Question:
Student teacher -- how much to charge?
I am going to be an entering college freshman in about 3 weeks, which is cool.
However, lately I have been considering doing some teaching of my own, probably to students of middle school age who need work on improv/theory, or even the saxophone basics for beginning players. It's come to my understanding over the past couple of years that teaching is a very important thing to do when you're a professional, or even a student yourself. For one, it pays considerably well, and you're helping others, which is essential in order to keeping music alive for the younger players, or to any music students in general.
Anyway, I would probably be doing half hour lessons to maybe 2 or 3 students (to start) once a week (most likely on different days) when I'm not at school/doing homeork, practicing, or playing around town. I will be playing in a jazz club house band in a few months, so my time will be lessened when that time rolls around. However, that is a ways off from now.
So, my question -- what would be a good price I would charge for half hour lessons? I would probably keep it to students within the city, and/or considerably close to where I live. I don't drive, so I'd be taking the bus most likely. What I don't want to happen is have the commute be longer than the lesson itself. And I want to have it be a half hour at the moment.
Thanks!

Answer:
Teaching pays considerably well? Wow, I wish... :)
But yes - you'll find it to be a great experience. Teaching will improve your own playing a great deal & is a VERY impressive thing to add to your resume (no matter which field you end up going into)
I would charge $30 per half hour. This is reasonable enough that it will be cheaper than pros teaching in your area so you may draw more students in, and you're charging enough to take care of your bus fare & make a decent profit.
It's all relative to where you'll be living though. While I would charge $30 per half hour in New York, I'd probably charge $15 - 20 in West Virginia.

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I am also a student, Senior sax perf. and I have been charging $15-$20/hour (depending on the family) since I entered college.
good luck

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If you don't mind sharing, what city?
Boston, New York and other big music cities are pretty segregated as regards class. You could charge more, e.g. in Cambridge than in South Boston.
$15-$25 seems to be a good range for a half hour depending on location /family situation of the student.

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This would be in Seattle.

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$25 a half hour is a good national rate.

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Originally Posted by Razzy $25 a half hour is a good national rate. For whom? What I mean is, not everyone can/should charge the same amount in a given area. With all due respect to BlueNote, we're talking here about a recent high school graduate who has never (I take it) done any teaching before. Even if the guy's a genius player and will eventually turn out to have a knack for teaching too, teaching is still like anything else -- it takes practice to get good at it.
I know many sax teachers in large metropolitan areas who have undergrad and/or graduate degrees in music (performance and/or education) who are charging less than what you've suggested here. My guess would be that someone in a place like Seattle would easily be able to find a much more experienced teacher for a comparable price, and quite possibly for less. But aside from that, I have to say my honest feeling is that someone who is that young and has never taught before has no business charging that much.
One person's opinion...

