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Teachers who charge that kind of money have a proven track record of high student achievement, usually as measured by competition success and admittance into prestigious festivals and university/conservatory programs.
There is also the matter of economics - supply and demand, and geography. It's fairly easy to charge $100 in Manhattan because you'd have to charge that much in order to pay the rent and a lot of people who live in Manhattan can afford it. If you lived in Manhattan, KS, however, it would be a different story.
"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." (John Holt)
Anyone can charge $100 an hour. The question is, will they get it? The teacher would probably have to be a specialist of some kind to justify that kind of rate when the going rate for most teachers is around $40-$60 per hour.
Teachers who charge that kind of money have a proven track record of high student achievement, usually as measured by competition success and admittance into prestigious festivals and university/conservatory programs.
There is also the matter of economics - supply and demand, and geography. It's fairly easy to charge $100 in Manhattan because you'd have to charge that much in order to pay the rent and a lot of people who live in Manhattan can afford it. If you lived in Manhattan, KS, however, it would be a different story.
So....
When would the KS person pay that? and why?
Suppose this person is not geared towards "admittance into prestigious festivals and university/conservatory programs"?
What would make the teacher worth that cost?]
And I am sure that some do, and are worth it.
My suggestion for this topic would be who and why?
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything."
My recent lessons with Jane Tan were over $100/hr, and they were worth every penny. She brought to the lesson far more than the usual teacher, opened my ears to hearing things I never heard before. Of all the masterclass teachers my students have had, none compared with Jane. Now I am teaching what I learned to my students, and you can hear the difference in their playing, although parents may never know why.
In general, my life experiences have taught me that you get what you pay for, and often paying more is cheaper in the long run. Of course, you must make certain you're getting what is being advertised.
"Those who dare to teach must never cease to learn." -- Richard Henry Dann Full-time Private Piano Teacher offering Piano Lessons in Olympia, WA. www.mypianoteacher.com Certified by the American College of Musicians; member NGPT, MTNA, WSMTA, OMTA
Don't forget that good business sense and a flair for self-promotion will allow some people to charge much more and get it.
This may or may not mean that paying more gets you more.
The idea that "you get what you pay for" is sometimes not far from "a sucker is born every minute".
I'm not saying that some people who charge a huge amount per hour do not deserve it. But talent is a gift, and so is self-promotion. They don't always exist in the same person.
Remember if you charge a great deal per hour and come up with a way of getting new people to replace the old ones as soon as they realize they have gotten little or nothing, you can earn a great deal while teaching little or nothing.
The teacher I interviewed who charges $100 an hour teaches at a very highly respected Catholic college. He's the accompaniest for a very good chorus. He gives seminars for students which are evidently very successful. He offered a complimentary lesson, which I didn't take, because the commute was just too far. He's a phenomenal pianist, I've heard him play. He's a very charismatic and bright man, and I suspect he's quite insightful. He also gives two scholarships a year.
The teacher whom I paid $75 an hour to came to my home. He has written a book and performed in concerts. He helped me more in 2 months of lessons, than I got from the class piano teachers at our junior college in 2 years. I learned to play 2 pieces I had been struggling with nearly perfectly in those 2 months. He would have been worth more.
I'd rather pay someone more and have lessons every 2 weeks.
What I want in a teacher is first of all an understanding of safe and ergonomic playing, secondly passion, real passion, for music, thirdly the ability to play beautifully, fourth the ability to teach me to play well. I don't do the regular lesson routine with scales, chords, etc...I pick a piece to work on, and have the teacher help me play it beautifully. The last teacher I had gave me techniques to smooth over rough spots....there were never exercises just for the purpose of doing them, although he did give me a finger strenghtening exercise.
I guess eventually I'll get an acoustic piano and start taking lessons again.
It was reading about Jeffrey that made me start wondering about this.
Truth be told, $100 plus for lessons would be quite a hardship for me. No one in my area that I know of for private lessons unless I could maybe travel into Boston.
I would love to participate in more Master Classes as well.
What might those who teach those, charge?
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything."
Chris, I know what you mean--my plumber charges over $100 per hour.
Private piano & voice teacher for over 20 years; currently also working as a pipe organist for 3 area churches; sing in a Chicago-area acappella chamber choir
The plumber does not come by weekly, Lala, does he? In Manhattan where I reside, quite a few teachers charge $100/hour and up especially if they are Juilliard graduates. We are not talking necessarily about people with great teaching experience and a significant track record /reputation. Those will charge anywhere between more than $100 to much much more (eg $250 per hour)
Jeffrey's rate is considered quite reasonable for someone at his level.
There are a number of teachers who charge more, some considerably more.
Unless money is really no object, new students just starting out aren't likely to be paying that kind of money.
Some students opt to supplement there regular lessons with occassional lessons from teachers like Jeffrey.
You are paying not only for their knowledge, but also their experience. A professional concert pianist/recording artist/composer/professor who has been performing (and studying) for many years has a wealth of first-hand knowledge.
Talk to Matt and his teacher about the "test" lesson with Jeffrey, and read the comments above in this thread from people who have taken lessons from teachers at this level.
In my own case (not being an accomplished pianist), I took flying lessons from an instructor who had 50 years experience flying (all types of aircraft, including fighter jets) and who specialized in working with commercial pilots.
I sought him out because I wanted to benefit from his experience and knowledge. Any good flight instructor would have been ok to teach me, but he was amazing (and cost a bit more than the average).
My Keyboards: Estonia L-190, Roland RD88, Yamaha P-80, Bilhorn Telescope Organ c 1880, Antique Pump Organ, 1850 concertina, 3 other digital pianos ------------------------- My original piece on BandCamp: https://frankbaxtermrpianoworld.bandcamp.com/releases
Me banging out some tunes in the Estonia piano booth at the NAMM show...
Some teachers of instruments other than piano charge over $100/hour!
Though most teachers I think who charge over $100/hour have huge egos, and don't care about what a reasonable person might be willing to pay. I would not pay $100/hour when there are plenty of teachers who charge respectable, but not ridiculous fees. Here most teachers are $50-$80 an hour, especially wind instrument teachers. (for the record, I charge about $60/hour, and I offer a choice of lesson lengths, lots of nice studio extras (like recording students on audio and/or video, which video recordings are necessary for a couple of career-minded students I have now, and then the result I produce consistently...but having been on the other side before, for me when I first started lessons $60/hour was out of reach.
Chris, I know what you mean--my plumber charges over $100 per hour.
Maybe we could work like a plumber.
I would sign you up for a weeks intensive course. It goes without saying that I would show up late. Then when I arrive I would inform you that your piano no longer meets current regulations and you need a new one. I am happy to arrange that for a fee. When I am done I will land you with a bill for $10000!
And as with plumbers' customers, they'd get to see more bum than they planned on!
Musiclady: As for having a big ego to charge $100 per hour, I don't think it's a prerequisite. You DO need to understand your market. And why should you care what a reasonable person would pay? North America's economy is based on what unreasonable people will pay for things. For instance David Suzuki charges a fee to tell people obvious things you can do to save the planet which he himself doesn't do as he's jet-setting around the world. The more unreasonable your client, the better!
In my own case (not being an accomplished pianist), I took flying lessons from an instructor who had 50 years experience flying (all types of aircraft, including fighter jets) and who specialized in working with commercial pilots.
