the multiple years' dedication to the art. I daresay bankers earn much, much more for a lot less work and experience!

When I hire a plumber, they want $150 just to drive to my house, before they even do a lick of work. A few years ago, I paid a carpenter $65/hour (4 hour minimum, of course). Who paid more for their training? Who devoted more hours (years!) to their training? The music teacher with a college degree, of course.

Honestly, I think too many musicians and private music teachers don't charge enough. Basic economics in a capitalist society like ours dictates that your product/service is worth whatever people are willing to pay for it. However, too many musicians, artists — creatives in general — charge too little (or nothing!!) for lessons and gigs (in my part of the country, some musicians are even willing to PAY to play...!!) that it drives down the value of products and services offered by all creatives. How often do you hear about those in the trades working for free? Outside of efforts such as Habitat for Humanity and the like, it's the exception to the rule. Next time a parent balks at the cost of music lessons, ask them if they think they could get a tradesperson to their house for under $50 per hour.

I'll play for free at my church, and with my quintet 2x/year at the church where we're allowed to rehearse every week, but that's about it. If my phone rings tonight with someone asking about private trombone lessons, it's $50/hr at my house, or $60/hr at their house, or forget it.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to say that it's amazing people like her aren't arrested for giving gross misinformation.

For those of you on Facebook, she's on that too.

It's mostly a matter of priorities. I've taught students on Government Assistance who found a way to pay my fees and even purchase quality instruments, because it was extremely important to them. And there are programs that will help parents and students needing help paying for lessons and related expenses such as MusicLink.

I've had students assist in the functioning of my studio in exchange for all or part of their lesson fees and in one case their materials and exams, she got accepted into her first choice of university music programs with a 50% music scholarship, and with her academic ones, 2/3 of her first year tuition will be covered. She also got a high mark on an early advanced clarinet exam (Level 8) from The Royal Conservatory of Music.

My first private clarinet teacher normally charged me $60/h (and this was in the late 1990s), but I learned so much from him, and often pass on the tips I learned from him to my own students. I had another teacher after studying with him for 2 1/2 years before he quit teaching to do real estate that charged 1/2 that amount, I don't know how I survived 2 1/2 years with him.

Where there's a will, there's a way...and I would gladly trade housekeeping and web design services for me to give them music lessons.

Good writers do their research. She obviously didn't. And though it was meant to be funny according to her (yes, I wrote to her directly) I don't buy that argument. She needs to see a good therapist, which cost a lot more than music lessons. I hope she gets on the news over this and/or sued. I have also wrote to the administrators of the site to inform them of the feedback this article is receiving.

Lain,

As a musician and a teacher I formally request a public apology for all parties offended because of your careless words. We all clearly feel deeply insulted for everything we stand for as people and professionals. If you have any sense of integrity, please post a new article on this website apologizing for your actions.

Well just to let you know, I pay $80 an hour for my piano teacher and that is the going rate in New York. She is fantastic and deserves the money. She has a talent and knows how to use it. She only works about 20 hours a week.
Private Piano teachers get a lot of cancelations during the week and dont get paid for them and Summers are dead. So I dont know where you get off saying they work 40 hours a week.
Clearly, you dont know what your talking about. Stick to something you might know.

You also have to remember that students don't JUST benefit from your teaching for half hour. The lesson gives them the information they need to practice the other six half-hours of the week. They will hear your voice as they practice, and recount what you said during the lesson.

I've taught for 14 years, and have nothing saved for retirement, no car, no house, and no financial security. But you can begrudge me my $50 rate if you like. I just won't teach your child, even though I'd like to to erase your opinions on this matter in her head.

As an opera coach, I've spent over 30 years developing the skills needed (languages, my own piano skills, score reading, understanding of basic acting skills, etc.) to help young singers. While I myself don't teach "children," I have many friends in the business who do and I admire and even envy their patience: a rare and tremendously important skill. Growing up and having music lessons (piano or voice or clarinet or WHATEVER) is not just about learning to play or sing; it's about developing discipline, focus, coordination, and perhaps most importantly, social skills (both one-on-one respect for teachers and cooperation skills developed in ensembles).
Granted, there are teachers out there who charge ridiculous amounts of money. There's no need for a beginner who's dabbling at the piano to pay the $100 an hour that one of my colleagues charges for piano lessons, so don't pay $100 an hour; find someone who specializes in beginners and can give the child a taste of it. Rent an instrument instead of buying until you know whether it will 'stick.'
Many people with too much money seem to seek out the most expensive, thinking it's the best...and then complain about the expense. That's not the fault of hard-working musicians who endure last-minute, unpaid cancellations, bratty kids, and disinterest.
Some of your readers (I expect they are your regular readers) may understand your "tongue-in-cheek humor" but I found your article to be extremely unreasoned. Many of my colleagues found it both ridiculous and offensive. Think before you write.

