Going rate for lessons

[bort]

Forgive my ignorance on the subject, but I was just wondering what the going rate is for lessons these days.

(My only experience with private lessons came 2 years ago during my last semester of college, where I got a semester of free lessons in return for being a guinea pig for a grad school pedagogy class.)

Anyway, the director of my band recently called me a damn fool for not taking private lessons now - I just want to get an idea of what I'm in store for before I contact anyone. I suppose it kind of varies, but just a ballpark figure would be helpful.

Thanks!

[CJ Krause]

in this area
$15 to $16 for 25 to 30 min lessons

[phoenix]

I pay $12 for 30 minutes, $24 for an hour

[bort]

If region makes a big difference, I live in Baltimore.

[JayW]

I'd say Bloke has it right. Also your oocation definitely seems to make a difference. I know in my area going rate is MUCH higher than what most others seem to be saying.

[Rick Denney]

$15 per 1/2 hr. for teachers who have no "title" and do not stay "full"...$150 per hr. for a teacher who has folks fly in from everywhere to study with them.

And the first teachers set their prices according to what their students, who are usually school kids, are willing and able to pay. Most teachers sought after by amateur adults teach in one-hour lessons, and charge around $50, even if they are not "full". Adults take lessons less frequently and expect more from them, and consequently are willing to pay more. Your last category are for teachers sought after by professionals. The key word there is "sought", and that was your point.

Rick "price is set by the buyer" Denney

[OldBandsman]

How about a senior's discount?

[Joe Baker]

How about a senior's discount?

Naw, at my son's school they pay the same as the Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen! (bu-doom CHING!)
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Joe Baker, who'll be qualified for that other kind of Senior discount all too soon!

[Dean]

If region makes a big difference, I live in Baltimore.

I would say your region will be on the higher side for rates...

But, you can probably find a quality teacher, especially if you are willing to drive a little bit (maybe not far).


Many DC Band tubists live out that way--at least College Park and up 95/295. You also have the Ft. Meade Field Band guys...

At college park I am sure there are some willing teachers as well--probably undergrads or grads.

Good luck!

Also, if you are considering music as a career... Lessons are NOT an expense, they are an INVESTMENT!!

[Gorilla Tuba]

Here in Rural Kansas I give 2 or 3 free lessons to get kids started, then pass them off to my better college students. The students then charge $15 for a 40 minute lesson. I check in with the student every month or so to make sure things are going well.

I don't currently have time to teach students outside of the University. When I do, I charge $25 for a 40 minute lesson. However, those lessons always seem to go over an hour.

[Charlie Goodman]

Mine cost $27 for 45 minutes (which usually ends up being an hour or more anyway) with a retired tuba prof. We're in southwestern Michigan.

[crbarnes]

Here in Jersey, I get away with charging $50 per hour. But, that is a rate set by the band director, who is also a trumpet player and teaches the majority of his kids privately as well.

When I hear that folks are teaching their band kids private lessons, I always wonder if they ever think about the "conflict of interest" issue. I'm not judging anyone for this, but have never felt comfortable teaching private lessons to my own band/orchestra students.

Do most do this? Just curious...

When I was teaching, I gave lessons at a local music store for pay. I would help my own students at school for free but if they wanted "real" lessons, then I would charge them. I never felt that it was a conflict of interest because they had the option and, if they had gone to the music store where I taught and asked for tuba lessons, they would have gotten me anyway. Now, IF I had made lessons with me a requirement THEN charged them, I think that would have pushed the edge of that envelope and could be considered a conflict of interest.
I also ran a ski school through the district and the students paid me extra as a ski instructor. I contracted with the district for a bus and paid for it out of basic charges to the students. Again, the students did not have to take lessons from me to ride the bus and I would have had no problem if they had chosen to take lessons with another instructor when we arrived at the slopes.
So I guess what my thought on this was that if you do not take advantage of the situation by requiring and then charging, you are on solid ground.
Band directors get paid little enough as it is for the job done and to expect them to give out formal lessons for nothing is a bit much, IMHO.
If I sent my students down the road to the neighboring band director who was a clarinet player and he sent his tuba players to me, we would both be comfortable charging for those lessons, right?