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A rate is a rate. I see a lot of taleneted teachers selling themselves short, bogging themselves down with many many students when they could instead teach half as much for twice the price and still be selling fair. You'd learn a lot more and be a lot better off with less students to begin with. Also, if a prospective student can find somebody else just as good or better for a comparable price, so be it... you'll have enough to get you started this way and be able to pick and choose.
There is one thing I DO think is key, though. If you feel you have a teacher of good judgement, don't teach until he thinks you are ready. When he thinks you are ready, you should charge what he does. So some advice you might want to consider is, wait until after your first semester of college, and see what YOUR teacher thinks.
Also, what if you start out charging 15 a lesson or giving other similar bargains? As your students improve, do you think they're going to take it well when you say, "You know, I think I'm a lot better now as a teacher, how about I charge you 25 now instead, is that cool?" Heck no! And most of us are too kind to do something like that... I've seen it happen, time and time again. In the end selling yourself short becomes the enemy of progress for you AND your students.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Razzy A rate is a rate. I'm not even sure what that means... But anyway...
Originally Posted by Razzy I see a lot of taleneted teachers selling themselves short, bogging themselves down with many many students when they could instead teach half as much for twice the price and still be selling fair. I don't set my rate based on how many students I have (i.e. how much I'll be making cumulatively), I set it based on what I think is an appropriate amount for a teacher of my credentials and experience (using, for example, people I've studied with as a comparison). I think that also qualifies as "selling fair."
Originally Posted by Razzy There is one thing I DO think is key, though. If you feel you have a teacher of good judgement, don't teach until he thinks you are ready. When he thinks you are ready, you should charge what he does. Are you seriously saying that someone teaching his/her first lesson is justified in charging the same amount that his/her teacher (who presumably has years more teaching experience) charges? As I understand the scenario you've described, the teacher is saying that the student is ready to begin teaching -- not that the student is ready to replace the teacher.
Originally Posted by Razzy Also, what if you start out charging 15 a lesson or giving other similar bargains? As your students improve, do you think they're going to take it well when you say, "You know, I think I'm a lot better now as a teacher, how about I charge you 25 now instead, is that cool?" Heck no! And most of us are too kind to do something like that... I've seen it happen, time and time again. In the end selling yourself short becomes the enemy of progress for you AND your students. Only an idiot would change his rate that drastically in one shot. (Apparently you've come in contact with quite a few idiots, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a foolish way to conduct business.) If you want, change your rate yearly by a few bucks; that's perfectly common and "normal" procedure. But I don't think that charging a rate that is reasonable based on the experience of the teacher (which is really a crucial aspect of the "product" being sold) equals "selling oneself short."

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I honestly don't think it good for a freshman in college to take on more than a few students. There is #1 the responsibility of not getting bogged down., and #2 the realization that students are better off with a professional, experienced musician.
I remember when I took lessons in middle school, it was with a genuine professional musician in his late 30's, who had graduated from Berklee years previous. The sounds he made on the sax were mesmerizing. You could hear that his tone was developed over years of "living the music." He had a thorough understanding of music, which he was able to impart by example and by teaching method. Such an experience is one that young students deserve, but not one readily available to them by a college freshman.
The main purpose of teaching as an undergraduate, especially as a freshman, is to gain experience -- not good income. I think that $25 is in general too much, but not in all communities -- you know Seattle better than I.
$15 seems much more reasonable a fee for someone with no experience. $20, depending on living costs / commuting time.

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I appreciate the advice, everyone.
Though I am an entering college freshman, it does not mean that I am a mediocre musician with an average knowledge for music (this would be mainly jazz). If it wasn't for transferable courses, I'd be going to Berklee this fall. The problem for many young musicians in Seattle is the high probably of coming out underrated, because a couple high schools in particular have a reputation, and the players that come out of those high schools get all the attention, and players from other schools, regardless of how good they are, get very little to no attention at all. It's frustrating, you know. I've paid my dues, and have made a ton of sacrifices to get to where I am at, yet most people have never heard of me (though the name is getting out there).
I eat, sleep, and breathe jazz. Much more so than someone my age. A couple professionals have mistaken me for a professional (I'm close to being one). I have a quickly developing style, and a very mature sound for a saxophone player my age, which is rare to find, because most saxophone players coming out of high school always have the sound, same style. Well, those who are good players, and even some of them don't study music after high school. I am actually a back-up saxophonist for a professional Seattle-area jazz band, so that's cool. I also lead a group of my own, which has recorded a couple of CDs.
Teaching wise, I've never done a private lesson with a student, but I have helped other students on various areas -- from improv tips to embochure advice, so in a musician-helping-musican respect is not that foreign to me. I have an advanced knowledge of theory, good technique, great tone, nice style, and I also know a lot about jazz history.
I'm also saving up for next year's 5-Week Berklee Summer Performance Program, which is around $5400. I am going to be getting a part time job soon, along with trying to get gigs on the side. On top of that, I have college work, and any groups I lead or join at the college.
Being underrated sucks, but I always keep my head up. A couple musicians have said that I might have a chance at the Monk Inst. of Jazz Solo Competition in a couple years (saxophone is in 2007).
Oh, and I also write my own music. Only a few tunes so far, but I plan on recording an all-originals album sometime in the next few months.

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Does Gary Hammon have a waiting list? Does he have a studio?

