Being a private music teacher has many benefits. While most accomplished music teachers are going to teach at a university or college of music, there is plenty of opportunity for teaching music in private lessons. Many cities and urban areas have agencies and schools that make this happen, by connecting students with private teachers. This is usually done with barrage of advertisement through the internet and even local listings like craigslist and the phone book.
Many people have in time found that working for such agencies turn out to be quite difficult. While it is already a challenge to make a living teaching music due to the fact there are only so many hours a day one can teach, and that there are only a limited number of students available in a given area. Not to mention, it isn’t feasible for most students or their parents to pay high prices for private education in music.
For the teacher, this is quite the hurdle. Agencies and music studios that distribute advertisement and link to students often pay the teacher half or even less than what they charge the student. Not to mention that you would be running this business as a sub-contractor so you are going to have to pay taxes on this income via a 1099 form, which for a private business isn’t ideal.
A private music business can easily render their tax issues by writing off materials and even portions of their rent, gas and much more if they are responsible for what they actually state. A 1099 form when already being payed half of what most private music teachers make is yet another hurdle.
So what is the resolution to all of this for a private music teacher? The answer is to teach privately. There are many veins of advertisement available, as well as many private music lesson directories that offer many resources and services.
Not only does this allow the music teacher to build a one on one relationship with the student and/or their parents, but it takes out any possible communication errors that could arise by going through an agency. For example many of these agencies like California Music Studios in Southern California will charge the student for missing a lesson, leaving it up to the student and the teacher to make up this lesson. This is quite the burden for any teacher or student because you are going to have find a way to make up the lesson in your busy and limited teaching schedule.
Although it is a greater challenge to teach music privately outside of agencies and academy’s of music, studies show that the student and the teacher are more satisfied and the feeling that you are running your own business is much more gratifying! So what are you waiting for? Get started promoting your private music teacher business now!
Matt Phipps is a private music teacher who makes a living teaching Private Music Lessons. He also runs a Private Music Teacher Directory
Article Source: Why You Should Teach Music Privately