Lots of musicians I know are curious about what I do for a living. They have never considered teaching, and even if they did, they don’t know where to begin. I was there once, so I want to share with you some of the things I have learned along the way.
YOU’VE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE
Getting the word out is the obvious first step. The place to start is your local schools. Getting a teaching gig at these schools is the fastest way to gain more private students. If you can’t get an actual job on the faculty (which would really speed things up, by the way) then offer to teach after school lessons. Most schools are interested in this, and many are already doing it. Keep your price competitive to the going rate. If you want to charge more, wait until you have a few students for awhile, and then raise your fees.
Another thing you can do with local schools is contact the music teachers at those schools. I once got a big envelope sent to my school job that was filled with flyers and a letter from a local brass and wind teacher. She was looking for private students, and lo and behold, I don’t teach those instruments, nor do I know any brass and wind teachers. Her letter was very professional and her flyers were clean and easy to read. So of course I let my students know about her. That was a very good marketing idea.
Another place to find students is your local place of worship. I’m not religious, but most of my students are, and all the religious teachers I have ever known score big at their churches and synagogues. Your fellow congregants will also be happy to support your business.
Other miscellaneous places to advertise are guitar shops, clickforlessons.com, and craigslist.com.
ONCE YOU HAVE A FEW STUDENTS
Once you have some students, you want to keep them! You also want them to help you get more. Word of mouth is your best friend as a private teacher. In the past 5 years I have done zero advertising. All of my students are found from word of mouth.
The number one rule is this: if you do an outstaning job and parents are impressed with you, they will tell their friends about you. There is no doubt in my mind about that. HOWEVER, if you are really needing to find some students fast, you can speed it up by encouraging parents to help find other students. Offer them 1 or 2 free lessons per each referral that completes a whole month of lessons. You could get creative, of course with this. Maybe if they refer a certain number of students they get a whole month free. You decide, it’s your business.
In my next post, I will talk about KEEPING students, which is really more important than getting them. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading any comments you may have!
About the Author
When I was just a college Junior, I started teaching private guitar lessons in order to support myself. I was in a rock band, writing songs and performing on a regular basis, and I certainly did not plan on becoming a teacher. My plan was to graduate, get a job in social work, and just continue writing songs. Teaching surprised me. I ended up falling in love with the act of guiding a student from point a to point b. To watch someone go from knowing nothing about a subject, to simply performing in a recital, is such an awesome thing. I ended up scrapping that social work idea. I was doing more good as a teacher, minus the intense stress that most social workers go home with. I currently have a busy program that teaches private guitar, piano, and voice lessons in Los Angeles homes. I am also the creator of the music and service blog 38 Ways to Change the World Through Music.
Best Regards....Debra
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