My old teacher owns his own studio, and is in high enough demand that students usually wait several months before a spot opens up. What he would do, though, was offer wait-listed beginner students to his best high school and college students, to be taught in a room down the hall from his own. Being intimately familiar with his teaching style - what books to use, how to use them, and all that - we'd cover the lessons until he had time to steal the student away. It's a system which works for everyone - the student gets immediate instruction, the better teacher doesn't have to break in new students, and the student teacher gets to attract students by using a name with more weight than his own.

With that said, giving improv advice or embouchure advice to another musician is totally different than trying to explain things to a 10 year old with no concept of musicality. And do you think your "mainly jazz" background could lead to problems for kids interested in legit music?

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Here in San Francisco, we had a student teacher from SF State at my high school who one of the alto sax players in the jazz band took lessons from over the summer for $40 an hour. Things may be different in most other cities, though, as San Francisco is an outrageously expensive place to live.

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My 12 year old son was taking flute lessons from a professional classical flutist here in suburban Boston for $20/ half hour. She was very nice and taught several of the flutists in his class.
Due to a scheduling conflict, he can't go to her lessons this year. I told him that I'll teach him, but I'm more expensive.
He says that I'll have to increase his allowance to afford me. The jokes on him. I'll end up paying anyway!

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My former sax private lesson teacher, a sophomore in college, charged $20 per hour, which I think is a very good deal. Is there much competition in your area?

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I'm a junior in high school, and I have a student that is 11 yrs old
For this situation, the general rule of thumb where I live, (Long Island, NY) is $20 an hour

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Bluenote, if you're trying to just make money charge a little less than the going rate in your area. If you want to use this to really get your teaching chops together (not at all the same as playing chops, I've taken lessons from great players that were worthless except for the fact that I taped their playing examples) then I'd charge around 20 for 40 minutes and 30 an hour. In all honesty, Bluenote, you are going to get as much if not more out of your initial teaching experiences than your students. It will reinforce all that you've learned yourself and force you to explain it in different ways to different students until you see the lightbulb go off in their face or hear it in their playing. I really enjoy the students I've taught over the years and the friendships/mentorships that have developed can't be valued in money. I've heard your clips and seen your posts and you have you're head screwed on straight. I think you'll do the right thing. (Sorry to sermonize. I still am just playing a little (15 minutes a day) and had to drop my two students due to my health situation. I miss the teaching more than the gigs with my band.) K

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Blue, I don't know when it was recorded but if you want some tips on backing up a female (or male) vocalist I'll be glad to give you unpaidfor advice. I listened to Black Coffee on your webpage and can give you some info?? (go to my webpage and you can hear all kinds of time and intonation problems so I'm not immune to help , either. ) K

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IMHO a student shouldn't be teaching a student.
My best teachers were always professional musicians, sure I studied with "professors" but these guys were all but worthless up on stage. They had their PhD's in theory and performance, but they didn't have the edge you get from years of gigging.
Why should a young kid have to study with a freshman in college, why should a kid just because he's starting out have to study with anyone that doesn't have solid gig experience.
As far as the prices are concerned. Depending on who you're studying with I'd say $20 to $100 per hour, 30 minutes was alway too short for me.

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I haven't read most of this thread, I'm getting tired, I'll read it tomorrow.
However, I wanted to let you know what I make.
I teach private lessons at a community college in Cheynne Wyoming. I don't yet have my BM.
I make $270/student for 15-one hour lessons per semester. That averages to... what like $17/hour or something? It's not bad, but I'm not doing it for the money. I'm doing it for the experience. I think that's what you should concentrate on now.... the money is really pretty inconsequential at the moment, because you'll be teaching sooner. If that's what you'd like to someday do for a living (or to supplement your income), then the sooner you can get started, the better. In music, as they say, it's not about *what* you know, it's about *who* you know. And if you're out there teaching, and putting out some decent students, others will notice, and that will expand your network, thus providing more future jobs, etc. etc. etc.
You gotta start sometime, somewhere.... why not here and now?
Best,
Chris S