Music lessons for children - cost

@AgingLikeGazpacho you sound like my ideal teacher! Ive got frustrated with the "professionals" teaching my son, as they refuse to acknowledge what we actually want, which is for him to learn and enjoy music to hobby standard. No he won't be practising for an hour a day at age 8, or having two lessons a week, and I'd rather he got 115 in abrsm grade 3 than spent 2 years over grade 2 in order to get a distinction.

Some elements of what teachers call "bad technique" are actually things which children will improve at naturally as they grow and gain strength. I learnes two instruments beyond grade 8 and now notice as an adult that some teachers will go on and on about technique as a bit of an excuse for slow progress.

I've seen videos of me playing as a primary school child with quite a lot of dodgy technique and the comments on some of my early grade sheets note aspects of that, it didn't stop me getting merits to grade 8 & enjoying playing in lots of local & selective orchestras etc. I just got better as i got older and had maturity and more control & strength.

No, i'll never be a virtuoso performer but most parents want their child to have music lessons as a hobby, not with a view to them going to music college or a career in music.

Shared lessons is the way forward! Especially as a beginner.

yes 20 mins is about a £1 per minute, then 30 minutes is £25 ish. Council is similar to private firms in London. There are union minimum rates that the council have to abide by.

Yours seem a bit pricey though for 30 mins but they seem to even out with longer lessons.

Well of course, there's increasing difficulty of playing technique as you advance though.

There's dismal professional teachers too - I've had them! Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music graduates with years of teaching under their belts. I was exclusively taught by professional accredited teachers and still picked up bad technique that had to be later corrected by more competent teachers.

My point was more that if lessons are totally unaffordable from the avenues OP has already explored that they could also see if there's cheaper lessons being offered elsewhere - e.g. by students who could have become professionals, who were talented players with diplomas under their belts (and/or ex-NYO players or competition winners) who have a solid technique and a willingness to engage with children in a positive manner.

My students have all attained merits and distinctions (more distinctions than merits) and have won scholarships and competitions despite the fact that I didn't go to a conservatoire. I have also been very honest and upfront to the parents of my students and signposted them to professional instructors when children have shown talent, but two returned to me because I made Music more enjoyable and the children didn't want to be professional performers.

Bad technique can be corrected - if it's a toss up between never learning music and having to correct technique later on, then I'd prefer the latter as a parent

During Covid we had two university music students come to the house to teach. Both played beautifully. Both were dismal at teaching.

I was relieved when the full time teachers re-opened.

2) around grade 4/5 where technique and musical interpretation become more of a concern.

Technique is crucial right from the start.

Our LA music service is £150 for a year (20 minute lessons), which works out about £5/lesson. And if you have a shared lesson the cost is halved. It is (at least) double that for private lessons around here.

I was paying £24 12 years ago for 40 minutes so these seem approximately the same. It’s worth checking private providers but do check their qualifications, some won’t have any teaching qualifications and not even grade 8 in the instrument, varies a lot

£25 for 30 mins 1:1. Now in gcse music so we get a subsidy paid in arrears, think its almost half the cost.

And I’m nearly fully booked and have one part time job at the weekends.

As an independent self employed piano teacher in the SE I charge £21 per half hour (equivalent fees for shorter/longer lessons).

I don’t make a great living from it. I’m actually considering giving up.

Our music service is £300 a year for a minimum of 30 lessons. Usually group but if the learner is unique in level/instrument it will be solo.

If you're struggling with affordability you can see if at high school or university students are offering tuition at lower rates - I've been teaching as a side gig since my uni days (10+ years ago), initially at around £15/hr and now at £30/hr (I now do it as a hobby and a way to maintain my skills).

I've taught up to Grade 8 ABRSM (students gaining merits and distinction), having gained diplomas in piano and violin when I was at school.

Where it becomes more important to get a professional (conservatoire grad / professional performer ) teacher is if 1) your child shows aptitude and willingness to do music professionally or 2) around grade 4/5 where technique and musical interpretation become more of a concern.

If your intention is to enable your kid to become a professional, then it's worth going with a pricey and experienced teacher who has a string of successful students who have been able to get into great music schools from lesson 1. Because it'll save time on correcting technique down the line.

Else, if the intention is just getting the kid to enjoy learning and playing music, then realistically, a uni student who has reached diploma level and is able to be engaging and reflective is able to get your kid started with music.

I had about 12 teachers growing up, all very talented performers. Only 3 were decent teachers and about half actively horrible (clearly resented having to teach) , so that's shaped my viewpoint.

One child?

I pay £80 per week (£40 x 30m per child) for music and I think that is expensive. I don’t know anyone who does group music lessons and have never considered them tbh.

The only ppl I know who do 1:1 swimming are families who book an instructor per the no. of kids in the family so it works out less expensive..

Music lessons take 8+ years. My kids spent approx 4-5 years learning to swim proficiently in a group class. In 1:1 that would be 3-4 years max so I consider swimming substantially cheaper.

Akways been expensive.
We pay £45 for 45 min.

When I took my toddler/young child swimming it was £17 for half an hour…max 4 in a group though.

My children get music lessons from the council music service. Group lessons in school are £30 per month for 30 mins (group usually 3-7 pupils). Private 121 lessons at the music centre are £45 per month.

Our music hub is £12.50 for a 30 min shared lesson, £18 for 30 mins 1:1. That includes free loan of a beginner suitable instrument. I thought that was expensive enough, but I see I should count myself lucky!

That’s just the difference between group lessons and 1:1 though. Group music lessons are also much cheaper, as the same rate is obviously just split between the number of kids in the group. It’s a choice though because you make much quicker progress (in music and swimming) if 1:1.

We were paying £50 for 30 mins for 1-1 swimming lessons last year.

Swimming is much much cheaper esp if you get lessons in a public pool. I used pay approx seventy pounds for eight group lessons. That is not expensive. Even in a hotel swimming is much cheaper.

I pay £18 for 30 mins 1-1 at our private music tuition. I’m in the North West and anywhere around £20 seems the going rate round here

Similar with mine.

Also, I have two out of four DC who are involved in Trad Band Music Projects where they learn a trad instrument and get tuition free that way too.

But there's a small fee for participating in the school orchestra. Around £25 per year.