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Elaine F., South Carolina

Travelling to a student’s home is a big deal. Of course it was once the norm for piano teachers, so some don’t see it as anything extraordinary But it was for physicians too and can you even imagine this happening in 2012?

If a student has the means, I highly encourage anyone offering this service to factor in things like gas price, wear and tear on car, and most of all, the fact that you are spending time driving and not earning money in that time. A few years ago I recall the government paid something like 55 cents a mile if you were using your own car for work.

I found that packing up my stuff and unpacking it to be a huge energy drain as well. This said, when I was just starting out, I would have done this for almost no markup because I wanted the experience teaching and word of mouth advertising.

I was fortunate to have a wealthy student once who paid me my professional rate for my driving time. His wife bought him lessons for Christmas This meant she was paying about $52 for a half hour lesson. She didn’t balk, although in months 2 and 3, he decided to travel to my studio.

Carol P.

I travel to one students home. However, that family is letting me use their home to teach other students in their area. The piano is in a secluded loft and is a really nice space for teaching. It’s a solution that has worked out well for all involved. I would have no other space to teach in that small town and in order to continue to take lessons from me they would have to drive at least 30 miles into Traverse City. They let me use the space even when they are out of town. The only issue we had was during a two week period when they were doing some remodeling. I’ve wondered if this might be a solution for others who live in rural or sparsely populated areas.