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Hello everyone,

I'm looking to move to California to open a private studio after finishing my Master's degree from Eastman this year, and I would really appreciate any input on the demand for piano lessons in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Here's what I've found so far:

SF: Perhaps the highest demand for lessons, but also maybe the most saturated with piano teachers. Highest cost of living.

LA: Tons of people, so demand is most likely healthy, but also hard to get around, and expensive to live.

SD: Not as high demand for lessons as SF and LA, but also perhaps less saturated with teachers. Best weather!!! Lowest cost of living, but still not cheap. Easiest to get around. Less cultural/entertainment options than SF and LA.

Also, does anyone know of a good community school/music preparatory in SD to teach? There are plenty in SF and LA, but I've had trouble finding anything in SD.

I would really appreciate any and all input! Thank you!

Having lived in all of those places, I think you need to visit to see which culture you like. They're quite different. You are considering 3 very large regions and might want to narrow that down a bit too.

California is so much more than those three cities.

Yes, I agree. I have been to San Francisco and the surrounding area a few times, and although I am completely in love with the city and the bay area, the reality of living there for a piano teacher seems quite difficult/nearly impossible unless you have a spouse with a very high paying job. I have plans to visit LA and San Diego this summer. I do realize that I am asking about three very large areas, and that things can be vastly different even from one neighborhood to the next, but I would like to get some general ideas about each city and teaching market, and the potential for having a successful piano studio in each area in general from people who have experience in those areas before narrowing things down.

Piano teaching is more localized than your question. You could have a fine life anyplace, but it's a rough way to make a living.

You might want to visit South Orange County (Ladera Ranch, Dana Point, San Clemente) or North San Diego (Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar). Had I not bought a house and settled down, I would have moved there in a heartbeat.

And if you can find your niche clientele, it's not a rough way to make a living. Move to the right neighborhood, establish your studio, and join a professional organization.

Judging from the MTAC directory, I can tell you that all three areas you mentioned (SF, LA, and SD) are saturated with piano teachers. That's why I suggested that you visit one of the border areas like South Orange County or North San Diego. It's also a lovely place to live, right next to the ocean.

Not many people think of or work in "LA" as a whole. There are "areas" you would narrow it down to... you would have to narrow it down first. It's just so huge... I don't know many people who live and work in LA. Most families I know who live in LA county and work in the city of LA live in a suburb - San Marino, Palos Verdes, Walnut....

I can second this; There is really no such thing as "LA proper" when people refer to L.A. (Technically of course there is but the boundaries are so blurred and it's so spread out that it hardly means anything).

Within "LA" you have Pasadena, The San Fernando Valley, Westwood/West L.A, the South Bay, The San Gabriel Valley, the Downtown area, and some of Northern Orange County - each of these areas is roughly the same size and contains the same level of diversity as entire other U.S cities.

Do you have any suggestions as to which might be the best areas within and around LA to set up a private studio?

That is just it, people only really know their areas. It was different when I lived in any other city on the west coast - there you knew the good and bad areas. An opinion is like....throwing a dart on a dartboard. You are better off committing to the city, finding a job (might not even be in your industry) and checking it out. Most cities in LA county should have their average income, education levels, median age and school info online.

Absolutely!!!! Check out the Sacramento area and the central valley. Lower cost of living and plenty of students....

I live in San Diego, and I love it here. I would second the aforementioned post that the area in general is saturated with teachers. I also agree that north San Diego County might be a good place to open a studio. Northern San Diego County has some affluent families that could pay what you are worth and sustain your livelihood.

I love San Diego though!

So, are you attending the MTNA National Conference in Anaheim? It would be the perfect opportunity to drive around the great LA area and explore possibilities.

California is a very large state. It's larger than 3 New York states combined.

FWIW, an area I really enjoyed was Redding. But then, being from Washington, I'm most familiar with the northern half of the state.