This is irresponsible and unprofessional journalism. I am surprised that the administration of "The Parenting Squad" has not offered an apology. This website was obviously set up to support parenting with good information. This blog is filled with misinformation and is a complete insult to the people who dedicate themselves to bringing the arts to young children; and who sacrifice financially in order to do so. It is also a complete insult to teachers everywhere. The administration of this website should be deeply ashamed!

Neither of my parents are very musical but my mother was open minded enough to find me a piano teacher when I expressed my desire to learn when I was 8. She made me promise not to quit when she bought a real piano, a promise I happliy kept. What did those expensive lessons get me? I'll make a list!

-a HUGE advantage over other students when I started playing the flute in the school band (can we say first chair?)
-an effective mode of expression (great for the teenage years)
-kept me out of trouble
-confidence
-discipline
-patience
-scholarships
-another way to connect with other people
-appreciation of fine arts
-perserverence
-a lifelong persuit full of endless challenges and rewards
-great, non-destructive stress relief
-greater appreciation of life in general
-a budding career that I love with all my heart

Plus more than you can ever imagine. I teach piano. I'm what you would call an out-of-work musician. However, if you had taken any time to do any amount of research from credible sources, you would know that many of us actually choose to teach. That's right. I majored in piano pedagogy (did you even know that was a major?). I went to music school with the intention of being a teacher after graduation. Performing is fun but I personally have found teaching to be much more fulfilling.
The joy and fulfillment that teaching brings to my life will more than make up for the pay cut and loss of benefits that I will incur upon quitting my cushy day job to convert to full time teaching. I almost cannot wait for that day to come... but my patience and discipline will help me persevere through the challenges that will inevitably come between me and my dream.

Of course, the writer is a complete want-wit, but I am at somewhat of a loss to understand all of the outrage and shock with which her post is received. We are surrounded by people who don't comprehend (and who therefore don't properly value) the higher arts. They are truly everywhere around us; and so one has to be on the lookout constantly for like-minded, deeply-feeling souls. It is not by accident that Exupery's Little Prince travelled the universe with an overwhelming sense of sadness and loneliness relieved only by the mixed joys afforded by the rose, the fox, and the pilot. There's an unfathomable amount of empty space out there, and while it might seem like most of it is between this 'parenting squad' writer's ears, it's rather the rule than the exception.

on many subjects. Economics comes to mind right away as she seems to not have a clue about the hidden costs that come with the non-teaching fields that she list (health care, benefits like sick time, other insurance etc) The teacher is usually self employed and has to carry their own extras (like fringe benefits, self employment tax etc).

She also seems to have a lack of respect for the teaching profession, I think even regardless of subject.

Lastly she does the arts a major disservice (despite her openning statement to the contrary) by casting a negative light on the profession implying that it's way over priced and that teachers are overpaid , especially when you consider how cheap it is to cut down a tree (duh)

Sorry, but I seriously just had a good laugh.

My friend, music is absolutely priceless.
Depending on the teacher's experience and work ethic, some charge up to $100.

Well, if you don't let her take piano lessons ... the best that I can say is that you're letting her miss out, big time.

I pay $25/ half hour each for piano lessons for my daughter AND I. I also pay $20 per half hour for oboe lessons for myself. It's well worth it!

Please, please, please don't give your kid piano lessons. You are the kind of parent I really dislike working with. You don't think your kids' lessons are important. Therefore, you don't care if they practice, show up late or not at all, miss lessons because something better came along that week, and get upset when the teacher charges for your no-shows.

For every 30 minutes I spend with a student, I spend at least another 30 minutes in preparation, searching through music at music stores for just the right piece, Internet searches for games and motivators, lesson planning to tailor the lesson for your kid, returning phone calls and emails, juggling schedules because your kid has a Brownie outing this week, and so on.

