October newsletter: New rates, Student of the Month, Joe Boyd, Xmas opening times
Hello one and all!
It’s been a very busy few weeks here, and it’s so nice to see a big new cohort of students joining recently.
Here’s the latest news…
Winter 2024 rates increase
The Musician’s Union have published their recommended rates for the year. These are based pro rata on the Statutory Teacher’s Pay and Conditions Scale, and revised every year according to the inflation rate and other factors.
Now it’s important to bear in mind other factors, such as the local market, where you’re based (cities often have higher rates to rural areas), level of qualifications, etc.
The MU currently suggests an hourly rate of £38.50 as a no frills minimum (not including out of hours prep and other admin, all of which I do).
While I’m all for a commensurate rate of pay, this on a pro rata basis works out as the the same salary as a senior surgeon, if you were to do a full 40 hour week. I don’t think it’s fair to pass on that level of cost to a (hopefully) long term relationship and commitment to study.
That in all in mind – balancing what the MU has advised me, and my own commitments to keeping rates of pay fair and accessible – from 1 December onwards, my rates will be set to the following…
WINTER 2024 RATES
Adults – £25 to £27 (increase of £2 per lesson) – 60 mins
Young adults / under 25s – £20 to £22.50 (increase by £2.50 per lesson) – 60 mins
Children – £16.50 (£1.50 increase)
It is worth noting that these are still less than subsidised hourly rates offered by local music hubs and pretty much most other music teachers locally, even after the increase.
The increase will help towards covering costs of instrument and liability insurance premiums, training/safeguarding, new instruments, more sheet music, assistive tools for those with disabilities, and increased printing and photocopying.
Also - as I’m sure you’re all relieved - a new door buzzer.
This increase will also not go up again for a substantial period.
I am currently a self-employed sole trader, so I don’t have the scale or structures in place to offer bursaries, but if you are experiencing financial hardship, then please send me a short message explaining your current situation and I will on trust keep your rate as it currently stands.
As of 1 December I’ll also be switching to largely accepting Direct Debit payments to a new business account. I will send reminders of the new bank account details in good time.
Student of the month: Jason Yeomans
Jason Yeomans started taking piano lessons this February and immediately threw himself at a rather tricky Philip Glass piece I re-arranged for him. Since then he’s made huge strides in reading music, in particular.
By profession, Jason is a wonderful painter and photographer. I’ve spent countless hours with Jason playing piano, drinking coffee and having lovely conversations about art, books and film.
In his own words…
“I really like 'the modern' and often paint Brutalist buildings - as concrete as a material relaxes me. It's the appearance. I love it's simplicity - large flat spaces, with the odd blemish. I listen to Philip Glass often when I’m painting as it doesn’t disturb my mental thought process - it allows other thoughts to transpire - so it's been fun to actually learn to play one of his pieces. Glass may actually be the equivalent of a Brutalist building: simple repetitions of angles and lines.
“I've always wanted to play the piano so this is something of a small dream come true, and I'm often surprised when I can find myself playing, as I'd often heard playing piano was super hard. Learning music is like a different language but a fascinating one, it's a new world to me that involves gently re-wiring my brain. Music is a gift, I'm grateful.”
Discover more at https://www.jmystudio.com
Podcast: “All of My Lessons Come in the Form of a Sound”
Pianism community member, Bethany, shared with me this episode of The Emerald podcast, an interview with musician Trevor Hall, and featuring original music from Leah Song and Chloe Smith and traditional Baul devotional singing from Sri Parvathy Baul.
This episode is a love song to sound itself. Big recommendation!
Currently reading: ‘And The Roots of Rhythm Remain’
Did you know that ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ was written by a Zulu migrant worker, who was never properly compensated?
Billed as “the definitive study of global music that does for the genre what Alex Ross' The Rest is Noise did for 20th century classical music”, this tomb has been a very entertaining companion of late, and it’s chock full of interesting historical tidbits.
Each chapter covers a particular traditional musical hotbed in the world — un-coincidentally nearly all socially and politically unstable countries — weaving often corrupt and repressive political and social history into the development of music in those countries; celebratory music of defiance and irrepressible vitality intrinsically wedded to the struggle for social justice. As all of the major players are portrayed and contextualised, the focus is sharpened to highlight the particular artists and records that have had the most impact on western, English-speaking culture.
Despite a lot of digressionary anecdotage and name-dropping, it’s a substantial and articulate riposte to modern, white, Western and technological encroachments on the truly global roots of music-making.
Xmas opening times
A reminder that my last teaching day this year is Saturday 21st December. The studio will re-open Thursday 2 January.
Have a great week!
Will