How Much Do Music Lessons Cost?

If you're a new parent, you're starting to find out that raising kids is expensive! Now that your darling is of the age for music classes, you might be asking yourself, "How much is this going to cost? Is it worth it?"

Happy Money

Before I tell you too much about music class cost, be aware that HOW you spend your money really CAN affect how happy you are!  In the book, Happy Money, Elizabeth Dunn explains that your spending can bring you great joy and satisfaction, especially if you:

* Focus on Experiences

* Make it a treat

* Buy Time

* Pay now, consume later

* Invest in others

When it comes to Let's Play Music and Sound Beginnings, these principles can really apply.

* Focus on the experience of being in class with your child and of practicing with your child. Take photos and videos of this special time in your lives. You're not buying a result. You're buying an experience. 

* Knowing that music class won't last forever might make you enjoy it more...lots of parents are sad when their family graduates. Sorry! This is a special treat that only lasts a little while. 

* You're buying quality musical playtime with your child, so really focus on playing/engaging with him during music class. Turn off your phone. This is special time together for you to bond.

* Pre-pay for the whole year up front. It takes away the sting of the payment, and helps you focus on your own well-being and enjoying the class.

* Invest in your child by giving them the gift of music lessons.

Bargain Hindsight is 20/20

I have had a few parents who hear our rates (a year of Let's Play Music in the USA is about $400-$450 per year) and break into a happy dance. If you do the math, that's like $15 per lesson. Our lessons are 45, 50, or 55 minutes long and are PACKED with carefully timed activities (so we work all the musicianship skills in every class.)

I found out these parents are so happy because they have older children who have already explored exciting activities and incurred the exciting costs.  In comparison to just about everything else you can get involved in, LPM is a BARGAIN.  Now that I have older kids, too, I look back and realize, yes! A BARGAIN!

Don't get scared, but you might expect to spend a lot on these activities:

* Private music lessons: $20-$50 per 30-minute lesson ($1,000+/ year) 
* Swim lessons: $10-$20 per 30-minute lesson  
* Swim team: $100-$200/month 
* Karate: $100-$150/month 
* Dance classes: $60- $200/month
* Soccer: $50/month
* Club Soccer: $100-$200/month
* Gymnastics: $15-$20/ class 
* Gymnastics, advanced: $150-$200/month

An Abundance Mindset

Oh dear. I hope I didn't scare you too much.  I like to focus on an abundance mindset.  Yes, I want my kids to learn to swim AND learn music AND learn a team sport AND get passing grades. How can we have enough time and money to make all of that happen for them? (My post on teaching abundance mindset)

The truth is, we usually can't have it all, all at once. But we CAN give our kids a lot of experiences over time.  

Which activities do YOU value most? 

Which need to be done NOW?

Important and Urgent: I decided to have my kids learn to swim up to a competent level as soon as possible, since I value it as a life and safety skill. Once they're competent, that frees up more time/money for other things.  (Bonus: I now have a teenager working as a lifeguard and earning $$ with those mad skills.)

Valuable, Less Urgent: I also decided that my four kids would not play club sports year-round, so that they could have time and money to try out different sports each season. (Year-round club sports are not only super expensive, but often lead to burn-out) With some sports and activities, I came to grips with the fact that no harm will come if my kids don't get to experience all activities, like downhill skiing, in their youth. It doesn't fit into our budget now, but I plan to have a great ski-learning trip with them when they are college age. (Update: when one of my sons was 13 and wanted to play club soccer, I let him make that choice and put other things on hold during that time.)

Valuable and Urgent: Finally, because I understand the importance of whole musicianship, the sensitivity of the young ear, and the importance of starting early (post), I decided that starting music now is urgent.  My children would all complete the 3-year Let's Play Music program at ages 4-7, followed by piano or a different instrument if they chose.  

I am not afraid that I missed my chance to offer some other experiences to my kids. Instead, I'm confident that they eventually will accrue enough options to taste what the world has to offer, and they had enough consistency to get pretty-good at a few of the things.

Yes, we had a few dry spells when a child or two was not studying music (gasp!), but it didn't worry me because I took a big-picture abundance view. I adore when they join a high-caliber high school music program or sports program...and all of sudden the tax dollars start working in a visible way. 

I'm loving the fact that my LPM-graduate kids enjoy making music, and have the skills at least to know what to do when they want to learn a new song or piece. I love that they can understand what they hear in music, giving them a deeper appreciation and joy from it.  I love that their focus and study toward music helped them develop their minds and habits.

Were music classes worth the price? I say, Yes! 

This scenario is all about ME, but you can make a plan that works for YOU and your family. If music is important to you, you CAN make it work into your budget and you CAN still fit in the other things (eventually) that you value. 


Well, new parent, take some time to think about what experiences you want to invest in and when they need to happen. I sure hope that, if music is important to you, you will join us in Sound Beginnings or Let's Play Music classes.

If you're ready to jump in, find a teacher near you now!



- Gina Weibel, M.S.

The Core Values of Let's Play Music

Let's Play Music is a company that builds, teaches, inspires, and enriches. Based in Mesa, Arizona and started in 1998, we begain with a desire to teach music to children in the best way possible. Today, over 300 teachers across the United States and Canada work with this same passion using the Let's Play Music method.

Our Purpose: 
We enrich lives through the power of music.

Vision Statement: 
Let's Play Music is the paramount program for developing the complete musician. We incorporate the best of all musical and educational methodologies and discoveries. Let's Play Music provides its teachers, students and families with an enriched experience that holds the power to change lives. We increase confidence, develop talent, enhance intelligence, and bond parent to child by providing an outstanding music educational experience for children, using premium materials and lessons, taught by superbly trained teachers.

