Storefront Music Schools, In-Home Lessons, Private Studios, and Online Lessons - Choosing the Best Place for Your Music Lessons

This article is designed to help parents narrow down their options as they find the best option for their children’s piano lessons or other music lessons. Below are some comparisons between storefront music schools, in-home lesson schools, online music schools, and private music studios. What you choose will largely depend on your lifestyle, educational values, and budget. 

Storefront Music Schools

Brick and mortar music schools offer an easy way to find a teacher, usually with events like recitals and other activities included. Because of their high volume, their teachers will have a reasonable amount of experience – if not a great deal – in working with a variety of children. Schools offer a certain peace of mind for parents, because the teachers will be vetted by someone with a certain level of expertise, and there is a likelihood that the teachers are background checked. These schools are typically lower in cost than many other options, which, combined with the benefits above, can make them an attractive option to parents who want an easy solution to find a teacher. 

Because the storefront school operates on a high volume business model and there are a limited amount of qualified teachers available, the quality of the lessons can vary from teacher to teacher – that is, the school isn’t necessarily the stamp of quality, but is often dependent on the teacher who you end up with. Further, because of the high numbers, you may end up being a good teacher, but be their 12th student of the day, which comes with obvious drawbacks. 

Another disadvantage can be convenience. Because most kids are taking 30 minute lessons, the travel time (getting kids out the door, braving the traffic, getting back in the door at home, etc.) can easily double the time commitment. Plus, a 30 minute lesson offers scant opportunities for parents to accomplish other tasks while they wait. 

These schools’ high visibility usually give them high enrollment, so you likely know someone who attends a school in your area, and you can ask their opinion of the experience at the school and their teacher there. 

In-home Lesson Music Schools

Schools that offer in-home lessons provide the premium service of convenience. Like brick and mortar schools, in-home lesson schools offer a vetted roster of teachers who have often been background checked. They often provide performance opportunities and other activities. In addition to this, the commute eliminated, along with the waiting time during the lesson, which can be used to make dinner, help another child with homework, or even have some personal time! Because these schools operate on lower volume, students often receive more individual attention from the teacher. 

Many schools that offer in-home lessons are large national companies with hundreds of teachers on their rosters. Because of this, the vetting is often more generic and may not involve vetting personality, as your teacher may not have ever met their employer. Your point of contact with the school, outside of the teacher, may be a company representative, with the owner being inaccessible. The school itself may have little to no connection with your community, which is important to many families. 

In-home lessons generally cost more per hour, and many in-home teachers will be reluctant to take on single, 30 minute lessons unless there are multiple students in the same neighborhood. Many large companies will offer flexible terms and an easy onboarding process, and give the impression that there are many teachers in their area, but many families report difficulties in actually getting a teacher to connect and commit, especially in suburban areas.

Private Studio Music Lessons

Private studios are where you’ll find both the best and worst teachers, along with the highest and lowest prices. Only a small amount of private studios have websites or Google business listings, so people usually find a private studio via word-of-mouth. This greater amount of research involved in choosing a private studio can yield a more personalized experience. 

Unlike most schools, private studios give parents chance to speak with the teacher about their teaching philosophy and curriculum before enrolling, and one can continue the search until the right fit is found. Because the teacher and the business owner are one-in-the-same, billing and curriculum matters are easily handled with a single person who is generally easy to get in touch with, and adds to the overall accountability of the lesson provider. Some studios will offer a more tight-knit community, with activities that bring the students together, or a teacher who has a close rapport with families. In the US, private studios are also where one will generally find the very finest instruction.

As mentioned above, many of the lowest quality music experiences will be found in private studios. This lack of quality will often be manifest in organization, accountability, and expertise. There are no certifications required to teach music privately, and it is not uncommon to find teachers with years of experience developing an expertise in poor lessons. This involves lack of  a structured curriculum, poor communication/interpersonal skills, or (very commonly) incorrect information based on a the poor education the teacher themselves had. 

Online Lessons

Covid brought about an understanding of online education, and now most teachers have experience giving lessons on Zoom or other virtual mediums. The great advantage is mobility. For students who travel frequently, having an online teacher can give that ever important consistency to their music education. Teachers who are good with online lessons will know the proper setup for optimal audio quality, which is essential to doing it successfully, and will help the student procure the necessary devices to make it possible. It can also be a great option for those living in more remote regions who want to access teachers otherwise unavailable near their home. 

Despite the great innovations in video conferencing in the past few years, and teachers’ great strides in making full use of the medium, online lessons cannot reproduce the audio and visual quality of an in-person experience. This is particularly limiting for young beginners. Further, even lessons with the best networks and equipment are prone to bugs and interruptions from time to time, which can be an irritation. Many children miss the experience of the real life contact with a teacher, and most parents strive to limit their children’s screen time. 

If you have any questions about the right piano lesson, voice lesson, or other music lesson option for your family, feel free to reach out to Florence Music School for unbiased, low pressure advice.