[Joe Baker]

If I sent my students down the road to the neighboring band director who was a clarinet player and he sent his tuba players to me, we would both be comfortable charging for those lessons, right?

I don't know about this -- not saying you're wrong, but I'm just not sure. In a public school, is it right for a teacher to require direct payment for course-related instruction? Teaching the skiing (I assume outside of school, sort of like a club) sounds perfectly kosher, but teaching instrumental music seems like the job of the band director.

Not that a band director "should" be giving private lessons to everyone in the band, of course; but I see some possible conflicts of interest. If my son went in after school to ask for extra help from his math teacher, I would expect her to do it without charge, or to refer him to a tutor. Isn't this kind of the same thing? In addition to the fact that students are paying for instrumental music instruction already paid for by the school district, even if you DON'T hold it against the student who doesn't pay for private lessons from you, how can your students KNOW that you won't? And even if you're trying to be fair, wouldn't the student who has lessons with you know better how to do things "your way" better than the student who is taking lessons from an equally qualified teacher who is stressing slightly different objectives?

The handful of band directors I've known of to give private lessons did so on a very limited basis, and did so -- quite openly -- with the express purpose of making the band better. In other words, the squeaky reed got the grease, so to speak. The director was bringing the worst players up so they wouldn't harm the band's sound overall.

All that said, I take you to be an honest, hard-working band director, and pretty much assume that you are underpaid for what you do. Please take my comments as food for thought rather than a rebuke.
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Joe Baker, who is just asking these questions, not answering them.

[dopey]

i've gotten alot of free lessons, from either college professors, or college students..

I've paid i think 15$ for a couple half hr lessons at one time, Also @ camps u generally pay 15-20$ for a private lesson unless your in the honor band in which case you get a free lesson.

also i've always gotten free lessons with all my directors over the years, whether it be all region/state or just a piece im working ona nd me coming in during a off period.

[Bill Troiano]

Personally, I wouldn't teach private lessons to any of my band students, as I feel it is a conflict of interest. On Long Island there are 8-10 of us teaching private tuba lessons, so my tuba students could easily study tuba with someone other than myself. I could see where in a more rural area where the population is less and the number of music teachers would be fewer, that students may not have much of a choice in who to study privately with.

[Joe Baker]

Sherlock Holmes famously said,

• It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

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Joe Baker, who, having been familiar with Bloke and The Elephant for some years now, can only conclude that Royce is missing something.

[Rick Denney]

Did I miss something, or are Bloke and the Elephant idiots?

I don't always understand the chord choices of Thelonius Monk, but I still sit back and enjoy them.

Rick "who misses lots" Denney

[Joe Baker]

Did I miss something, or are Bloke and the Elephant idiots?

I don't always understand the chord choices of Thelonius Monk, but I still sit back and enjoy them.

Rick "who misses lots" Denney

chord progressions are one thing. random sentences that don't fit into the topic are just annoying.

Royce "who is not angry that i'm paying for old people's social security, but is angry that old people post stupid threads"

Actually, I thought Bloke's comments about socking it to the seniors was very interesting. It wasn't completely on point, other than the fact that someone mentioned a "senior discount", but I'd have no interest in a forum that never let people wander from the topic at all.

A lot of times discussions here play themselves out, and -- maybe just as a way to kick the body and see if there's any life left -- one of us will post something silly or provocative, just to invite people to have one more round at the topic. If it happens to spark another discussion, or make someone laugh, so much the better! If you read a post that doesn't interest you -- most of mine, probably -- just move on. You can always turn the discussion BACK to the original topic, too, if you have anything to add.
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Joe Baker, who thinks the great thing about forums is the free speech they engender.

[MaryAnn]

Back on topic:

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is WHOM you take lessons from. I suggest very strongly that you don't choose a teacher based on what you have to pay, although what you can afford will have to come into it.
Find out which teachers are in your price range, and then take a test lesson from each one. See how you get along; see what you learn; see what the expectations are and whether your expectations fit. THEN make a choice of a teacher.

Off topic:
Bloke and Elephant went to the store. They both bought something, but what was it?

MA

[MikeMason]

Royce, when you sense your elders are making jokes based on references you don't understand, either ask them what they mean or just remain silent.this is wisdom...