An Introduction for Musicians
For many of today's musicians, working as a private music
tutor has many benefits over working within an educational establishment.
Firstly, you are a lot freer to choose where, when, and depending on how well
you teach, WHO your students are. This will also let you continue whatever
employment or other commitments you already have. Building up your student base
slowly allows you to commit time to each of them to find out their learning
style and prepare for their lessons without feeling overwhelmed suddenly with
30 new students starting next week.
Starting out, the idea of being an "expert" can
feel rather daunting… especially for those of us who learned by gigging, and
may not be the best sight-readers. Others among us have studied music and/or
education to higher levels. But no matter where you stand between these two,
those first few steps into teaching music as an income is terrifying.
The main advantages I have seen in my time working as a
private music tutor are:
1. You have a lot more potential
to work the hours you choose, and where you choose. Allowing your other
commitments time where they need it.
2. If you teach children,
generally, they are far more likely to behave and be responsive to teaching
when either on their own as there is no one to show off to. School music
lessons - especially in junior high school can be pretty hard to control.
3. You can vary the genres and
methods you use as you see fit, not as a strict school curriculum requires.
4. You can focus all your
attention on one student who wants to learn… if they don't, why are you
teaching them - your morale will take a huge blow, and your time would be
better invested in working with an interested student.
Monetary benefits will come into the equation somewhere…
let's face it; they have to in this world. However, if all you can see are
pound signs and have no real interest to teach, work with others, or enjoy
music… perhaps private tuition is not for you.
In my personal opinion, private teachers can make a very
comfortable living, and with some commitment and effort can easily make £40
upwards per hour.
It is not unheard of for tutors to have a waiting list of
students who want them as their tutor. Once you find yourself in this position,
although it isn't time to relax, it is most definitely time to congratulate
yourself. You can now (within reason) charge what you really feel you are worth
per lesson/hour, as you have people desperately waiting for your time.
If you didn't increase your price at this stage it would be
foolish. You have developed a product (your tuition service) that is in such a
need the demand out numbers the supply - the number of lessons you have available
per week.
Building your "studio" into this size is an
achievable target, but one not as many as could reach it actually do. Those who
do are employing valuable marketing techniques whether they realise it or not.
One of these marketing techniques is so subtle, many don't
even realise they are doing it when they are advertising in their local
newspaper or shop window. This is a basic example, but stick with me; this idea
can be applied at any time in your teaching career. By advertising in a local
newspaper, you are already targeting the first most likely people to use your
tuition services… your local community. Unless you are famous for being an
incredible musician, people will neither just ask if you would teach them, or
travel to find you in the hope you teach music. This one simple ad is telling
the local community "I live in this area, and I have spaces available to
teach music lessons." I would save the expense and time on that website
until further down the line if you live in a small town, the paper would provide
a far higher return on income when you are starting off.
To develop this further, think what your ads say about you?
Do they say professional, or do they say "I can play a few tunes on the
piano, let me teach you cos I really need the money"
Here are my top 5 mostly marketing techniques for musicians
aspiring to earn a decent income from private tuition.
1. Choose a name for your
"studio" this can be anything from "Maria's Singing
Tuition" to "Bass riff School". Choose one and use it in ALL
your advertising
2. Make sure you include contact
details on everything - advertising is an obvious one, but what about your
pupils' notebooks in case they ever need to cancel a lesson?
3. Make at least two copies of
your teaching schedule. One that stays with you (especially if you are as
forgetful as me), and one that everyone else in your household can see. This
allows them to know when not to disturb you, or when you'll be home.
(A third copy is ideal to keep
with your musical instrument as a reference.)
4. Make sure that the two copies
in point 3 have contact names and numbers for all your students. Should you
ever have an emergency, this allows all your pupils to be contacted by another
person in your family should you not be able to attend.
5. Don't be afraid to tell people
that you teach music - especially if you have spaces available. Word of mouth
is the best form of advertising, and when you combine this with the power of networking,
you can only succeed.
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