Your tuition covers music that I buy for my studio (I try to keep a copy of most books that I give my students), stickers and motivational awards, piano tunings twice a year for two pianos.

Then Uncle Sam takes about 55% in taxes and self-employment fees.

I charge $32/hour and "bring home" just over minimum wage.

What would the world be like without music? This child is asking for lessons. Most parents will try to figure out a way to make music lessons happen when a child asks for it. It seems the author could easily afford it by changing hair salons. I think that would be well worth it.

As a parent, I value my child's music instructor. I pay him $50/hour. When my child asked me for lessons, I acted upon it and searched out the best instructor. Within a few months, I knew that he was loving his instrument. The instructor is dynamic, educated, and a professional player. He is also extremely knowledgeable about child growth and development and knows how to motivate and interest my son. It's been 6 years, and my son is thriving. He has surprised the entire family with his talents. It's been my greatest joy. It has been a financial struggle to make sure the lessons happen, but that is part of parenting and part of life. I wanted my beginning instrumentalist to start with an excellent instructor so that he would have a good foundation in music. It has been worth every penny. My son will be playing music his entire life and passing music on to listeners. It is a beautiful art form that lasts a lifetime.

And, btw, I cut my own hair.

My goodness, this is just a terrible article. How unprofessional for a journalist to write a blog so poorly researched. Don't journalists have a responsibility to research their work? I'm a parent who pays a music teacher this much for my children's lessons. It's a struggle, but it's worth it. Without having to think about it, I know that music teachers don't make $120,000. If they did, they would be driving Mercedes or Lexus, etc. Instead, they drive old beat-up Hondas, or Chevrolets.

The thing that really amazes me is that this journalist would dare to diss the most noble professional in the world: The teacher. Teachers influence our children on so many levels. As parents we always seek out the best teachers for our children and pay the most we can afford. I happily give up things like a fancy haircut so I can pay the music teacher.

The author to this blog is incredibly unprofessional and incredibly insulting. I am wondering if she is getting fired by the administration of this website. I certainly hope so.

Is that your child overcomes your closed mindedness, short sightedness and lack of research into the true nature of the music teaching and performing professions to become an amazing musician.

I hope she gets babysitting and car washing and lawn mowing jobs and spends every spare dollar she earns, and every spare minute she has, buying instruments, learning music, and perfecting her craft in spite of you. I hope she inspires, guides, entertains and mentors people and gives them a gift that is incredibly valuable and life changing for everyone who comes in contact with her.

I hope she never has to overhear your comments about enduring her artistic endeavors - or wait, maybe she should. So she can grow up to prove you wrong.

As a piano teacher, vocal teacher, as well as a performer, I say your post is a load of garbage. Usually teaching lessons privately is an ADDITIONAL job, not because we are "out of work" as you put it. It is very rare for piano teachers (and other private instructors) to work 40 hours a week and be able to make a living through teaching lessons. (unless you teach at the collegiate level)

If you think piano lessons just teach little Kendall or Kyle how to play "Chopsticks," you need to open your eyes. No your child may not be Mozart, and most aren't, but the point is to expose children to other artistic outlets and to have an appreciation for music. Also, teaching is not as easy at it seems. Try teaching piano classes with children with behavior disorders and ADHD. THEN come talk to me.

P.S. I don't see how ice hockey is a cheaper alternative. Skates, uniforms, padding, lessons, practices, competitions, not to mention doctor visits for when your child breaks a bone or gets a concussion can add up VERY quickly!!

The Yahoo link caused the traffic surge, including my own visit.

I think it is very disappointing the original "author" has nothing to say about this. At best all these comments are ending up in her "spam" box, I must assume.

This site should be blacklisted wherever possible for promoting unprofessional "journalism". It's bad enough getting uneducated info on the Web but on a parenting site - ick.

Bravo to comments 176, 179, and 181!

