Tripod Home | New | TriTeca | Work/Money | Politics/Community | Living/Travel | Planet T | Daily Scoop
posted August 20, 1996
"I am a musician with 17 years experience, and now am looking to begin a career teaching music. However, I'm not sure of how to go about making my lessons and services known. I don't have the financial resources to freely advertise articles in periodical literature. Does anyone have any advice on how to begin a career as a private teacher?"
jwillis: Track down the November, 1995 issue of Guitar Player Magazine. They ran a feature article on how to begin private instruction. I can't remember if it was any good or not, but I remember it being a fairly lengthy piece.
Good Luck,
JimMADMAC: Hey! Try developing a flyer to advertise your services -- the kind with the little tear-off telephone numbers -- post it at nearby grocery stores, universities, music shops, record stores, etc. Contact local elementary school/jr. high/high school music teachers -- ask for advice. Find out if any of the local schools have newsletters that you can advertise in (cheap)...
Good luck!StaciaR: Possible methods for expanding your potential student base:
1) Post ads at a local music store. Most music stores have bulletin boards and let you put this info up for free.
2) You don't mention what instrument you play/teach. Since I'm most familiar with piano, I'll use that as an example. If you want to teach piano, tell your piano tuner and ask him to spread the word to other piano tuners. You could even offer him a "finder's fee" of $x per student for any student that stays with you more than a month.
3) In my area, there's an annual student competition. You could attend that, expand your network by meeting other teachers, and offer to take their overflow. My piano teacher ALWAYS had more people trying to sign up with her than she had hours available.
4) If you have kids, join the PTA and make a point of meeting the music teachers at your kids' school. They have access to hundreds of potential students for you! If you don't have kids, volunteering at a local school (or substitutte music teaching, if you have the credentials) would still get you the needed contacts.The above ideas are designed to improve your network. Word of mouth is great, so the more people who know that you teach, the better. If you can't afford lots of advertising, select a small newspaper that is in your area and has reasonable rates. Most students will want to study with someone located close to them, so you really only need to cover your immediate area; newspapers with smaller readerships will charge less, and may be perfect for your needs.
user25952: Hi. I am a piano teacher. I have 27 students and I've never really advertised. Satisfied students (and parents) have referred others to me. Go visit your local music store. Talk to people. If you belong to any organizations, ask them to announce your availability to instruct. Talk to the band instructor or chorus teacher at the schools in your area. Good luck.
rnichols: Find a way to get involved with the local high schools. Perhaps a demo or a lecture in a music class, assist with the band, etc. This will get your name in front of the students who then might recommend you to their parents.
Map | Search | Help | Send Us Comments
