Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Music teachers, beware - feds are on to you

When you to play the piano, if you are doing it right, each piece/exercise teaches some new necessary skill -- so each piece does not stand alone but rather leads the student along to the development of a skill-set that results in the ability to play more difficult pieces. We can rate progress based on the sum total of all our musical experiences.

The same principles apply to other things in life, including how we evaluate stories in the news. Too many people take each story as a stand alone event -- unique in itself. Others will begin to link stories together if they seem to belong together and see if there is a pattern evolving. Our brains are capable of that if we let them operate.

I tried to post a link to the article this morning in the ABF under the tongue-in-cheek title I bolded above. It was removed in a matter of minutes by an early rising (overzealous,IMO) mod, who deemed it was political. I actually think his/her moderating was the political act, but that is another thread.

I object to my tax dollars being squandered on this kind of nonsense, no matter who is in power, and find it laughable that anyone could seriously defend anyone taking anti-trust action against piano teachers....perhaps the most powerless professional group on the planet.

It would seem reasonable to discuss what level of regulation is legal for associations to assert over their members. (and it seems to be missed repeatedly here that this FTC action, whatever it is, is directed towards the associations control of the teachers, not towards the poor terrorized teachers themselves)

It would also seem reasonable to discuss what level of regulation is ethical for associations to exert over their members. We might differ on whether that should be more or less than what the law allows.

But basing the discussion on a piece of Tea Party Trash is morally repugnant, in my view. There is not much that editorial got correct, and the writer clearly does not care. The article is purely political and I believe the moderator's actions were correct.

Strassel has nothing to do with the Tea Party.

"Trash" is wildly assigning inaccurate pejorative connotations to anyone with whom one might disagree.

So Here's An Idea:

1- Contact your representatives in Congress.

2- As a matter of fact, blanket ALL representatives in congress, and...

3- Send them this article.

4-Also, write to the head of the FTC, and tell them how
foolish they look.

5- You might also send this on to your local newspaper editor, and any other news media organ you can think of. Piano teachers are such a socially and politically insignificant lot, nobody will heave heard about this I promise.

6- Send copies to the president of the organization.

It will take you about 20 minutes a day to write an email to every member of congress over about 10 days.

I'm going to start tomorrow. And, btw, these are the only people who can do something about this ridiculousness. Which is exactly how they will see it.

And also btw, if you are not willing to email your congresspeople, then you are essentially saying it's OK for this to continue.

John, has anybody bothered to contact the reporter and ask them if this is legit?

Exactly. The fact that we heard about it at all means this article did it's job, sensationalistic or not. And really, it's hard to find non-sensationalistic journalism anywhere these days. We ALL have to sift through this and check the sources to make sure what is said is even true, even from reliable sources.

Having said all that, can we return to the brunt of the article? MTNA is a long-standing organization that does not "enforce" rates on their members. It i informing everyone of what professional ethics is. I see nothing wrong with this, and while it's clearly up to the individual to decide if they are acting in an ethical manner, I don't think such a huge financial and clerical burden should be placed on such an organization for informing their members of what they stand for.

*That* is the real issue here. Surely our tax dollars could be better spent going after for-profit companies whose practices are intended to drive out competition in a non-constitutional manner and not choose something like this to hang its hat on.

And what level do they exert to enforce this code of ethics? None according to MTNA. They stated that it is merely a suggestion, and that they have no right to enforce, nor have they attempted to enforce it. So what's the big deal?

That is very simple:

1- The MTNA is a 501(c)3. the FTC doesn't have jurisdiction over such an entity.

2- The MTNA is a purely voluntary organization who does not have any power to control the profession. Now, a group like the State Bar Association, another 501(c)3, does. They are directly responsible for licensing lawyers to practice. Lawyers who break their ethics provisions get disbarred. And membership is not voluntary to practice. You must join it and pass its exams, or you can't practice law. Is the FTC going after them? The MTNA has no such authority.

3- Voluntary, privately funded non-profit associations can exert any regulations they like on their members. The Boys Scouts do. All amateur sports associations do. Remember what happened during the Sanduksy scandal at Penn State? Remember how much money they had to pay in fines to their sports association, and how many years they are going to be barred and sanctioned from competing? Those fines and sanctions have not been overturned in court because the sports association is free to impose whatever regulations it likes on its members, as it is a private and strictly voluntary organization. Its members are free to leave the association and play football elsewhere, just like the members of the MTNA. Is the FTC going after them?

Has anybody called the FTC yet? Or their senator(s)? This is just really making me angry.

Greg, to answer your question, let me back-track to the beginning of this discussion.