I also teach music lessons. I have degrees in cello performance and cello pedagogy. A friend sent me a link to this post today. She is a professional musician and music teacher. I currently have 6 half-hour students. That's right, just 6. Hardly 40 hours a week! My friend has 9. Both of us have carried larger studios in the past, and for different reasons, we have very small studios now. (Both of us have had "large" studios in the past -- about 20-25 *half-hour* students. I know that doesn't sound large to a person who expects music teachers to log 40 hours a week. However, as some other commenters noted, you can only teach music lessons when students are available to come, usually between the hours of 3-8pm. 80 half-hour lessons a week is simply impossible.)

We were discussing this post today, and my friend brought up an excellent point. In most other professions, you are able to take a bathroom break. You are able to check your email briefly (or even extensively in some cases). You might have co-workers to chat with. When you are teaching a one-on-one, focused music lesson, you don't have these luxuries. You don't say, "Oh, hold on, I'm going to go get a drink." You focus your attention on one thing and one thing only for the duration of the lesson: the student. It requires a huge amount of patience and focus.

Not to mention the training and experience and musical ability required to be a competent music teacher. I can think of many worse ways to spend that $60. (Or, really, $30, since almost no one gives 60-minute lessons to beginners.)

Teaching privately is an extremely difficult way to make a living. That is what I did when I first got out of college with my music degree. I always did something else in the summer because I didn't have enough students coming (in the summer time) to pay the bills. I had 30-35 students during the school year and taught 6 days a week to fit them in. You can't start your teaching schedule before school lets out (unless you are able to attract some adult clients that are not on a day shift) and you can only go so late before your core group of clients need to be home.
You also get what you pay for. I continued studying with a concert pianist for many years after I graduated. That was about what you are describing back in the '80s but she only taught serious, advanced students. If you are living in NYC, 60.00/hour is probably cheap due to the extremely high cost of living.  Other places would be less; perhaps significantly.
It is an extremely small number of musicians that can live high off the hog.
Walk a while in someone else's shoes before drawing the conclusions you do as they are quite inaccurate.
By the waty, one doesn't need a teacher to learn to play chopsticks. If that's all you think your child would learn, I pity you.

I'm a full time professional musician- I practiced up to 8 hours a day for 10 years to become good at what I do. I have a Bachelors and pursued a Masters in performance before I was fortunate enough to win a full time job performing. I make about half of this $120,000 figure that you came up with. Why don't I quit my job and teach instead...I could be making double my salary, right!?

Wrong.

Teaching is extremely hard work, and I don't know anyone who is making even close to my salary(about half of the figure you came up with). This is even true when you charge $60 per hour(which is about the going rate in DC for someone with a Masters Degree).

Why is this?

It's near impossible to teach 40 hours per week after you factor in student's school schedules, vacations and summer breaks- not to mention sick days. Private teachers are at the mercy of their student's schedules. A most, someone can realistically teach around 20-30 hours per week for about 35 weeks per year. I would consider even these numbers generous. At $60 per hour(going rate in high cost of living areas) you are looking at 40,000 to 60,000 per year. That is your best case situation as a teacher. That salary will be cut in half in lower cost areas of the country(ie: the midwest where I studied music).

Fair Comparison?

Teaching music, can't be compared to some of the other jobs you mention. It requires %100 percent concentration, focus and attention to each student at all times. Let's look at a physicist in a university setting. The $46 per hour is an average wage, not the upper end of the scale. Also, you don't expect that they are teaching a solid 40 hours per week. It's more likely they have 20 contact hours per week or less. Their other time is devoted to preparing for lessons or research. The same is true for teachers(lesson prep and personal practice time). So the comparison is not fair, not even close.

Also consider this, the starting salary for the Chicago Symphony is around 100,000 per year. This is one of the premier ensembles in the world. If your line of thinking was correct, these elite musicians would be on the lower end of the earning scale. This is absurd.

Finally, you are not factoring in ANY benefits that are often associated with the other jobs you cite. Health insurance, vacation pay, sick days, paid holidays, retirement IRA matching, retirement pensions etc.

So at first glance $60 per may seem absurd, but when you consider the reality of the situation, I hope you realize how off base you are.

Best,

-Joe

I live near you and I know plenty of piano teachers who charge less for their services. There are so many great options that I think you haven't explored. And these teachers are barely eekin' out a living as it is. Yes, let's complain about their rate and drive more away from teaching.

