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Hey everyone,

Posting this in the pianist corner and the coffee room because I feel it pertains to both. If you disagree, I will make sure you are 'taken care of.' If you know what I mean...

Anyway thinking about giving piano lessons 'on the side' to little kids, a)for the money, b)it'll look good on my college application c)give me something to do.

First of all, I'm 17 and wouldn't be teaching experienced players. (If I get a 6 year old asking to play the Rach 3 he will be out of my house in .002 seconds) I'd teach beginners, like young people in elementary/maybe middle school.

How should I 'adversise?' Post a notice with little fringes hanging down at Giant? (would I have to ask them/do you know if this is possible?) Post a notice at church? Post a notice at the local elementary/middle school? Local paper? What's the fastest way to get some 'customers?' I'm thinking about maybe 3-7 hours a week, that's about what my schedule will allow.

What will I charge? What will I write?

Help!

Thanks,
PP

Unless you are confident that you can give excellent lessons then I wouldn't do it at all. At the very least you would owe your customers full disclosure.

If someone entrusts their "little kids" to you for musical development that is a big deal. You would be doing more than just tutoring. I just want to make sure you appreciate that. You might be better off to start with some sort of tutoring position.

For the sake of full-disclosure on my end, I am very much a beginner and have skills on par with those you would be teaching (though I have a PhD in another field).

Good luck!
BillH

You might want to ask in the teachers forum

To find out how much to charge, call around and find out what others charge. Then consider whether you might want to charge *slightly* less at the beginning to get some business, before charging the going rate. So ... call music schools as well as private teachers who advertise [pose as someone who has a little kid needing lessons ]

One way to advertise cheaply is to get posterboard or other thick 8.5 x 11 paper and make signs yourself. Or make a master copy on white, then dup a hundred copies on colored paper at Kinkos.

Post these wherever there is heavy traffic of parents with little kids who are likely to be into culture.

Another idea: contact the schools in your area and ask if they keep lists of tutors and piano teachers.

Finally, if you can find piano teachers who teach little kids, you might ask them to give out your phone number in case they get too busy.

I've used these methods in the past when I tutored in another field. Good results!