Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Teaching Piano Lessons From A Home Studio

By Sheryl Quinn


If you want a home based business like teaching piano lessons from your own home studio, be sure that you have all the necessary equipment and knowledge to make it work. Make a check list and see if you need to get more equipment and materials for your piano studio. If you are going to teach piano from home it might help if you place your studio or piano away from your family's bedrooms. This will prevent distractions and allow your family members to rest.

Are you trained to teach piano? There is a big difference between knowing how to play the instrument and being able to teach music lessons. Teaching piano lessons is a whole new ballgame from learning how to play it. Analyze yourself and see if you have the patience to spend hours each day teaching kids and beginner adults from scratch. Your students may also want to look for credentials from you.

By taking classes that teaches you how to be a piano teacher, you can charge higher rates and get more students. Frame your pedagogy course certificate in your home studio so students can see that you are certified to teach piano. Students will take you more seriously if you have credentials. They will also be more willing to pay more for a professional piano teacher. The last thing you want to show your students is that you only teach as a hobby.

Do some research about the average teaching fees in your neighborhood. Check newspaper ads posted by other piano teachers. Find out how much other piano instructors charge for teaching piano lessons. You can pretend to be a student and call them to find out how much other teachers charge for novice or advanced lessons. Piano lessons average around $20/hour, give or take a few dollars. You need to know the going rate in your community.

If you live in an upscale neighborhood, it might be possible to charge a bit higher for your lessons. Adjust your rates to what people in your community can afford. Join a local music teaching association and attend their meetings. You can get many tips about new trends and issues that concerns your career. You can also get referrals from associations. Many students call associations first when looking for music teachers.

Even if you teach from home, you still have to treat it like a professional business. So, you must also do what real businesses do such as marketing. Advertise your piano teaching business on the local papers and on the net. Distribute fliers to neighbors, schools and business establishments around town. Schools can refer you to parents and students looking for piano instruction.

Now that you are already advertising, your home studio should be ready to accept students. Clean up your studio and dust your piano. Provide a small area outside your piano room as a waiting area. Buy beginner music books and other teaching materials. Make sure the temperature in your room is set to a comfortable level. Talk to family members about giving you some room and privacy during class hours.

These are just basic tips on how to start teaching piano lessons from your home. You still need to take care of financial matters, register your business, get a tax account number, etc. Find help if you are overwhelmed by everything you need to do. Veteran home based piano teachers can help you. Find the helpful ones and ask for advice. Their advice can help make things easier for you and prevent you from making costly mistakes.




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