Though rates for private music lessons may vary between instructors and music schools, they tend to be higher than tuition rates for group classes. Why?
As with almost anything else, you get what you pay for! In the case of private lessons, your tuition dollars provide you with the undivided attention of your teacher, who tailors style and content of his or her instruction to meet your individual needs. For many students, the individual lesson format provides the ideal learning environment to make progress as quickly as possible. In that sense, a
private lesson teacher is no different from your personal gym trainer, who makes sure that you do your exercises correctly for maximum benefit.
If we stick with the sports analogy for a moment, some of us are not particularly crazy about working one-on-one with a trainer, or working ourselves through all that exercise equipment at the gym, one machine at a time. That can be tedious and a bit solitary at times. By contrast, joining an aerobics class or a sports team to play soccer, football, basket ball, and what not, is an entirely different experience. Although as members of a team, we may not be getting all that individualized attention, we're having fun, working collaboratively, laughing, and sharing victories and losses. And on top of it, we're still toning those muscles and losing a few pounds! Not bad at all.
When it comes to music education, it is similarly possible, and enjoyable, to learn within the socially interactive context of group classes. Young beginners often express a strong preference for music classes not only because of the social interaction involved but because the group format offers them the most developmentally appropriate venue for absorbing information. Young children may learn as much from observing each other as they learn from their designated teachers. To be sure, for some kids, the group class format may be too stimulating and distracting. Kids falling into this category will do better in music lessons under the guidance of an instructor, who focuses their attention and provides a firm structure for the learning process. Parents should consult with their music teacher in choosing the option most suitable for the learning disposition of their child.
If after careful consideration you have reason to believe that your child may progress more easily through group instruction, why would you sign her up for private lessons? And why, looking at your bottom line, would you invest the extra dollars on individual instruction before your child is actually ready to enjoy its full range of benefits? Start young beginners age 4 through 8 in group classes as a high-quality, low-cost alternative to music lessons! When given sufficient time to mature and learn, children are more likely to develop a life-long appreciation for music. Isn't that what it's all about?
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