FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Lessons for each instrument is one flat amount per 30 minute lesson for a regular lesson time each week. The majority of my lessons are given at Ernie Williamson Music in Shawnee, KS, 12244 Shawnee Mission Pkwy in 10 Quivera Plaza. Lessons there are $99.00 a month, regardless of whether you would receive the normal 4 lessons per month, or a 5th free lesson that would occur on 4 months during the year (when the day falls a certain way during the month in which we would meet 5 weeks). When you average out the price of lessons through the year, each lesson would come out to $22.85. Lessons I do at peoples homes are negotiable, and are something I work out with the student, depending on their situation, the distance traveled and how often we meet. Most are approximately the same price as lessons at the store.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
I've always loved playing guitar! While I was growing up during my school years, I would practice anywhere from 1 to 4 hours a day during the school year, depending on how much homework I had (and was able to maintain straight A's as well). During the summers I averaged 8 hours of practice on a daily basis! During school, I couldn't wait to get home to practice! That was my reward for getting through the school day! I started playing in bands early in my teenage years, and continued to play in numerous bands into my twenties. I played in numerous types of venues, including clubs, playing in very successful bands such as PMA and SOS in the late 80's. I got burned out with the club scene, and decided to start teaching at that time. It was much more of a consistent income, and very rewarding!
- What types of customers have you worked with?
My students are a mix of first time players, and players with some experience. Many have taken lessons from other teachers and have become dissatisfied with what they were learning. They felt they should have been much further along with the amount of time they had been taking lessons. Most all the students I have taken on told me the same thing. They usually tell me that they learned more from me in a very short amount of time than with many lessons with their previous teacher! This is very gratifying to me! I like to help my students grasp every area of playing! Many are very confused and frustrated by trying to learn online. The lack direction and a clear path to reach their goals! I have worked hard on coming up with that clear path through the years, and most of my students feel that I give them that clear path! When first meeting with new clients I take inventory of their level of experience, and find out what they would like to learn, and access the best plan of action in order to achieve their goals. I find that if you take them in the direction that they would like, and in which they agree sounds good, and stay on track, but also along the way giving them choices, they will remain engaged and motivated. My goal as an instructor is to get them to their goals as soon as possible. That includes also though, teaching them things along the way, maybe deviating a little sometimes if I feel something would be more benificial to them at the time in order to make them a more outstanding player if they so desire.