Music lessons - how flexible?

pugsandseals you are letting your pupils walk all over you, I'm afraid. I too teach in school and privately; have done so privately now for 20 years - and have become much firmer over that time.

When I first started out everyone used to change their lessons willy-nilly, not turn up and then say "oh, sorry, he was asked to a friends", get weeks behind with payment etc. The last straw came when a pupil said she wanted to do an exam but could she drop the money in the next week as she didn't have it (after the closing date). I entered her, she then said the child had "changed her mind" and I ended up paying for the exam as she wouldn't! I knew then I had to firm up.

It was an awkward process at first as parents were used to walking all over me and were very resistant. But I stuck to my guns.

Now I run it as follows -

Pupils all have a set weekly slot. Primary school children get afternoon slots, once they hit secondary they come in the evenings. They are often resistant to this but I insist - I can't fit new 6 year old in at 8pm. I've never yet lost a pupil through insisting.

Parents are invoiced by me and pay half termly. Missed lessons are not credited. They have to be paid for, though if I know in advance I will rearrange for a different time that week if I have one. Usually this means if I have another cancellation and I make this very clear to the parents. I am too booked up for people to go on a week-by-week basis. If they don't like it (I had a new enquiry this term who wanted to just come when they felt like) they need to find somebody else less good to teach them.

Parents who really struggle with half termly I do allow to pay weekly, but the moment they come to a lesson and say "I don't have the money this week - I'll try and pay next week" the facility is withdrawn. You can't go into Tescos and offer to pay next week but take the shopping today. It's no different.

I don't demand notice (though the half term's fees are non refundable) because I usually have a waiting list and I don't want pupils coming who don't want to be there. However, I know many teachers who do and it is perfectly reasonable to.

It's your business and you have to earn regular money like everyone else. Firm up, even if it gives you a bit of grief initially. You'll be so glad you did. :)

I think if your general schedule changes, you have no choice but to ask the teacher to change the slot for music. I have always found that my dd's teachers tried to accomodate us if that happened but then I suppose you have a new slot for a certain amount of time. If several pupils needed o change week by week it wouild be an organisational nightmare for the poor teacher though. As I understood it, this is what OP has been willing to do up to now.

We have a sort of in-between arrangement (young teacher trying to build up is clients, when we first started, and like the OP, has let things carry on the same way).

On the whole, we have a set time and day; but if something else changes swimming times, afterschool clubs then I'll ask to change the music lesson to accommodate it. This is very unfair, now I come to look at it!

If we cancel with a week's notice, we don't pay, as he can usually fill the slot; but I pay up if it's short notice (or I make a spare child of my own have a sudden random lesson with him in something they weren't expecting, as he teaches several things. Drumming is usually a hit. Or electric guitar).

We do piano and have a regular slot. I changed it last week, the first day for this term, but dd will stick to this schedule for this whole school year. Personally, I think it's unfair to change schedules around for social reasons. It's unfair to the teacher and the child (kids do better I think when they have a set schedule IMHO). I'd be more understanding if it's work related but even then, I'd limit how often it is. I mean we do a few different activities and we're expected to be there at A day and X time. If we can't make it, then we're out for that week. It's just the way it is.

My kids have 3 different teachers between them and, although each have a regular slot, it is not uncommon for the days to change a couple of times each term, depending on social needs from both sides. It is a case of give and take.

As long as the parent stick to the regular slot 80% of the time then I don't think that they are being unreasonable.

Our music teachers have regular slots on the same day.

Violin - 4.15-5 tuesday
Accordion - 6.30-7 wednesdat
Piano - 2.30-3.30 and 3.30-4 Sunday

We only muck about if there's holidays or teacher has an issue.

I agree with dontask, your pupils and their families are used to you being very flexible and they don't like the change. It is not that what you are asking is unusual or unreasonable. It is always a bit difficult to give up something convenient for something a little less convenient. If it had been more fixed from the beginning, they would have accepted it.Perhaps with new pupils, you could have a signed agreement where your terms are made clear. With your existing pupils, you could try getting them to book a slot for 4 weeks and pay it upfront. It is far too much hassle for you to change things round every week.

What has happened with us is that occasionally dd has missed a lesson due to a class trip or being ill and the teacher has offered me an alternate lesson which I was grateful for but did not expect. Other things, we just miss a lesson that is paid for. In the same way, the piano teacher asked if dd could come an hour later on Friday this week which suited us fine so that kind of occasional give and take is there I think for most private arrangements like this but it would be a nightmare for you to change so many pupils around every two weeks or so.

Along with everyone else, I'd never expect my dcs music teachers to be available at any time other than their regular weekly slot. We do only have to pay each week (would be difficult to afford a whole term at once for one, let alone 2 or 3 dcs), but if we don't get there for any reason, I expect to pay. Sometimes, when I've given notice, and said one can't get there for some reason, then the teacher has been kind enough to say "Can they come at..." but I certainly wouldn't expect it, and I very much appreciate her doing it on the rare occasion she has.

I think I would nicely explain that you are getting very busy now, and only have ......... times available for private lessons. If your current pupils would like a lesson during these times, then please can they let you know - in writing - asap, and you will teach them at that time.

I think how flexible you are depends on how busy you are as a working musician. If you need the flexibility to take playing work yourself, then work lessons out on a weekly basis. If you can offer a regular time slot, then I would expect a regular commitment from the pupil.

