For some teachers, private music lessons can offer an exciting opportunity to exercise that deep love for teaching music – without pressures like curriculum requirements, administrative conflict, or classroom management.

Many school music teachers or ensemble directors will provide the occasional private lesson outside of school, but the formal commitment of calling it a “studio” and establishing a business feels daunting or unnecessary. Some teachers would even consider replacing their school job with private lessons if they felt it was a secure enough income source.

This is exactly how Alek Wasserman felt when we first met in May of 2022. As a passionate educator, the love for music education and his students could not have been more clear as he shared the story of his career.

After completing his Masters of Music Teaching at Oberlin in 2017, Alek relocated to North Carolina for a one-year Professional Performance Certificate from UNC School of the Arts. The next year, he joined the faculty for a brand-new charter school in Lexington as their first music teacher. Alek found fantastic success in this position, starting the first melodica program in his area and seeing students qualify for the All-County Chorus.

Success cannot always overcome stress in a teaching environment, especially when paired with other responsibilities. For Alek, balancing the full time teaching job with his position as a Sergeant with the 440th Army Band of the NC National Guard was adding pressure.

He loved teaching a few private lessons on the weekends that he wasn’t traveling with the Army Band and, by spring of 2022, Alek had decided it was time to fulfill a long-time dream: establishing his own music school.

Stressors in our School Systems

The last few years have been difficult, to say the least.

Pre-2020, teaching in a school environment came with its fair share of challenges. We were already seeing nation-wide conflicts around arts funding, leading to large class sizes and administrative pressures. Limited resources, standardized curriculums, and lack of equality between departments left many music teachers overwhelmed.

The shutdown and subsequent oscillation between in person and online instruction only exacerbated these existing issues. Our students now face a different world, and many have delays in their emotional and social maturity.

For some music teachers, private music lessons can offer a respite from these stressors. With full control over curriculum, and the opportunity to connect individually with students who share enthusiasm for music, Alek felt relieved: “Leaving the school system behind and running my own studio provided me with a sense of freedom and control. I could design lessons based on individual students’ needs and interests, tailoring the experience to maximize their musical growth. It was incredibly rewarding to witness their progress and see the impact of one-on-one instruction.”

Embracing Freedom and Unleashing Your Creativity

Ensuring high quality education for all students is a core tenet of our schools, but that goal can cause frustration when it constrains the creativity of teachers. There is not a singular “right” way to teach any concept or to handle student challenges, but curriculum expectations or preferences from administrative staff can impede our ability to try new things.

While this isn’t the environment every music teacher experiences, the one-on-one lesson setting can open doors to creative freedom in ways that may have been limited within the school system. In managing a studio, teachers have the opportunity to cultivate a unique teaching approach, explore diverse musical genres, and experiment with innovative teaching methods.

For Alek, the freedom allowed him to “tailor lessons to suit the individual needs and interests of each student, fostering their artistic growth and nurturing their unique talents.”

We can absolutely achieve this in our music classrooms, but private music education leaves more space for student-led goals and personalized instruction. Alek shared that “it was truly liberating to explore different musical styles, delve into improvisation, and encourage my students to embrace their own creative instincts. Witnessing their artistic journeys and seeing them blossom as musicians was incredibly fulfilling.”

The Summer Advantage

Summer break presents an excellent opportunity to grow your private studio, especially for teachers working within the school system. With the school year winding down, teachers have more time to spend on establishing our business. At the same time, many parents and students are actively seeking enrichment activities. 

For teachers who would want to retain a daytime schedule if they move to private instruction, the schedule flexibility we have in summer opens the door to connect with those students.

By using this time strategically to promote a new or growing studio, we can connect with students in our community through alternate programming. Alek’s experience reflects this potential: “During the summer, I launched a summer music camp and offered trial [lesson periods]. The response was fantastic, and it played a significant role in the rapid growth of my studio. Summer is a prime time to showcase your expertise, expand your student base, and set the stage for continued success throughout the year.”

Classroom to Studio: Next Steps

For music teachers and ensemble directors considering the idea of starting or expanding their own private studio, we are at a key time of the year. 

Start by setting studio policies, outlining your ideal schedule. Summer offers a unique opportunity to invest time and energy in growing a private studio while enjoying a break from the school routine.

Alek’s focus on growing his studio, Triad Music Academy, last summer is a great example of how we can maximize this time: “When I started working with Outside The Bachs, I never imagined the impact it would have on my career. In just a few months, I went from teaching in a school to running a successful private studio with 22 students and generating $4,200 per month in revenue. It was truly transformative.” 

Through private studio teaching, teachers can experience the freedom to unleash their artistic expression, cultivate meaningful connections with students, find control over their schedule, and enjoy the financial rewards that come with running a successful business. 

We spend our entire lives in music, and put endless energy into being the best we can be for our students – it’s time that output was matched in compensation and appreciation.

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