bnbacademy Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I have had trouble being entirely pleased with the price of our piano lessons and I think it is just me... Our piano teacher has a great rapport with our ds, which is what I must slightly resent, because she is expensive, imo. Actually, I'm not even sure about that... she charges per semester with a few of the 12 weeks as "group lessons" where ds plays 1 song for that lesson and listens to others, and there is 1 recital per semester. My best guess is $25/ half hr. So, we switched to cheaper teacher last year, which was not successful. Ds needed much encouragement to practice and "just didn't like her". I humbly returned to first teacher, and now feel obligated to stay. Ds is back to being self-motivated and is progressing nicely. What am I complaining about??? Just venting that things cost so much. So... am I paying for piano lessons or for the rapport the teacher has built up with ds? And does it really matter? probably not, just sayin'.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I'm not sure what the going rate is in your area - $25 sounds very reasonable here - we are paying $30 for a 1/2 hour. But if your DS is happy, practicing and is progressing, then it is probably a good thing and worth the money. Those group lessons are actually helpful for kids to hear others play music and get used to playing in public before the recital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 The kind of rapport that makes a child willing to practice is huge to me. Is he progressing at an acceptable rate, also? In that case, I would stick with that teacher. By the way, our instructor (a professional musician) in a small town in South Carolina charges $22/half hour (although he always seems to go longer with both boys). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I think this cost sounds good, I would pay that for a teacher that had a recital every semester. A group lesson is probably more engaging to a young boy. He probably doesn't want to sound bad in front of the other kids. My guess is that the group dynamic and a little competition are really what your son likes. Boys need that small edge of competition to engage fully. I wonder if that is really what you are paying for.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calm37 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I have had trouble being entirely pleased with the price of our piano lessons and I think it is just me... Our piano teacher has a great rapport with our ds, which is what I must slightly resent, because she is expensive, imo. Actually, I'm not even sure about that... she charges per semester with a few of the 12 weeks as "group lessons" where ds plays 1 song for that lesson and listens to others, and there is 1 recital per semester. My best guess is $25/ half hr. So, we switched to cheaper teacher last year, which was not successful. Ds needed much encouragement to practice and "just didn't like her". I humbly returned to first teacher, and now feel obligated to stay. Ds is back to being self-motivated and is progressing nicely. What am I complaining about??? Just venting that things cost so much. So... am I paying for piano lessons or for the rapport the teacher has built up with ds? And does it really matter? probably not, just sayin'.... I am paying $15/hour in a small rural town (pop. 7,000). I expect that $20-$25 would be what I would pay if I lived in a more urban area. Blessings, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnbacademy Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Thank you for clarifying this for me... I will try to be more thankful that we are not having to insist on practice as we used to. Maybe I just am a "need to know" kind of person... I need to know what exactly I'm paying for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zillymom Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Our piano teacher has a great rapport with our ds, which is what I must slightly resent, because she is expensive, imo. Actually, I'm not even sure about that... she charges per semester with a few of the 12 weeks as "group lessons" where ds plays 1 song for that lesson and listens to others, and there is 1 recital per semester. My best guess is $25/ half hr. I'm a piano teacher, and although my fee is a tad lower because of where I live, that rate sounds very normal to me... not too expensive at all (and actually, I know plenty of teachers in the next county over who charge much more). Also, the group lesson setup you describe is fantastic, for so many reasons (listening skills and etiquette, critiquing the performance of others, performance experience, etc.). If the teacher has the group lesson planned well, it's definitely about much more than simply "listening to others." Pianists tend to be somewhat isolated musically (unlike students who are in band, orchestra, choir), so it's important for them to have these group experiences. I wish I had the room in my studio to do something like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 We pay $20 per half hour, private lesson. I think $27/half hour for a group lesson is overpriced, but I suppose if your son is progressing satisfactorily I'd stick with it. Do you think he receives enough personal attention during the lesson? How many children are in his group? We've never done group, although there is a teacher here that offers them for $10/hour. Our teacher actually comes to our house and is totally focused on one child for the entire 30 minutes, before moving on to the next child. I can see why it would be a benefit to learn with others in a group lesson, but I like that our teacher can use the time working on individual strengths and weaknesses, which might be harder to