Pugs.
You do need to be careful with the ones who can't commit due to work rotas. In the past my dh made allowances for them but they had to fit in with other people. So say they came wed at 4.30 one week had fortnightly lessons they could book the lesson then for whatever time he had free. They paid up front the same as every body else. He overcame your problem by producing a contract of terms and conditions and it worked really well. The cancelled lessons were paid for which enabled him to stop schools. (He hated these). This was about 20 years ago but I know teachers who do this now.

Our piano teacher does lessons in our home - he can only do our area of town on Wed/Thurs due to costs of fuel/time constraints etc (he doesn't charge travel expenses)- so we got to say when we were free on either day and he gave us our time slot.

We are a bit flexible - if he has a cancellation he will sometimes ask if we can move later as we are the first on his evening, and if we need to be a bit earlier, he will see if he can get here early.

We arrange lessons in 4 week blocks - if we say we can't make one during the 4 week scheduling, then we don't pay for that week, if we just cancel ad-hoc during the 4 weeks, then we pay.

What you're finding is that once someone's had something (flexibility in this case) it's hard to give it up. DD doesn't have private music lessons but if/when she does it wouldn't occur to me that we could just chop and change times to suit - just like we can't with any of her clubs. But if her riding school decided we could no longer just book lessons whenever it suited, I'd be pretty ticked off! Which makes me think ... I think PAYG rather gives the message you can change times, whereas paying up front for half a term of 4pm on Tuesday doesn't. Plus IMO it's actually rather less painful to pay up front but miss a week, than it is to hand over cash for a missed lesson!

Meant to add that all extra curricular act's dc do have a weekly set time and day that isn't allowed to be changed.

Both my dc have swimming and music lessons in pre paid blocks. If we miss any then we also forfeit that weeks paid amount ( no refund). When booking each block of 6, we have to notify of any holidays / goods reasons not to attend and will not be charged. Dd also does dancing and skating. All lessons have to be paid for (even the missed ones regardless of illness / hols etc.

We have had 5 children doing at least 2 or 3 instruments each and 3 won music scholarships (so lots of teachers over the years) and we have never NOT had one slot a week which never changes. if a parent cannot organise a diary they should find another teacher who has so little on they can chop and change. Obviously on a rare occasion you might make an exception but best not to do it very often.

I think the music teachers doing this as a profession (to pay the bills) have to be a bit flexible but not taken advantage of. I think its fair for say an adult who works shifts, or a specialist consultant, or nurse to be able to choose time on a weekly basis. I know this can create admin problems but if they are reliable i.e lesson every week, I don't see a problem in supporting their needs. Its not their fault they can't dedicate the same slot each week. Those who are musicians can't always guarantee same slot for pupils every week either. My dh is employed by the conservatoires to do workshops, masterclasses, this is probably the only contracted work to be booked along way in front. Radio interviews, recordings, gigs, concerts don't always get booked many weeks in advance. Also deps are often last minute so sometimes a few hours notice is all the teacher can give. So I think it depends on the circumstances of both teacher and student, and give and take on both parts.

Dh is same as nomore's dh! He mainly teaches in schools and only has handful of private pupils. He always signs up private pupils on the basis that he will ditch their lesson for playing work, so it works freely both ways. I can see if you have lots then you need to keep on top.

He only has a few as prefers school teaching - can rattle through the pupils in strict time slots! Mind you those parents can be a nightmare...little tommy can't miss double maths and English, oh no he can't do a lesson in lunchtime either.....could you get to school for 7:30 as that would be great for us

I think it depends on the circumstances. For example my dh has a few private pupils doesn't have schools. He does mutual flexibility. Booked in advance for auditions, concerts, comps etc he doesn't mind. He too gives them notice if he's touring, recording or concerts etc. But no lesson because I'm going out on town, shopping with auntie Jane or the dentist (unless emergency) its not on.

our music teachers are always sticking to their timetable, the agreement we parents sign is that if less than 7 days notice from our side - they charge for it

Lol predictive text perhaps gave a good alternative to termly

at trembly blocks! I feel trembly when I get the invoice too!!!

Dd has lessons at school and is given a timetable at the start of term. We pay in trembly blocks.

I has piano lessons from the age if 10 to 18 and was billed monthly but my lessons were always on a set day/time

Dh is more flexible but he mostly teaches adults/students preparing for audition or professionals wanting a one off troubleshooting session. He has very limited private slots dye to his college work and any cancellations have to be paid for.

You are being too flexible.

dd's music and singing teachers are all very busy and we arrange a time/date as binding, without a contract, but nevertheless I stick to it. If I need to change the slot as a long-term fixture, the teachers do try and find someone who will swop but then it is a new binding time/day.

So if a lesson is on Monday at 4pm and we cannot make it one week, I will still have paid for it whether an alternative lesson can be organised that week or not. If a teacher has a very full timetable , it just isn't reasonable to expect him/her to be able to find another slot IMO. Sometimes you have to miss a lesson because of illness or some other thing going on but I think you have paid for the teacher's time. In that slot which you have, the teacher cannot do anything else such as teach someone else, so if you cannot come, I think it is reasonable that it is still paid for.

I always pay a month in advance and I think that is quite usual round here

It's great that you have do much work! But you are going to have to explain that your circumstances have changed and that's that! Your pupils unfortunately don't realise that your way of working up to now is not typical.