So many folks here have commented about the factual errors in your post, I see no need to add to their well-written replies to you. I have taught piano privately for over 40 years, 6 days a week. It is how I sent my daughter to private school and to college, and how I have managed my life. It is, as now proven to you, not an easy way to make a living. And I make quite a bit more than the dollar a minute you define as way-too-much.

But my comment to you is as a mother--and as a potential grandmother. It breaks my heart for your children and theirs that their mother holds them in such low esteem and respect that she cannot find in her imagination a place for their future as anything more than a player of Chopsticks and a few chords. When I was a little girl, and my father listened to my practice, I felt held in the light. His belief in me and my potential--and his belief in music as the source of all that is good about being human--has sustained me throughout a long and complicated life--as so many of our lives are.

When I listened to my little girl practice her cello or make a wonderful art work, I held her in the light. I didn't see her as the age she was at the time necessarily, but as who she would be through her life, long after I was gone, sustained and encouraged and, yes, enlightened by the best that our civilization has to offer us. I see her as a conduit to our future, as the mother of more wonderful children, all held in the light, all sustained and enlightened by art and by music of all kinds.

And you see Chopsticks and a few chords, and money taken away from your haircuts? You really shouldn't have had children, my dear. You are blind as well as deaf.

Since there are MANY comments already on this post, I will try to keep mine breif and to the point:

A)Only the pros charge $60 an hour (those with lots of performing experience and graduate degrees- at least in this area)

~If your child is just doing this for fun, hire a college student, for more like the price you'd like to pay. They're happy to have students, and get the experience while in college. I've been teaching since high school myself- adding to my years of experience.

~The pros who charge $60 an hour also have to do their own accounting, scheduling, and pay for their own health insurance, which is astronomical unless linked to a company with benefits- very few musicians have this luxury.

~The pros who charge $60 an hour also commit time outside of lessons to practicing in order to keep up performing and to maintain their level of excellence. Your money is not just paying for that hour of the lesson, but extra time given throughout the week to scheduling, phonecalls, emails, and practice time.

B)Consider that private tutors for most other subject areas are paid more like $90 an hour in subjects such as math and english. This is a PRIVATE lesson- your child is getting individualized attention. Again, if you're just doing this for "fun" have your kid join a piano class which won't cost as much per person either.

C) Making a living as a musician is NOT easy. There ARE many "starving musicians" living from paycheck to paycheck, gig to gig. The performing musicians mentioned above often keep a studio of students to keep a regular paycheck coming in, which allows them some stability between gigs.

D) If you want your child to be a concert pianist someday, $60 an hour is nothing. The world-renowned teachers are at more like $100 an hour. But their reputations have given them the right to charge that much and most people would gladly pay extra to study with these amazing people.

Because of this awfully ignorant blog post and it's wonderfully intelligent comments, many people could gain special insight about the realities of private music instructors' incomes if they read even a handful of responses. It may also become evident to discerning readers about the passion & dedication of teachers, students & parents who participate in this indispensable sector of education. This single author may have a difficult time justifying piano lessons for her own interested child, but most here have a difficult time measuring the exceptional worth of music lessons. Lets keep that great imbalance apparent for all to see by NEVER removing this post.

If you teach piano, please DON'T TEACH LAIN EHMANN'S KIDS.

If you cut hair, please DON'T CUT LAIN EHMANN'S HAIR.

If you are a street performer, please DON'T PERFORM FOR LAIN EHMANN.

...babysitter, please DON'T BABYSIT LAIN EHMANN'S KIDS.

...hockey coach, please DON'T COACH LAIN EHMANN'S KIDS.

...kitting instructor, PLEASE DON'T INSTRUCT LAIN EHMANN'S KIDS.

Send the message to ALL the Lain Ehmann's out there:
Your Money's No Good Here Until You Reprioritize and Apologize!

Boy, this post certainly sells like hotcakes! Come to think of it, we'd probably get pretty healthy traffic to our teaching sites! ;)

Well said, everyone! :o) That's why I'm not going to say much here so as not to sound like a broken record (aside from being too pooped out from having to do so many things), but I've gotta throw in my extra $0.02. :)

Before I decided to make music a career, I loved writing. (I still love it.) Writing is a more difficult trade to enter, IMO (at least in my experience), so that's why I went for music, but just because writing isn't perceived as profitable doesn't mean it's diss-worthy. And I know all about journalistic integrity, thank you very much. Ms. Lain, you should've done your homework first before spouting off stuff. (Hey, homework is part of the process in writing classes or journalism school - or any academic subject, for that matter - right?)

