Not Another Carpool or Commute!

Not Another Carpool or CommuteThere is a certain nostalgia around the idea of going to a music studio or school. But the modern reality is that we are all overscheduled and exhausted by our calendars, and if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is to re-prioritize our time commitments. So many parents want to be able to provide great opportunities for their children and learning to play a musical instrument is high on that list. But where do they start looking, especially if they don’t know what to look for? Understanding that high quality musical instruction should meet the needs of both student AND parent is a priority for the in-home model of lessons and checks all those boxes. But there are other benefits that are important to note when considering how best to provide a successful musical experience for the whole family.

No Carpools or Commutes

The benefit of music lessons in your home is an obvious one, as the whole process of loading up in the car and making sure you have all your materials and everyone is on time adds a stress level to the experience (I forgot my book, I’m hungry… ). And not to mention – traffic. The whole point is to provide an enriching and enjoyable musical experience and not just create another obligation for hardworking parents who are rushing around to make it happen. So having a qualified and enthusiastic teacher show up at your house without having to worry about a commute is a great stress reliever for everyone.

Flexible Scheduling

Another advantage of having in-home lessons is that the idea of “hours of business” becomes an open concept. A storefront music school may only have hours from, say, 2pm-8pm, but if you need a noon lesson, it can’t happen as that would mean that support staff would need to be there the extra time as well. With the in-home model, a private music teacher can and will be found for most time-slot requests and is a normal part of operations.

Quality Teachers Vetted For You

Okay, you’ve decided that in-home lessons are the way to go for your family and you start doing your research, asking around for ideas. Perhaps someone says that a friend knows of a guy who teaches, but you look him up online and can’t find reviews or recommendations for him/her. And for many people, although they may want a certain level of flexibility, they actually need the structure and organization of a school-attached program. When that school has a locatable track record as well as a number of highly qualified teachers already vetted for you, then families can feel confident that the money they spend on lessons will be worth the investment.

Consistency And Reliability

One other point to make in regards to not having yet another commute is that it makes the lesson experience more consistent, which is key to the student learning at a reliable pace and feeling good about lessons. If schedules change at the last minute or if traffic delays a lesson by 5 or 10 minutes, there is time built in to accommodate those realities or if it becomes necessary, schedule a makeup lesson. Because the timing is solely at the family and teacher’s discretion, this process is very convenient, as opposed to factoring in the operating hours and studio availability at a storefront school. Again, it’s about taking the stress out of the equation for everyone!

Better Interactions With Parents

One aspect of in-home lessons that could be the most beneficial of all is that the teacher and parent(s) tend to get better and more frequent facetime. This is crucial to the student’s success, as the parent sees and/or hears what was worked on that day and the teacher is able to step into the next room to talk about the progress that day. So often in the studio-model of teaching, when the lesson is over, one student leaves the room and another student walks in, while parents wait in the car or use their precious time to run errands. Having teachers regularly interact with the family is an enormous benefit to the process as it means that everyone is naturally on the same page in regards to how the lessons are progressing.
Natural and predictable distractions aside (dogs that sidetrack attention during the lesson, or other siblings playing tv at full volume, etc), the in-home model of music lessons is the natural choice for busy families who want to be able to depressurize the experience. There are so many instruments and great instructors to choose from. Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. Our online music lessons are taught by local music teachers who plan their lessons to suit your child. Contact us today to learn more.
By Holly Montgomery

Not Another Carpool or Commute

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