do in a group setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnbacademy Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Do you think he receives enough personal attention during the lesson? How many children are in his group? We've never done group, although there is a teacher here that offers them for $10/hour. Actually, he has 1-to-1 private lessons most weeks, just the occasional group lesson with several others around his age, where he mostly listens to others after playing one piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnbacademy Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 I'm a piano teacher, and although my fee is a tad lower because of where I live, that rate sounds very normal to me... not too expensive at all (and actually, I know plenty of teachers in the next county over who charge much more). Also, the group lesson setup you describe is fantastic, for so many reasons (listening skills and etiquette, critiquing the performance of others, performance experience, etc.). If the teacher has the group lesson planned well, it's definitely about much more than simply "listening to others." Pianists tend to be somewhat isolated musically (unlike students who are in band, orchestra, choir), so it's important for them to have these group experiences. I wish I had the room in my studio to do something like that! Thank you, wholeheartedly, for your reply. I am becoming more aware of the opportunity we have and I will appreciate it more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 We pay MUCH more than $25 for a 45 minute lesson. I think we were paying about $35 for a 30 minute lesson (urban area, large music school with beautiful facilities). Our teacher is amazing and has his doctorate degree. I think with the rapport comes joy in the lessons and the motivation. Music is big at our house though. Everyone prioritizes stuff differently. We have groups and many recitals/performances/contests etc. Those are highly motivating to my son, so we could never switch to a cheaper, more laid back teacher. And even though the group seems like nothing is happening, I do think kids gain quite a bit by having musical peers and observation. I love our group lessons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I'm a piano teacher, and although my fee is a tad lower because of where I live, that rate sounds very normal to me... not too expensive at all (and actually, I know plenty of teachers in the next county over who charge much more). Also, the group lesson setup you describe is fantastic, for so many reasons (listening skills and etiquette, critiquing the performance of others, performance experience, etc.). If the teacher has the group lesson planned well, it's definitely about much more than simply "listening to others." Pianists tend to be somewhat isolated musically (unlike students who are in band, orchestra, choir), so it's important for them to have these group experiences. I wish I had the room in my studio to do something like that! This is such a right-on response. I'm going into my 16th year as a piano mom. The price of your lessons sound very reasonable. "So... am I paying for piano lessons or for the rapport the teacher has built up with ds? And does it really matter? probably not, just sayin'...." You are paying for both. Yes, it matters, and it is a relationship that should be monitored by you, the mom. After nine years with the same delightful piano teacher, DD~13 and I just recently came to the realization that we need to find a new piano teacher that will move DD into the conservatory stream of performance. Had I been more observant of the relationship, I would have picked up on the clues that DD~13 had outgrown her current piano teacher. Paying attention matters and your questions are good ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 $25-30 is the going rate here..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I pay $110 a month for both my girls for an hour long lesson that they take together with a small group. I think they're alone for the first half hour and by the time I show up, they are with three other kids. They enjoy themselves and are making progress (I don't have anything to compare it to, but it seems good to me). :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Our piano teacher is definitely at the top price range for piano teachers. I went with her because not only is she qualified musically she is so encouraging and my dc love her. My sons are in their 4th year and my dd her 3rd. I truly believe that had it been any other teacher they would have quit by now. She keeps them motivated and happy to be playing piano. She does all the motivation to practice and that is worth the extra money in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 since you said $25/half hour for group, that might be a little pricey. However, if your dc is learning and self motivated to practice it sounds like it's worth every penny. Private lessons are $25-45 half hour around here. If there's no rapport and child isn't progressing then it's money down the toilet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I pay 30$ dollars a week. For that I get a 15 minute lesson for my youngest son, and then a 30 minute lesson for my eldest. It's perfect for me since she lives right next door. The kids get along well with her. Sometimes after the lesson I just go over to visit for a bit. Another great thing is every other month or so when I have a appointment I schedule it for during the piano lesson. She then has both kids over for breakfast then teaches them. Well one kid is having the lesson the other gets to play with something at her house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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