Customer Reviews

Making Money Teaching Music

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This is a very comprehensive guide to teaching music. All the chapters are easy to read and divided into good sections, and offers many good ideas on how to teach various grade levels from elementary to adult, and more important, how to deal with their parents. It also covers school and community programs, as well as ideas on how to promote yourself (i.e. business cards and portfolios) and necessary lesson items to keep in your trunk. The chapter on taxes was helpful for me also. A very good book for someone wanting to start their own teaching studio, to teach band or community programs, or to simply pick up a few students for some extra money.

I have been teaching private music lessons for about 10 years now and had I had this book when I started out I don't think I would have made the mistakes I made. I still use it as a reference (it is always next to my piano). I found the chapters re: recruiting, finances and getting set up were crucial and very informative. Having this book also gave me the extra confidence when it came to quitting my other jobs and teaching private lessons full-time.

A definite "must-have" if you are currently teaching or if you are thinking about teaching in a private studio.

This book is a must if you are serious about starting your own business as a music teacher. I found that the chapter on taxes and finances especially helpful. There is an appendix at the end of the book that lists addresses and phone numbers for various music organizations.

It's nice to come across books that are actually helpful when it comes to acting on what has been discussed. I'v used most of the ideas in this book in starting a successful guitar teaching practice. All the ideas work - well nearly, you have to make allowances for cultural differences and local customs - but I'd assume we're not that insensitive. All the ideas are practical and can be done with almost no budget. And the advice is true - even though when you start out you'll think you know better and have to get 'burned' before you read it again and get it the second time over. Seems to me like this was written by someone who's been there, made the mistakes and successes and is telling us about it all. If you are teaching music (or even judo, dance, yoga, or any personal service) you need to read this book (or something very much like it.) In my experience it saved me it's cost many many times over in only a couple of months

Making Money Teaching Music is arguably an indispensable guide for any music teacher - including new teachers who are looking for ways to get started, as well as experienced ones who are looking for new ideas or wishing to validate their own. This book is a considerably excellent resource for music teachers who are wishing to either supplement their budget by teaching lessons on the side, or making teaching music their lifelong career. The authors, David and Barbara Newsam, write in an easy to read style and effectively divide their chapters into several specific sections.
This book contains information on how to live on an irregular budget and schedule, and evaluating one's marketability. It also includes suggestions on where to find lucrative teaching opportunities with or without a teaching degree or certificate, how to set up your own studio, and how to write a resume. Besides all the helpful tips on how to manage the business side of being a music teacher, Newsam provides advice on how to work with a wide variety of students and parents. For younger students, sections are included on how keep their attention and understanding their needs. Newsam also writes about understanding the needs of teenagers, as well as including handy tips when teaching adults, college music majors, and professional musicians. How to face the daunting tasks of finances are not avoided in this book. Newsam gives clear suggestions when it comes to managing insurance, taxes, and retirement.
Making Money Teaching Music's clear and easy to read chapters are written with the intention of aiding those wishing to become successful teachers. Along side the informative suggestions on becoming a music teacher, Newsam provides insights on how rewarding teaching really can be. This book is a must have guide for every music teacher's bookshelf.

im just starting my career as a guitar teacher and this book gave me alot of tools and ideas to push my carrer forward. the book gives you many marketing tools and explain about psychology issuies to consider with students at differenet age levels. also, the book teach you how to manage your business.

This book is a decent place to start for new music teachers who need the basics on how to get started teaching music. However the advice offered here is the "traditional way" of building an average (decent) teaching business. There are newer, better, faster and more powerful ways to build a highly successful music teaching business... though currently, none exist (yet) on amazon. Perhaps it is the fact that the books here for how to teach music are not truly up to date, or perhaps it is because the more innovative ways to build a music teaching business is not available in a single book.

Bottom line, this book is good for building a 5-figure (maybe up to $35,000 per year) teaching business, but if you are looking at building a 6-figure music teaching business, this book is not likely to do that.


Tom Hess
Tom Hess Music Corporation
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