We musicians/music educators have ourselves to blame, too. We've got to take responsibility. Learn more about business/enterpreneurship and marketing. Have more respect for ourselves (and each other) before we earn it from others. If we don't value ourselves, there'll be more folks of Ms. Ehmann's ilk. (Yeah, as if we didn't have plenty of them roaming about on Planet Earth already!!!) Be more confident in what we do. Be more confident in setting appropriate rates. After all, we DO HAVE great things to contribute to society. We add value to people's lives. Realize and know our worth. (Yes, many musicians have Melancholy tendencies and Melancholies typically have low self-worth/self-esteem. I know what I'm talking about. I'm a Melancholy-Sanguine. And women are likely suffer from the same issues. And a lot of music teachers are women. Go figure. And yes, I'm a woman. :D) But yes, teaching is a more honorable profession, than, say, the adult entertainment industry. It's sad that it's one of the few easy ways for women (or anyone, for that matter, really) to make a very comfortable living (strictly financially speaking, that is). And oh, people get paid hundred$ or thousand$ of buck$ in just a few minutes to show off their "wares"!!! So why don't (and can't) we get paid the same amount to show how the different elements in music work together to make music what it truly is - something that affects people and their entire being - physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual? Why can't we get paid to show that the skills necessary in music are definitely TRANSFERABLE to other aspects of life?

And oh, for the record, I also happen to LOVE quality designer haircuts. (The artist types tend to be image-conscious, after all.) But there's no way I'll go for cheapo music lessons. You pay peanuts, you get peanuts, period. Not pistachios or other more expensive quality nuts. :)

(I won't talk further about the expenses involved in running a business. It has already been covered. And yep, music teaching is a BUSINESS, NOT something that bored housewives with too much time on their hands do to get pin money - and then some.)

OK, off the soapbox now.

Peace out!

Wow, I must have been quite on fire typing all that stuff that I missed a word or two! :o

On the fourth paragraph, I typed "...women are likely suffer from the same issues. I meant "...likely to suffer..."

Sorry, I can't stand a typo, being a writer and all. :)

I agree - not every kid will be a professional musician. However, if you get some high school kid who's had some piano to teach your kid for $5.00/half hour, and your kid DOES like it and want to do it regularly,(or seriously, or even professionally), you're eventually going to pay the higher price anyway, and the qualified teacher is going to have to try and work with your kid to undo all the bad habits that the uninformed teaching has engrained in him/her.(That's negative progress for quite awhile, which can be very discouraging for both the student and the instructor.)

Why not pay the $30/half hour once per month? Your child will be given quality instruction and you will have a cost benefit.

For what it's worth - qualified, motivated, passionate private lesson teachers DO exist. People who do it because they love it and want to see kids succeed, not because they failed at performance or for some other reason. I know because I am one. I purposely only teach lessons 5 hours per week (yes, IN ADDITION to my other full-time job), because I want to have the energy to teach every student well and according to their own needs/skills. So no, I'm not making $120K per year at it, and in my opinion anyone who can teach 8 hours a day of private music lessons is too burned out to do it well.

The parents are paying me well (not quite $1 a minute, but not that far off, either). I deserve to be paid for my services, just as the parents do at their jobs. A per-hour comparison of other jobs to lessons is moot. As others have well-noted, it is NOT apples to apples. You are not paying by the minute - you are paying for the instruction, and that happens to be in 30 minute installments in this example. You are paying for the expertise and time of the teacher, as well as many other intangibles which I will not list here. There are many computer seminars which cost $500 for a four-hour session, or, for the cheap ones, $199 for a four-hour session. You are paying for the opportunity to learn from a qualified instructor, not for some 30-minute music or computer widget.

I am a professional, passionate teacher who gives quality, individualized instruction to a very limited number of students. Yes, I have given lessons for free to those who can't afford it and need extra instruction, lest you pigeonhole me as just in it for wealthy students. I have a Master's Degree in performance on my instrument, as well as undergraduate degrees in both performance and education. I am making a difference in these kids lives week by week, by investing in them not just as little instrumental automatons, but as people. I know, because I am told so by parents who are grateful.

