AIBU to be annoyed about music lessons

hercules1 · 27/06/2009 22:30

Gawd, that's expensive.

EdwardBitMe · 27/06/2009 22:30

TBH that does sound "reasonably priced". You'd pay a lot more for private music tuition.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 27/06/2009 22:32

Sounds expensive.

I think ours are going to be £41 for a term. don't know the length of the lesson yet but I'd be sure it's mixed.

And we pay £7 privately for a half hour piano lesson.

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:35

I'm with Edward - I'm on benefits (and free school meals as a result) and I think that's pretty cheap - private (out of school) you would probably pay the same (or more) for a teacher of the same standard and you'd have to either sort your own violin hire out (not always cheap) or buy your own.

Yurtgirl · 27/06/2009 22:35

I thought school music lessons were free
But we havent got to that stage yet so......

EdwardBitMe · 27/06/2009 22:36

Okay, I'll take that back.
A quick google shows you'd pay £14 for a 30 minute 1:1 or around £30 an hour, depending on location.

Yurtgirl · 27/06/2009 22:37

Here a private out of school music lesson would be about £8 for half an hour
£20 for an hour would only be for the higher grades

So to me those prices seem very high!

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:38

Edward - that's still cheap - and I really wouldn't rely on those figures. I'm not a "professional" teacher (in fact I haven't taught my instrument for years) - however I'd charge £20 an hour, or £12 for 1/2hr.

For a decent teacher you can EASILY be looking at £40-50 an hour, for a proper pro more.

thedolly · 27/06/2009 22:41

You can buy second hand violins from good music shops for less than £40.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 27/06/2009 22:41

depends on what you call decent.

Of course a professional musician, perhaps playing in a renowned orchestra, will cost more. But for a reception age child on her first instrument, it's really not necessary.

EdwardBitMe · 27/06/2009 22:43

I agree FAQ,
At least you know that a school music service teacher is an excellent musician AND able to teach small children.

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:44

depends if you have a (reasonable) music shop locally - I was looking for DS1 recently in our music shop - cheapest 2nd hand one they had was £90 (and it looked and sounded absolutely AWFUL).

I wouldn't pay peanuts for a 1/2 decent teacher for my DS's instrument lessons (should they decide to follow on from their terrible (cheap) school ones). Bad teaching doesn't just produce bad sounds , it can produce all sorts of other physical problems especially with instruments where a certain posture is required. (my instrument you just park your arse on the seat and play )

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:47

"At least you know that a school music service teacher is an excellent musician AND able to teach small children. "

LMAO - oh how I wish that were true - sadly there are many teachers that not only can't play, but teacher dreadful techniques to their children.

Not only is my poor DS1 being inflicted with such a violin teacher at school at the moment, but I had the same misfortune with my music service teachers and I tell you (first hand) if you decide to continue more seriously there is absolutely nothing more embarrassing in your early teens in having to go back to play basic Grade 1 pieces in order to get your technique sorted out

hocuspontas · 27/06/2009 22:47

I don't think doing violin lessons because it's the only one available to you is a good idea and also it must be a hard instrument to learn at 5. All music lessons should come with a free taster imo. I'm glad lessons are free for people on benefits, I'm always banging on to the county music services how disgusting it is that the opportunity to learn an instrument isn't open to all. It's at least £120 a term at secondary

EdwardBitMe · 27/06/2009 22:48

Here's our local LEA/CSA policy on music lessons.

Students receive 30 lessons throughout the course of a school year, spread over the six term year.
The minimum commitment is for two terms out of six.
The standard fee for group lessons is £86, payable three times a year in September, January and April. A registration fee of £5 is charged for all new students, and this fee is non-refundable.

Hire fees are invoiced three times a year, in September, January and April.
Violin or viola - £18

Quattrocento · 27/06/2009 22:50

Ah. The DCs school did taster lessons for a term in any instrument. Unfortunate that yours doesn't.

Yes it is a scandal that music isn't taught properly in state primary schools, so YANBU. In your position, I'd go and pay privately. It sounds as though you are paying at the school what you would pay privately in any event.

I know a lot of parents (including me) start their children on piano but it's actually quite a hard instrument to start with. Violins sound just horrible when people start. If I had my time over I'd start them on a nice wind instrument.

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:51

oh I missed the bit about it being free - .

oh and I have to share this that I found while looking for my retelling of the "violin and cello" concert from DS1's year group last year - sadly I think I must have posted in chat as the thread I was looking for has gone. However I found this quote from another thread I posted on in October last year........

"well agree about the average school age player......however IMO the same can be said about the violin grin

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 27/06/2009 22:53

OP, where they insist on you having a piano at home, does that exclude an electronic keyboard? DS's school are fine with that.

Also, as a first instrument I think DS finds keyboard really satisfying as he can plinky plonk around (as well as practising the pieces for his lesson) and come up with something interesting. You can't do that on a violin.

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:55

keyboards instead of pianos no good - unless it's a proper weighted one, and even then once they get up to about Grade 3 they really need (access to) a proper one (properly weighted or wood and strings type)

EdwardBitMe · 27/06/2009 22:55

Oh, the music teachers that come into our school really are excellent. Can't comment too much on technique (I only ever played Double Bass, and that was a looong time ago)

Jux · 27/06/2009 22:57

We used to pay £50 a term for half hour lessons for dd, though these were with a couple of other children.

DH teaches guitar at £20 for an hour, though that's cheap for private.

It sounds like these are private lessons and not being arranged by the/through the LEA. Do you make the cheque to the LEA? I'd complain.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 27/06/2009 22:58

FAQ, it's all very well saying it's no good, but DS is enjoying music, leanring about it, and yes, in time we'll have to get something better. But if the alternative is for him not to play, then you go with what you've got. Don't you?

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 22:59

I'm not a string player - but having gone to a specialist music school in my teens have a fairly decent idea what is good playing and technique on a violin.

Basically before Christmas got to go and see what they'd been doing in their free taster group (of 15 children in each group) lessons. The "show" started off with a "performance" by the violin and cello teacher and I nearly ran out of the door crying .

I'm sure there are some excellent school music service teachers around, unfortunately I've only ever come across pretty dire ones (for her children should they want to continue - and for her wallet if they show any aptitude for the instruments and I get them private lessons)

FAQinglovely · 27/06/2009 23:02

Mary - tbh I don't understand why school don't offer keyboard lessons (they do exist - that's how I started off on the keyboard before progressing to proper piano playing and proper piano lessons) as so many more people have access to keyboards than pianos.

Mind you - don't know what the keyboard teaching books are like now - but when I learnt the left hand was just playing chords and I still had to learn to read the bass clef when I started the piano LOL.

IMO it's grossly unfair to teach piano to a child that only has access to a keyboard - because it's a hell of a shock when they do get to the stage of playing more complex stuff that needs a piano and they find they don't have the technique to make it work.

sayithowitis · 27/06/2009 23:05

The thing is that the school probably has to 'buy in' the services of a music teacher. Some schools feel able to subsidise the cost and some don't. When my sons were at junior school, we paid about £70 a term, when they went to secondary school it was £60 a term and noy the youngest is at college it costs £80 a term. However, this is subsidised because he is taking music A level. If he just wanted to continue his lessons without doing the A level, it would cost us around £200 a term!

I have always thought it unfair that music tuition is chargeable, but until LEA's, not schools, pay for it, we have to continue to pay.