The article appeared in yesterday's WSJ. My wife picked up a copy as we transited the Salt Lake City airport (she the fabled stock picker in our family). It is clearly in the opinion section, as the article falls directly under the heading "opinion" and the sub-headline does not appear as such in the article, but as a pop-up midway through the article. It is clearly designed to catch the attention of readers who might otherwise glaze over.

As for the accuracy of the facts Ms. Strassel presents, they appear to be quite accurate.

Fact #1: The FTC did indeed investigate and penalize MTNA.

Fact #2: MTNA is a 501C3 organization with roughly 22,000 members.

Fact #3: Most members are piano teachers. Whether it's 90% exactly or 89% or 91% is difficult to determine, because many teachers teach more than one instrument.

Fact #4: The statement that membership "includes many women who earn a modest living giving lessons in their homes" is not only factually correct, but constitutes an understatement in that "modest living" is probably an exaggeration.

Fact #5: The statement that "the group promotes music study and competitions and helps train teachers" is also factually correct. It's the raison d'être of the organization.

Fact #6: "The average lesson runs around $30/hr" is factually correct based on a membership wide survey done a few years back. This means that many teachers earn more, and many earn less, as this is the average. Again, this is rounded, not to the exact penny. The survey results were published in the American Music Teacher. There were teachers who reported still charging only $5/hr. Unbelievable but none-the-less, true. Perhaps that's all their teaching is worth. But based on the survey, it's correct.

I could go on and on, but it appears that Ms. Strassel did her homework and reports honestly and correctly.

Now, please bear in mind that this article is not to report on the FTC vs MTNA, but to document continued arbitrary and abusive power under the Obama administration. That this behavior may or may not occur under other administrations, such as the Bush or Clinton, is not relevant to the purpose of Ms. Strassel's opinion piece. She's after the current administration.

Greg, the take away for me is that one megalomaniac in the Federal Trade Commission has ruined a decade's worth of work on my part. Worse, he or she has destroyed some wonderful opportunities for students. I spent the better part of the last ten years building trust among teachers, assuring teachers that they could bring their students in and have them perform in a joint teacher recital, without fear of "poaching." In our profession, the loss of just one student can have a significant impact on one's living standards and the ability to make ends meet. I fear that as word spreads of this, the programs will die.

Again, I want to stress that my focus is on the MTNA ethics aspect of the case, not the political axe Ms. Strassel is grinding. BTW, her comment on Gibson Guitar is also correct. Gibson, whose owner is a Republican supporter, almost went out of business over manifestly false allegations by the Federal Government. If your politics lean to the left, you probably will poo-poo this, but for those under the hammer of the Feds, it's all too real.

What is some of the other fall out? Even though we're not engaged in "Interstate" commerce, we are seemingly being forced to comply with Federal rules. Strange. And interestingly, if I own a minimart, I can drive around town and comparison shop prices all day long, but if I'm a music teacher, it's off to jail if I ask a colleague what they charge for lessons, or if MTNA reports an average lesson fee. Sounds fair and balanced, don't you think? And on the political fall out front, I suspect that private teachers voted somewhat more for GOP over Dems, perhaps 55-45? But now, I'd guess that figure is going to change significantly.

John,

Thank you for that. It doesn't matter where your politics lie. This is insane. And you're right about some megalomaniac. Well I've always felt that rabid dogs need to be put down for the general good.

I think it's time to write some letters and make some calls. I have about 5 hours a week I can devote to this.

And really, we're never going to see this in the mainstream media unless we do something. Piano teachers are as insignificant and impotent a bunch politically, economically ($5/hr?) and socially as exists today. Unless, of course, we make noise somehow.

It is possible that the warning letter from the FTC was a fishing expedition by some lone bureaucrat just to see what sort of reaction he might get from the MTNA.

By example from another bureaucracy: twenty years ago I considered forming a business with a friend and filed the necessary paperwork to legalize the matter. I thereafter decided not to actually form the company and went on with my my life. Six months later I received a bill from the IRS for just over $37,000, wherein they declared their "calculation" of what I owed in back taxes from the 'profits' of my corporation. They were fishing. Of course, they got nothing from me on that count. I suspect the MTNA was similarly trolling around...

Just ignoring the government is really not a great solution, and could only make matters worse. MTNA proceeded, from what I've read, in a suitable manner. FTC is not the IRS.

Oh, but I never advocate ignoring a threat, and I can assure you I did not ignore the IRS - I put them back in their place very quickly. There is no indication that the FTC even pretends to have evidence of wrongdoing by the MTNA - and the FTC must be put in their place quickly if they have not already.

