The Traveling Music Teacher

Recently, I began a new approach to piano teaching:  I offer lessons in the student's home, rather than mine.  Why leave the convenience of my home studio for the inconsistency of other people's homes?  Why pay the extra gas expense and lose the opportunity to schedule lessons back-to-back?

When my family was small and my responsibilities were fewer, I would never have ventured outside of my home to teach piano.  There was plenty of room in my house for a baby sitter to watch the kids and my living room was the perfect place for a lesson that could be observed by parents when needed.  Students arriving a few minutes ahead of the next lesson were an excellent reminder for me to wrap up the session with my current student.  The clock was positioned near the piano, so I could keep an eye on the time as we progressed through each student's appointment.  I had everything I needed in a home studio and I didn't have to pay additional rent.  Life was good.

Through a variety of circumstances, however, I stopped teaching piano to focus on other needs of my family.  When I did begin teaching music again, several years later, it was in a classroom and the students were vocalists and band instrumentalists.  While I appreciate the growth opportunity that has come with teaching Band and Choir, piano will always be my first love.  When I decided to begin teaching piano again, I found that my living room was no longer the ideal home studio that it had once been.  Our family has grown and the living room has become the center of many family activities.  How would I teach piano here without seriously disrupting my family and how would I keep my family from seriously disrupting my lessons?

The answer appeared in a Craig's List ad for In-Home Music Teachers.  In-Home Music Teachers is one of several companies that hire music teachers to offer lessons in the student's home.  Many music teachers provide this service independantly as well. 

Through this opportunity, I have learned that, while there does not appear to be a huge demand for piano teachers where I live - perhaps there are already many other active teachers - there is a demand for piano teachers in an area that is approximately twenty minutes from my house.  One student leads to more students in the same area through word-of-mouth.  My commute is no different than the drive to work that many other people make and I am paid a fee that compensates for the drive.  Students and parents are willing to pay more for the convenience of having a music teacher come to their home.

Any music teacher who has more openings than students should consider offering the service of teaching in their student's homes.

New Music Lessons for the New Year!

January is a time for beginning new things. After blowing our diets and budgets over Christmas, we resolve to lose weight, eat healthier, pay off our debts, and manage our money more effectively. Resolutions that are born from short-term feelings of guilt often have short endurance. There is one resolution, however, that is requires a long-term commitment and is, therefore, often continued through-out the year. It is the resolution to learn a musical instrument.


While the back-to-school season is the most common time to begin music lessons because we’re in the “back-to-school” mode, January is the second-most popular time for new music students to findmusic teachers. Perhaps someone received a new instrument for Christmas. Maybe a New Year’s Resolution is the driving force. Or the down time following Christmas has given room for pursuing new activities. Whatever the reason, students are looking for instructors in January and the smart music teacher will be ready to be found.


Teachers and students can find each other through the Music Teacher Locator. Teachers register their contact information and other criteria such as location, instrument, style, etc. Students enter instrument and zip code to find a teacher in their area. Everyone wins!

Five Steps to Better Practicing, Part Four

Previously, we've discussed:

1. Effective Communication

2. Practice Record

3. Incentives

This leads us to the next step:

4. Consistent Reminders

Whatever your plan for motivating your student, follow up with it consistently. Review the practcie record at every lesson. Be prepared to award the incentive you have chosen. Communicate with parents, especially if the student is not practicing enough. Work with them to encourage more practice.

Five Steps to Better Practicing, Part Three

3. Incentives

Everyone likes rewards. Not only do we enjoy receiving whatever gift has been deemed appropriate, but we also like the recognition for a job well done. Rewards can be an incentive to do your best.

This concept works well with music students. Anticipating a reward at the next lesson will motivate students to practice more during the week. Practice time can be recorded and tracked in the lesson assignment book. Use a sticker to mark each week in which the student has practiced the required amount of time. Younger students will enjoy picking out the stickers themselves. For them, this is part of the treat!

What kind of rewards are appropriate for music students? After 6 stickers have accumulated, offer a selection of small gifts for the student to choose from, such as musical pencils or music note lollipops. It is a good idea to offer at least one non-food item and be cautious of food allergies and diet restrictions.

After 12 stickers have accumulated, offer a choice of slightly more expensive prizes, like music-themed magnets or whistle pops. Students could choose between one prize from "Group Two" or two prizes from the original prize group (Group One).

There could be up to six different prize levels - after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks, 24 weeks, 30 weeks, and 36 weeks - but, ultimately, the frequency of prizes is up to you. Other prizes to consider are composer statuettes, stationery, music-themed socks or hats, or even a music book.

Try using practice incentives today. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes in motivating your students to practice.

Five Steps to Better Practicing, Part Two

2. Keep Track of Practicing with a Practice Record.

Once you have communicated the need for practice to your students and their parents, you will need to hold them accountable with a practice record. There are many different practice records from which to choose. The most basic component is a list of the days of the week with a blank or box next to each day where the student may record practice time. Most practice records also include room to write down assignments and some even include a few blank staves. The practice records serves as a journal that confirms the amount of practice. For children, I usually require a parent's signature to verify the times stated.


What incentive does a child have to use the practice record? More about that next week.

Five Steps to Better Practicing

We are halfway through the Fall Semester and this year's practice habits have been formed. Do your students need improvement in this area? Perhaps you can find help with this tried and proven Five Steps to Better Practicing.

1. Communicate your expectations to the student and his/her parents from the beginning.

Many people, especially children, do not realize how much practice is required for learning to play an instrument. They watch professionals, or other well-trained musicians, who have the ability to learn new music with ease and think that playing an instrument looks easy. No one sees the hours and hours of practice that goes into a professional-sounding performance or the years of hard work that builds musical skill.

Tell your students at the first lesson how many minutes per week they will be expected to practice. In fact, tell them when you are scheduling the first lesson. Break it down into minutes per day. For example, 30 minutes per day for six days each week.

Effective Communication is the first key to building better practice routines.

Find a Music Teacher

How do music teachers and music students find each other? One way is through "Find a Music Teacher" at The Music N More Store.

"Find a Music Teacher" is a nation-wide database that allows music teachers to register their contact information and profile for a small fee. Students search for teachers by location, instrument and other pertinent details. Students view teacher profiles and contact the teacher of their choice. Everyone wins! Try "Find a Music Teacher" today.

More Online Resources

The internet is packed with useful information. Two more excellent resources for music teachers can be found at http://www.howtopractice.com/ and http://www.musicteachershelper.com/.

http://www.howtopractice.com/ is filled with teaching tips for music students. Teachers will benefit from finding new words of wisdom to pass on to their students. Or, students can access the site directly. Either way, everyone wins!

http://www.musicteachershelper.com/ offers valuable resources for music teachers, including teacher websites. Teaching tips and relevant articles are offered by a variety of authors.