Attending the convention seems like a good idea, and I like Redding too (and Chico, Weed, Weott, Oakdale, Angels Camp, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara; I like the Mission San Miguel, the foothills, the wine country, the beaches and the mountains, and a million other places). I'm wondering a little bit about the OP's whole process to decide to move to California.

Thinking about Woody Guthrie is making me smile right now:

California is a garden of Eden,
A paradise to live in or see,
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot,
If you ain't got the do-re-mi.


Of course since you are a piano teacher, you will have some do-re-mi, but Woody meant the financial kind rather than the musical kind.

It is true about the cost of living: dear, but not as dear as Manhattan, Tokyo, or Honolulu. Yet here we all are.

You have a lot of research to do, to make up your mind where to establish yourself. I would try to think in more general terms of the kind of place you would enjoy living: suburbs, exurbs, or downtown. You're on the right track in thinking ahead to the market demand, but again, if you think more generally where your customer base is going to come from, it will help. Will it be from churches, schools, someplace commuter traffic will see your sign, a strip-mall music school, a hook-up with piano/music stores or local opera/theatre/concert venues, mixed in with some business from recording studios, or weddings and events. There are many more connections (my realtor is a musician and an inveterate networker), but think about where they are, and where are the people who can afford a music teacher or pianist. Believe it or not, people who play the nice grand in the lobby of my local Kaiser hospital, are approached for lessons by more people than they can accommodate.

There are books on this, by the way. And yes, the music teachers' associations--- good call on that.

Building up your studio will take some time--- maybe longer than you think, so be prepared for the long pull. If you are good, people will find out about you. Your degree from a well-known school says something about you, and has a number of features which will immediately distinguish you from many other teachers. There is a whole market segment of parents who want their teenagers to learn from someone like you, so they can follow your path.

If you are a good musician, and a good teacher, and are a person who can let your students see that you really care about helping them... you don't grow on every tree.

Good luck to you, and I'll look forward to seeing you in California... somewhere.

I was planning on attending the convention and doing some traveling in Southern California, but unfortunately other obligations prevented me from going.

I would like to be in California because my family is moving there (SF Bay Area, but I feel, as I mentioned before, that this area might just be too expensive and saturated with teachers to make it a good choice). Additionally, while many people see it as an unworthy or naive reason to choose a place to live, the weather is a very serious consideration for me. I also know that I want to be near a large city (45 minutes driving distance max, 30 or less would be more ideal).

I am looking for advice on here because, while much can be learned by visiting and researching an area, it is certainly much different from having the experience of living and teaching there, and this forum is an invaluable resource for people to share their experiences.

Yes, the state of California is very large, and yes, I am considering very large areas with lots of diversity within each. I am aware that I am searching for generalizations, and that is intentional. Personally, I need to know the relative potential for a successful piano studio for a single person in each of these cities and their surrounding areas (demand for lessons, teacher saturation, if it's possible to even afford a place as a single person that can fit a piano/studio and isn't a rathole or in a bad area) before I narrow things down.

You are describing either the suburbs, or a college town.

You are coming in at a good time - my friend is opening a coffee shop in Irvine. 5 years ago they only wanted a brand name, now they aren't so picky. Same with a friend from France moving to open a bakery. There are opportunities if you have a nest egg.

Getting started teaching piano is always a challenge, wherever one is located, but perhaps even moreso at a young age.

The economics to pulling it off are tricky, and there is perhaps a certain element of luck involved. If you teach out of your home, you probably need to afford a detached home. Not an apartment, a condo, or a duplex. And check into local zoning issues, before they blow up in your face. Also, be wary of the subdivision or gated community: they may have their own bylaws which would prevent your teaching.

Given all this, there is much to commend your starting out at a community music school, but just remember that the school will take perhaps 30%-50% of your generated income. OTH, teaching at a school means you can live as cheaply or shabbily as you may need to, since no student will ever be at your home. You don't even need to own a piano. All you'd really need is a wristwatch, to be on time for lessons.

I'd suggest owning a few items of clothing too.

Take a look at Hayward. Well, first figure out how close you want to be to your family.