It's all of your business - Professional Resources

American Music Teacher, August-Sept, 2002 by Beth Gigante Klingenstein

Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series on the issue of rates for the independent music teacher. This column addresses specific and practical issues to consider when determining rates. The focus of the second column, which will appear in the December/January 2002/2003 issue of AMT, will be the adjustments in attitude that may be necessary before we can establish an acceptable income.

Being A Starving Artist Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

If we are not happy with our income, do we see ourselves as suffering victims of society's disregard for the arts? How can we avoid the starving-artist syndrome? The answer lies less in society's opinion of the arts and more in our understanding of the forces that determine our income. Rather than feel frustrated at our low income, we can feel empowered to take control of what we earn.

To help determine what impacts the income of the independent music teacher (IMT), I sent hundreds of questionnaires to teachers across the country asking about rates and workloads. Although my methods were not totally scientific (All the teachers were members of MTNA rather than from a totally random pool.), I was able to come up with some interesting data on the forces affecting our rates.

Educational Level

As the level of education increases, the average gross annual teaching income--money earned in one year before deductions and before taxes--also increases. Unfortunately, the average gross annual income from teaching for those with a D.M.A. or Ph.D. degree is only $24,750. Food stamp level for a family of four is $22,956! When evaluating gross income, avoid considering the help of a spouse's income--we need to examine the strength of our own income.

We also need to remember to give ourselves credit for all the continuing education we have received through workshops, conferences and so forth, as well as our degrees, to reflect all education in our rates.

Years of Experience

A startling finding is that years of experience have only a marginal impact on income. Although there is a steady rise in income as the educational level increases, there is no consistent rise in income as the years of experience increase.

We can be proud of the years we have put into our profession. We must be sure parents are aware of the benefits of our experience, and that we increase our rates regularly to reflect pride in our increasing expertise.

The Impact of Population on Income

My questionnaire shows that the largest impact on the income of the independent teacher is not education or experience, but rather the population of the community where the individual teaches. Incomes in large metropolitan areas are higher, but so is the cost of living.

Even in small communities, we must ask, "Is this income enough to live on? Can I support my family on my income?" If not, our rates are too low and should be raised to reflect the cost of living in our area. Are the average salaries in our communities barely adequate? What are the top salaries? Are the best teachers earning $100,000, $70,000, or $18,000?

The Impact of Being Self-Employed

The fact that we are self-employed can actually work against us. We are not hired for a job with a set corporate pay scale and a yearly raise at set increments. We work alone and often do not even know what other teachers in our area charge. Conducting anonymous surveys within local associations can protect privacy while sharing extremely helpful information on rates. Discussing business issues such as rates in meetings is a healthy way to raise the consciousness of the whole group. Price fixing is illegal; information sharing is not.

The Impact of Missed Lessons

If we constantly adjust our income due to missed lessons, we do ourselves a disservice by making it impossible to plan on a steady income. A set tuition, whether received by month, semester or term, need not be adjusted for missed lessons. Having an unclear make-up policy or compromising our own policies by offering exceptions will ultimately lead to a lowered income or heavier workload. When we set a firm and clearly written make-up policy and stick to it, parents and students will understand and respect our expectations.

The impact of Half-Hour Lessons

Half-hour lessons present a difficult problem. They result in a shorter workweek, leading the teacher to feel that he or she works part-time. The teacher's income level decreases proportionally while the workload remains the same. We don't set lower standards for ourselves when we teach half-hour lessons. Personally, I wish that half-hour lessons would go the way of the typewriter--they are obsolete, especially as teachers try to cover more music theory, sight reading, ear training, music history, composition, ensemble skills and improvisation.

Living in the Wrong Decade, Raising Rates Infrequently, and Nickel and Dime-ing

One of the biggest mistakes we make is to set our rates based on years gone by, rather than present-day incomes. Teachers think back to what lessons cost in the '70s, '80s or even 2000, rather than to the economy in 2002. If the rates have been set too low to start, regular, substantial and fearless increases must be made to catch up.