<p>We are visiting one of the schools my D has been accepted to and she has requested sample lessons and studio visits from some of the professors. One of them asked for $100 for himself and $20 for the pianist. I was surprised because no one else has done this. I don't want to form an opinion about the school before I ask you guys. Is this normal? Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi Dradsmom. My S did not pay for any of his sample lessons at the places he auditioned. He only had three real lessons, though. The others were shorter meetings, because of schedule conflicts. However, I’ve heard that some do charge.</p>
<p>It’s perfectly normal to pay, especially if the teacher is highly regarded,busy and you want their full attention for an hour long lesson. </p>
<p>It is perfectly normal and should not be a reflection on the school - although it is less common for accepted students, I believe.</p>
<p>When my daughter was looking at undergrad programs where she’d been accepted, some teachers charged and some did not. It is well within their right to charge for their time. $120 seems reasonable. </p>
<p>Well, there it is. Thanks folks. Very helpful … as always.</p>
<p>One more note on this: My S, at the start of the lessons (with highly-regarded teachers) asked if the teacher had a lesson fee, and was prepared to pay it. He was thanked for asking, and told there was no charge.</p>
<p>My S arranged all of his sample lessons with teachers via email. Once the lesson was confirmed he always asked how much they charge. Thankfully (for me) he was not charged for any of the lessons. </p>
<p>onekidmama and BCVIOLINMOM …‘I want to go to there’. :)</p>
<p>@Dradsmom, this was actually at 3 different places. Guess we lucked out.</p>
<p>She’s quoting Liz Lemon :)</p>
<p>We did. I think it’s polite and shows respect for their hard work. You are paying for their vast experience. Ours did an evaluation as well as a lesson and really took the time to explain what he wanted. I really thought he earned his money. The state school tried to refuse the check but my son insisted. We’re self employed. I really believe in almost never taking anything for free.</p>
<p>Had one teacher who asked for $300 for 45 minutes. CASH ONLY. Every perspective
student had to pay, no exceptions, so at least it was fair and disclosed well in advance.</p>
<p>Ended up paying because that teacher is one of the biggest names in that instrument.</p>
<p>Not going to say the name, but I think you guys all know the one I’m referring to?</p>
<p>To be honest, I think it was totally worth it. Yes, even at $300. That was 3 years
ago, so the fee might have gone up?</p>
<p>@Dradsmom- the price you quoted is what the top teachers in Chicago charge for lessons, so it’s in the ballpark.
Back when my D was looking for undegrad, only one teacher at one school charged and oddly, no one charged her last year for graduate school, but one should always inquire and send your student with a check, just in case…</p>
<p>@DutchPenguin, was it a violin teacher at a school in Texas?</p>
<p>Basically, it is up to the teacher, my S was ready to pay if they asked for it, but none of the teachers he saw when offered wanted it, and these were all top level teachers, so it simply depends on the teacher. I can think of two violin teachers off the top of my head I know do charge for sample lessons, and it is basically what they charge for a regular lesson, 300+ an hour, and one of them has the reputation of doing a lot of sample lessons to make a pretty nice quick infusion of cash. </p>
<p>I think it is nice that some teachers recognize the financial load families are under with music and college in general, and don’t ask for it, but like anything else, they have the right to ask to be paid (on the other hand, doesn’t mean that people can’t have opinions about what they charge for what they give, but that is a different right). </p>
<p>“basically what they charge for a regular lesson, 300+ an hour, and one of them has the reputation of doing a lot of sample lessons to make a pretty nice quick infusion of cash.”</p>
<p>Good for them. I say this because my D is used to being asked to sing or teach for free. (Churches, clubs, sporting events, all seem to have budgets for crowd control, the caterer, everything under the sun, but not the singer)
She does not do it. Her time, her talent and the years honing her expertise are all costly. We have always taught her that she should not do what you do for your living for free. Now if someone does a lesson for free because they have plenty of time and feel compassion for the students…that’s very nice of them. But it should not be expected in any way. It’s their living. And if they make a good living…good for them.</p>
<p>I totally agree that the teachers have the right to ask for payment. However, in the case of lessons where a teacher knows the student is applying to the school and interested in his/her particular studio, that lesson is just as important for the teacher as it might be for the student. This may be why some waive the fee. If they are going to accept a student and work with them for 4 years then it is in his/her best interest to check out the student (just as the student is checking out the teacher). My son recently auditioned at our local university. As soon as he emailed his audition form he got a reply from one of the teachers asking him to come in for a lesson. This is someone we know quite well and who has worked with my son on numerous occasions. I asked her about payment and she told me that she tries to see all incoming students at some point prior to their audition (because it is valuable for her).</p>
<p>Absolutely it’s great for the teachers andat least 75% of the teachers in the undergrad and grad school search did not ask for payment. But something that my D did notice is that “she got what she paid for”. The paid for lessons usually lasted well into two hours (sometimes 1 and 1/2 of actual lesson and then a 1/2 hour of interview). </p>
<p>musica-</p>
<p>There is a big difference between the teachers I was referring to than your daughter, the people I am talking about make quite a good living as teachers in programs, plus professionally are very, very comfortable, this is not starving artists. If people are willing to pay the fees these people charge, all well and good, there are teachers also who all but give the idea that if you study with them privately before auditions, at quite a high fee/hour, you have a better shot at getting in…perfectly legal and if people are willing to pay it, bless them that they can get it…but it doesn’t mean that I can’t find it more than a bit mercenary. </p>