All About Piano Lesson Costs

[jce]

When you say "NAFA teacher", do you mean a teacher who is currently (or previously) teaching at NAFA or do you mean a NAFA graduate? From the above it does sound like NAFA junior session’s teaching - drill, drill, drill, emphasis on technique. What’s the reason for not giving new pieces? Is it because the old ones have not been perfected? Not up to scratch or not up to the teacher’s standard? Or it’s because the girls have exams round the corner?


Focusing on technique is a good thing as it opens up ways to play many pieces with ease, but as your girls are still young, there needs to be a better balancing. In NAFA it is a different story as the goal is different and therefore the way things are taught are geared to achieve this goal. Have you expressed your view to the teacher? Tell her that you’d like the kids to have a more balanced technique vs repertoire ratio.

Focusing on sight reading (which you mentioned the teacher is doing) is also a good way to achieve your "ability to play any piece in future".

If you were to change teachers, I’d suggest getting somewhere who is able to share or accommodate your opinions and goals, someone whom you feel at ease to communicate with and someone who has the ability to execute the teaching.

[pahchee]

Hi jce,


Thanks for the advice

My concern is that are NAFA teachers teaching techniques different from other teachers outside? So how to the "branded" teachers teach? do they teach the way like the NAFA teachers do? The reason I asked is that do they just say which pieces they want the students to learn and then just that? The parents and the child will figure out how to play the song by themselves (by sight reading first) and the teacher did not demonstrate and is just there the next week to listen?

Please advise

[jce]

Best I PM you

[Dreamaurora]

pahchee:

Hi jce,


Thanks for the advice

My concern is that are NAFA teachers teaching techniques different from other teachers outside? So how to the \"branded\" teachers teach? do they teach the way like the NAFA teachers do? The reason I asked is that do they just say which pieces they want the students to learn and then just that? The parents and the child will figure out how to play the song by themselves (by sight reading first) and the teacher did not demonstrate and is just there the next week to listen?

Please advise

I am going to assume that your daughters are currently taught by a NAFA Young Talent teacher as NAFA graduates may differ vastly in teaching approaches.

I won't comment on 'branded' teachers as their teaching approaches may vastly differ from each other as well. Anyway, eventually students should be able to pick up the notes for a piece by themselves, preferably as early as possible. I would demonstrate on the piano how a certain passage should be played, but I try not to demonstrate the notes unless they have misreading.

For the very young around 4-7 which I have quite a few now, their understanding and shape recognitions may not be as well developed yet. Deciphering staff notation is quite similar to working solutions for arithmetic, so at that age it may be quite difficult. So, normally, I am more relaxed for this age group and I will demonstrate the notes and how to practice them (and to the parents as well so they know how to guide the kids at home). Though I have to stress, I normally would not continue this kind of 'imitation' practice after 1 year of lessons.

As for choice of pieces, I think the general consensus is there needs to be a mix of compulsory pieces (usually technical studies and one or two exam pieces) and free-choice pieces to maintain a healthy interest.

[viv_enne23]

Any idea how much is the fee for G7 now? I heard some teachers charge $280-$300/month.I heard my friend’s girl teacher charge per month and no lesson if there are 5 weeks in that month and no make-up lesson if is a public holiday. Is that reasonable?

[jce]

Yes, not teaching 5th week and public hol with no make-up for these is norm. Basically operating like music schools, 44 lessons per year. Fees wise really depends on qualification and experience of the teacher

[viv_enne23]

Thanks Jce

However, I had heard some charges only by lesson and I think is more reasonable as it is a freelance job, not a company. If charge using the school’s method, then smart parents will plan ahead to choose those day which no PH falls on that day during the whole year to avoid "fee-paid for no lesson" day.
Hope you are not offended. Just being fair to all parties.

[jce]

Most teachers will plan in such a way that all students get 44 a year, regardless of which day the lesson is on, that way it’s fair. Those who charge per lesson will generally charge more. Imagine if the student comes as he or she wishes, that is not fair on the teacher either. The slot is reserved for the student and the teacher is earning a living by teaching

[Dreamaurora]

viv_enne23:

Any idea how much is the fee for G7 now? I heard some teachers charge $280-$300/month.I heard my friend's girl teacher charge per month and no lesson if there are 5 weeks in that month and no make-up lesson if is a public holiday. Is that reasonable?

I charge $280 for 4 lessons of grade 7 and I have a Hons, so I guess $280-$300 is reasonable if the teacher has similar qualification and experience as me.

Each teacher has their own studio policy when it comes to lessons and fees, and it is their right to set whatever fancy them as long all the terms and conditions are made clear to the parents beforehand. I charge per lesson but I know many other teachers charge like music schools for a more steady income.

[LovingBrahms]

Have been hovering around here for the past few years but felt a strong need to post a reply.


To parents who feel that some piano teachers whose fees are similar to the school system, I hope you could understand our pov. I have been a music teacher for the past 7 years and have been charging by per lesson till today. In my first year of private teaching, I always believe that I should give and take to my students and vice versa, and thus give the flexibility of charging every 4 lessons.

However as time goes by, students and parents started calling up to cancel lesson because they missed the bus, their alarm didn’t ring, it has been raining the whole day and they were feeling lazy etc. At that time, income was irregular that my parents told me to just continue teaching in my previous school, but these schools have rules that I felt was not beneficial to both me and my students.

Eventually, these students who regularly postpone lessons started to fall behind.

Today, my lessons are still pro-rated but in the sense that no lessons could be missed. If lessons are missed and for a good reason, they have to do a make up or otherwise, simply forfeit the lesson. I hope parents can understand that as much as we love teaching your wonderful kids, we need to pay the bills too! We already do not have bonus or incentives for our work, but that does not make our job easier too.