The MTNA is not some fraudulent fat cat 'charity' used as a financial dodge for billionaires, the FTC will find nothing and has no case.

Update from our chapter president. The subject was broached at district conferences in October and basic marching orders are not to discuss it with membership, but to be prepared for very fast response. Apparently, negotiations are still on-going.

My personal feeling is that a grass roots counter offensive via Congressional representatives, newspapers and media, using parents, students, etc. is much more effective than slithering into the closet with your tail between your legs. Also, all other music organizations need to be involved, otherwise, we'll be picked off one at a time. Martin Niemöller summarized it well.

I agree, we need to make sure that people know about this.

I wonder, there are plenty of free petitioning websites one can use to garner support for a cause. What if we started one such petition and posted it here on PW? Would that be OK with PW mods and owner? I'm sure we could get many signatures that way, and of course through our own studios.

John,

"Update from our chapter president. The subject was broached at district conferences in October and basic marching orders are not to discuss it with membership, but to be prepared for very fast response. Apparently, negotiations are still on-going."

Really? I mean, come on. That's a sure way to let them get away with bullying you. The national president needs to hold a major press conference, not hide. The media will have a field day with it:

"FTC Threatens Piano Teachers Nationwide!!!"

Can't you just see it?

Morodienne's idea is a very good step, getting a petition going over this. I think we should also do the following:

1-write/call our rep's in congress and let them know. It's a certainty they don't.
2- alert the media. Last year, I got the New York Times to write an obit about Dorothy Taubman by shaming them into it. All it took was one very nasty email to the editor of the city desk. We can do the same thing with this.
3- email everyone we know with I- a short explanation of what has happened, II-a link to that article, and III- some sample texts with which they can a) write letters, b) make phone calls, c) send info to more friends on their email lists.

Developing a marketing plan for this can be very easy and simple. It won't even be difficult to put into effect. For example, I myself am not a member of the MTNA. Which means that I can say anything I want about the affair, and will, to anybody who will listen.

For another example, I have friends and former students who are members of NATS, and the musicians' union local, who simply would not be happy to hear about this because they'd be next.

We need to be as active about this as we can, or it will just get worse, and not just for us.


For one thing, this is not cross-posted on every forum here. Why is that? It affects EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US ON PW!!!

I'm going to call the FTC in Washington tomorrow, and try to get somebody to explain who is responsible for this action. Then I'm going to threaten them to within an inch of the careers because they're so stupid; since they're all appointed to their jobs, they will have to take my call. After that, I'm going to call the local offices of the WA state congress people. I'm going to speak to their local office staff, and I'm going to find out how to prepare this information so they can do something about it. I'll stay on them until they do.

On Tuesday, I think I'll prepare a short press release that I can send to local and regional news organs. If there's time, I'll send a few out. On Wednesday, I'm going to send an email to everyone on my email list, and a few people I can add to it. I'll just send them everything I will have gathered by that time. If I have time on Thursday, I'll write back here and let you know how all these things went. Perhaps by then , we can develop a bigger list of people and orgs to send emails to e.g. college music departments, concert presenting organizations, musicians' unions and professional associations, etc., as well as the general public. Don't you think your school board needs to know about this?

One thing I learned from gay social activism in the 1980s was that you don't need money to fight City Hall. You just need to have more courage than your opponent, and be a little organized.

Certainly.

Now, the author of the opinion piece doesn't care a whit about piano teachers, or anything but trashing the current administration. If that isn't clear from the text, critical thinking is completely absent.

But one still would wonder why the FTC would target a relatively small (in the grand scheme of things) source of trouble.

And the answer is simple. They are required to respond to a complaint. The complaint would ask whether or not the current practice of MTNA is legal under the existing regulations. The FTC would probably prefer NOT to waste diminishing resources (have you noticed how much their budget has suffered?) on these matters, but they have no choice. In this case they are not promulgating new regulations or asserting their right to regulate an additional group - they are simply rendering an opinion whether these policies hamper free trade and unbridled capitalism.

And it would appear they do, in some small fashion. I don't think that's such a bad thing, but our conservative end of the political spectrum considers any interference with capitalism (including hazardous waste disposal, if you watched any of the last presidential debates) onerous. So in response to a complaint, probably from a disgruntled conservative piano teacher, the FTC has been forced to issue a ruling they probably had little interest in.

Yes, the answer is simple. They don't have jurisdiction and that's all they would have had to say. And then bow out.

Reading through some of the responses to the article sheds an interesting light. As this is not a political site, I'll not comment, other than to say many points are novel but certainly have a ring of truth to them.

It does?