To Teach in a Program or Not to Teach in a Program, That is the Question

Eight years ago, my family moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Holland, Michigan. I had been a faculty member at a large community music school for almost twelve years. Our move meant that I would start a studio from scratch and teach out of my home.

Many new teachers must decide whether they want to teach for an established Suzuki program or school, or start their own Suzuki studio. Having learned the benefits and drawbacks of each, I hope to help teachers make a more informed choice as to what setting works best for them.

Teaching out of a program or community music school

There were many benefits to teaching in a music school in my experience. The school took care of scheduling, provided studio space, and followed up with billing and late fees. A consistent group-lesson schedule and policies regarding absences or severe weather also supported me and protected my time. The school where I taught provided health benefits, retirement benefits, and staff development funds which were so valuable as a teaching artist. But beyond these basic administrative benefits, there were several more community-centered aspects of teaching in a program that I miss now that I have my own studio:

• I miss collaboration. Teachers, after all, are also a product of their environment. Daily exposure to great teaching influences us. Noticing that one teacher’s students have an amazing setup, or that another runs a tight ship in group class helps to develop us into better teachers. Having colleagues to support me and share my own ideas with (not to mention getting advice for baffling students), is priceless.
• It is typical for a new teacher to have many beginners, as I did my first year (twenty-one pre-twinklers, to be exact!). As I established my own studio in a new town, my current students had few older students to model excellence. The experience opened my eyes to how valuable it is to be a part of a school that has more advanced students.
• Workshops and all-school or department performance opportunities are more prevalent in a program. In my school, there were multiple recitals per semester. When running my own studio, my students have two solo recitals a year. I miss giving students several chances to perform the same piece, which is a valuable learning experience. To compensate, I’ve made Suzuki camps and other outside Suzuki events a priority for my students in lieu of some of these built-in opportunities.
• The school would set up rehearsals and often provide accompanists for both group lessons and studio recitals. Fees for the accompanist were built into tuition. This took a lot of administrative time off of my shoulders.
• The school would often provide or rent performance venues. There was no need for seeking one out or renting it myself.
• Given that I have children of my own, I preferred having my studio separate from my home. Sometimes I could hear my children yell or cry during a lesson, and I felt my attention being split between my student and my children.
• The school can provide expanded opportunities for parent education. For example, our school department held a six-week class to cover the fundamentals of Suzuki education, discuss Nurtured by Love, and provide a sense of community. Of course, I followed up with parent education in private lessons, but it was nice that the parents established a community from the onset of their Suzuki experience and got the perspective of another teacher.
• It’s easier to arrange tour opportunities through a program rather than a home studio. Planning takes time and energy that an individual teacher may not have to give. Having teachers and administrators help plan a tour makes it more likely to occur.
• Other classes and ensembles may be offered at a school that could support what teachers are doing in the lessons. The school where I taught offered note-reading classes as well as orchestras that boosted students’ note-reading skills.

Establishing my own studio 

One can hardly deny the appeal of being their own boss, setting their own schedule, and creating their own rules and fees. Since our move, there are many aspects of teaching out of my home that I have enjoyed

• The biggest pro of creating my own studio is that I can set my own fees and am not paying overhead. For me, this means more take-home pay.
• Because our studio is in our home, we get a tax break, which further helps our financial picture.
• I also receive other tax incentives. Because I am a regular gigging musician, I can claim miles from my studio job to my gig job. (To get a big picture of all the tax benefits available, it is wise to consult with a tax professional if you are considering setting up your own studio.)
• Because my studio is in my home, when I have a cancellation, I can get dinner started, do the laundry, or take a much-needed catnap. Voila!
• Once my children got a little older, I appreciated not needing to hire a babysitter while teaching.
• Because I am the teacher of all of the kids in my group class, I know exactly what they all need and what they are doing in private lessons.
• There is more autonomy. I decide how long group lessons are and how to structure them. I create my vacation schedule, summer schedule, and studio policies.  
• There is no commute time. I spent so many hours on highways and in the snow going to the community music school and felt I was missing valuable time with my family.
• Because having a home studio is smaller, I find it is easier to develop a community. Students in my studio have playdates, and my families all attend the same institute in the summer and request housing all in the same area. The bonding that has happened between children and parents has been truly remarkable.
• As I mentioned earlier, colleagues typically are amazing but on occasion, there may be a colleague who might make your job more frustrating. They may not agree with your approach to teaching a group class that their students are in, for example, or perhaps they want to run a group concert differently than you. This is not an issue when you have your own studio.

Eight years ago, I was excited about the opportunity to start my own studio. There are so many things I have learned and love about my current work setting. I cannot deny, though, that I miss the benefits of working in a community music school. It would be amazing to combine the best of both worlds, but in the end, a teacher must decide what is the best fit for them. Some may not have a choice (which is what happened to me upon my move), but many do. I hope sharing my experience helps give teachers more insight when choosing.