If your child is serious about wanting to take piano, pay the $30. Even once per month if you cannot afford weekly lessons. Professionals are worth the price.

Well, said, colleague!

Yes Lain, your child is not now nor will she ever be Mozart, her art sucks, and kazoos are undignified. And this is why you shouldn't waste any money on her.

No one will ever know or care about your daughter's name for her accomplishments. Yup, it's completely hopeless to believe that she will ever be able to do anything that will be noticed by anyone, or anything she can be proud of having done.

So give up and keep buying yourself expensive haircuts! The kid is a lost cause! Spend it on yourself instead! You can always tell her that professionals charge more than she's worth, because she's not going to amount to anything anyway.

That's what I'm hearing. What is your kid hearing?

Your piece sounds like a rationalization for why not to spend money on things your daughter wants that involve some type of self-improvement. But then, I'm not convinced you would categorize anything arty as self-improvement, anyway.

It's pretty unusual for the child to ASK for lessons - usually they are told they must take lessons. Careful how much of her initiative you accidentally squash.

Your article certainly has hit a nerve among the music teaching community.

I understand that raising kids is expensive. Especially if you're striving to give them all the opportunities that money can buy. And I understand that you can be shocked by the "high" price of music lessons.

But I agree with some posters that you can mitigate some expense of music lessons by hiring a responsible music student from your local university. Since your child's beginner, he doesn't need an Arthur Rubinstein to teach him music. Your goal as a good parent is to expose him to the piano. Eventually if he likes the piano and shows dedication, then you could spend more money and get a professional teacher. In the same way you don't need to buy a Bösendorfer Imperial piano for your first piano, a child who is beginning to explore his music making doesn't need a top teacher. I would also go further to suggest that unless your child is on the path to eventually going to a conservatory, that you shouldn't feel obliged to spend top dollar on a top level teacher.

I have been playing piano for three decades as an amateur. And it has taken me years and thousands of dollars of private education and private tutors to get to my level of expertise.

I understand why music teachers would respond with anger when you complain about the "high" cost of lessons. They base their justification of their hourly rate because of the high costs of their education, and often on their cost of living. But teaching a musical instrument is a service. And universities and conservatories crank out more performance majors, and music education majors than the economy can absorb. You can shop around to get the best price.

I am a Suzuki violin and viola teacher and have invested over $200,000 in my musical education. I am NOT a failed musician - I love to teach and chose to do so rather than only performing. I am beyond appalled at your lack of tact and respect for something you really know nothing about. As many others have already mentioned, private teachers really have no job security - as you said yourself, your child would likely take lessons for a few months and then be out the door. How much money do you think people in other professions would charge if they had no guarantee that they would have any work a few months down the road? I recently had a house inspection done on a home I am about to purchase. I was charged $350 for an hour and a half of the inspectors time - perhaps you'd like to take a cut at them next? It's parents like you that teachers like us would rather not have to deal with anyway.

+1 Darrell!!!!!!!!!

I second that motion!!!!

Now it would be KILLER to add tax AND tips on top of our new raised rates!!! :o)

We deserve them. At least that's fair compensation for us for having put up with this kind of nonsense since time immemorial.

Who knows - this post will break the Guinness world record. :)

Apparently Ms. Lain somehow has no idea that she has gotten tons of responses. Perhaps we should go on Facebook. She's there under Lain Chroust Ehmann. We can send her a message there.

But anyhow, back to the price issue. I'm currently working with a business/marketing coach. What I've learned so far pretty eye-opening: money DOES NOT equal value. Price DOES NOT equal value. Money is simply a medium of exchange. It's a medium of exchange of one value for another. We no longer use the "gold standard" to print money, so a dollar bill actually only costs about 2 cents to produce. (Yep, that's some food for thought there!)

Business/marketing coaches normally advise everyone to charge MORE. (I'm talking TOP DOLLAR!) To charge less is DEVALUING our services and ourselves.

That said, knowing how much VALUE we offer in our services (yes, we've talked about this at length already!), heck, $60/hour is SUBMINIMUM WAGE. Yep, less than what the poorest person in a third-world country makes. Really.

2 thumbs up! me too!

Mini-rant:

After 9+ months of feedback, I am surprised not to see an edit/addendum to this post. Since there is a community forming here, you have an opportunity to converse by either rescinding or bolstering your case. You still have the right to do either one.

Personally, though, I am upset that you used surprise as justification to alienate such a large international community. As well, I imagine Great-Cuts is upset to see their business used as a symbol of an unsuitable low-cost alternative.

Formally:

As the writer of a critical work, you have a burden to prove you are well informed enough to make this critique fly. I could be persuaded, but I do not see any effort to identify why you won't actually pay the fee (or to understand why someone else would pay a fee set so high). Surprise + superficial research do not justify alienating a lot of people.

Your post encourages parents go beyond thrift and pay only manufacturing cost when shopping instead of worth. I see the latter as "cost of manufacturing + cost of added value". Photocopying a book is illegal, for example, in part because writers and publishers know that print books are not just worth their print cost.

CEOs do not always show the public a personally-created, physical product. They share some 'added values' with music teachers, though: analysis, research, discussion, creation, design, communication, inquiry, knowledge, long term and short term planning, change management, good advice, and so forth. These are 'added value,' and they are not free when provided in a professional capacity. CEOs and music teachers would not have jobs if they were not needed and rewarded for these and other services.

Professionals do have a responsibility to produce that added value. If "$60 of worth" is not immediately apparent in a professional, however, it does not mean that value is absent. The market has set a price because enough other individuals both want and have found this added value.

As a writer (part time or full), I think you could imagine a flurry of writers complaining if I wrote a blog post that purported:

(1) products and services are worth their manufacturing cost, and
(2) electronic publishing has no manufacturing cost. Therefore,
(3) writers are clearly producing a zero-cost product, making them too expensive at any price. Therefore
(4) writers should not be paid to produce what is a zero-cost product. We have to pay them by law, though, so they can take minimum wage (or maybe a basic typist's fee).

On the bright side, you may have stumbled onto a whole web site committed to producing satirical works that justify a zero paycheck for any possible occupation.

If you are actually reading these comments, I suggest you reply before the comments hit 500.

It wasn't funny Lain. I'm very glad to see you are responding. There is not much to sort through here -- it's evident that music teachers and parents alike are very upset with your journalism. You were very offensive and an apology is in order. I think that rather than defend this as a "tongue-in-cheek-sticker-shock-article" that it is time for an apology. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes in life, and I know that the people here will be forgiving -- after all -- we are all parents and teachers. Please do the right thing.

I agree with you that beginner piano lessons should not cost $1.00 a minute. However many teachers charge that much because of the extensive and costly training that they have had.. I have been training to sing opera for 10 years. I just received my master's degree from NYU and now have to pay my student loans (almost $80,000) in addition to private lessons. All of this training qualifies me to potentially charge $1.00 a minute (for non beginner lessons.).

My voice lessons cost me $125.00 an hour. The arts are costly but when this field is your passion you will do anything to pursue your dream. I hope that you nurture your sons interest in playing the piano and that you can find someone who is less pricey for beginner students!!

--Christina

I hope, that along with "tone-deafness," (whatever that is) little Kinsey has not also inherited her parent's stony heart, shallow materialism, mental lassitude, spiritual vacuity, and serpentine rhetorical style. I think she will struggle to make it as far as "Chopsticks" if she has.

By the way, the US Bureau of Labor statistics cited in this article as a comparison to private lesson teacher salaries were actually private lesson teacher salaries. Meaning that the $31.13/hr figure that Ms. Ehmann lists for 'performing musicians' (found on the Bureau of Labor website she links to under the title "Musicians and Singers") actually belongs to the group of people whom she is maligning.

"There are plenty of piano players that can play okay but wouldn't be able to teach a child scales without psychologically scarring everyone involved."

Perfectly put!!! I am a very competent, professional pianist. I work in many genres and in varied groups and situations. I have no desire and no patience to teach, whatsoever.

I agree that technical skill, knowledge of theory, and performance experience are important in any piano teacher, but being able to convey those things, without making kids hate the process, is a love and a skill in and of itself.

This was more of a "vent" than an actual article, based on the author's animosity and lack of logical thinking and research.

Here's an article I wrote on "Alternatives to "Expensive" Lessons that may be of interest:

http://clariniano.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/alternatives-to-expensive-mus...

Meri