Core Values:
The following Core Values shape our daily decisions and define our culture. Click each link to read more about them on this blog.

• We play! and we recognize the benefits of play
• We embrace the process of learning
• We give consistent effort
• We focus on abundance
• We make the most of our time
• We communicate openly and honestly
• We pursue quality
• We celebrate accomplishment
• We face challenges with optimism
• We purposefully cultivate relationships

Our People: Meets Some Students and Teachers
 

LPM Graduate Highlight: Sydney

LPM Graduate Highlight: Cameron

 
2016 Composition Contest Winners
2015 Composition Contest Winners
2014 Composition Contest Winners
2013 Composition Contest Winners
2012 Composition Contest Winners

 

Becky Johnson (Kansas): Children learn through experience
Lindsey Judd (Illinois): The first teacher has impact
Katie Wilson (Virginia): From hating lessons to loving music
Celeste Stott (Montana): How do you teach the Karate Kid?
Jen Ellsworth (Minnesota): Teaching advance theory through play- sneaky!
Kim Seyboldt (Colorado): Let's Play Music in the News
Gina Weibel (recently Wisconsin): Let's Play Music on the News
Lisa and Joanna (Alberta, Canada): More than Just Piano Lessons
Darlayne Coughlin (Middleton, WI): Drumline, Band-leader, and LPM Teacher!
Ann Cue (Madison, WI): Exuberant Grandmother
Maura Brewer (Vancouver, WA): Music time is for loving and learning
Heather Ann Johnson (Pittsburgh, PA): Prepare for music, prepare for life 
Melissa Ashby (Hillsboro, OR): This is how music is meant to be taught
Rosalyn Ellsworth (Mapleton, UT): LPM fills a need in my soul 
Sara DeVries (Charlotte, NC): High Adventure and Music Class
Bonnie Slaughter (Utah): Making Practice Fun
Becca Smith (Knoxville, TN) :Fulfilled in teaching my children 
Brooke Stevenson (Portland, OR): This program does it all! 

We Value Generosity and an Abundant Mindset

It's November: a month of thanksgiving and gratitude and the perfect time to highlight another of our core values at Let's Play Music.  We value generosity that fosters an abundant mindset and leads to shared success.

Abundance Mentality or Scarcity Mentality?
These terms were coined by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 

Most people are deeply scripted in... the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.

The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit... They also have a a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.

The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody...It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.

Your mindset in this matter has a profound impact on your physical and emotional health, as well as your relationships and your future.  Adopting an abundance mindset can significantly improve your life!

Teachers Feel Abundance
First I'll point out how this value percolates through our program, starting with our superb teachers.  

You might have expected competition between neighboring teachers in a program like ours.  "There are 50 kids in this town. They can either register for class with her or me so I'll do what I can to show that I'm the best choice!" Ah, that's the scarcity mindset talking, but we're adopting a new mindset.  

Natalie, Kira, and Allison: teachers working together.

"I'm glad this parent values music education.  I want her to find the teacher, class time, and location that works best for her family.  Of course I hope they'll register for my class, but I know that either way, they'll be happy with the experience and share it with ten new children."  We have an abundance mindset that there can be enough teachers to reach the students, and enough students to support our studios.  There is not a zero-sum balance of students who can learn music (when teacher A gets a student, teacher B has one less), but rather there is a snowball effect when we practice abundance (when teacher A registers a student, teachers A,B,C and D are all more likely to reach more students.)  Music class can be for every child, and our abundant mindset leads to the reality of a more musical community.

Let's Play Music teachers also exhibit abundance within their amazingly generous and supportive network. "I have lots of my own ideas for making class special. I could keep them to myself and try to become the best teacher ever, but nobody does that. We share our ideas and answer each other's questions and we create a whole nation of best teachers ever. Another teacher always had students with really great compositions and I wanted to know what she was doing that worked so well for teaching this, so she shared it with me. We made it into a class for all the teachers. Just freely sharing- just being generous."

Parents Feel Abundance

As music parents, do we ever slip into the scarcity mindset? How could it look different?

Has this scarcity mentality thinking entered your mind? "Our teacher is fantastic, but some of those kids in class always need extra help.  When she helps them, my daughter doesn't get as much attention." 

I challenge you to change to an abundance mindset. "The teacher divides her time among the children, and it's okay if the time is not exactly equal.  It's fair because the teacher is giving each child what is needed, and that looks different for different kids.  ALL of the children are progressing as musicians.  I recognize the huge benefits for my child to have a musical community of peers to perform with.  I want to foster our success as a class and be happy for them as a group. The teacher shares time with other students, and in the big picture, that makes the experience better for us, too."

Here is another example of scarcity I have encountered. "Resources are tight. There is just not enough time or money to go around to pursue everything we are interested in.  If we pursue one activity, we drop another, and it's really sad." Is it possible to change this zero-sum thinking to a more abundant mindset? I think it is but yes, I have balanced a checkbook, too.  Consider a list of the things you really value and want to pursue with your child.  In this case it might be soccer, ballet, swim lessons, music lessons, or private school tuition.  

Truly, there isn't time or money to have it all!  "I realized we could not make everything happen, at least not all at once.  Some of those activities are still things I want my daughter to try, but I realized there would not be much harm in waiting a few years before getting involved.  We also decided that she wouldn't do any one sport year-round, in order to free up time to just try other things.  When she's older she can get focused if she wants to.  As for music, we recognized it would be a loss to miss out on joining LPM during the age when it is most impactful, so we gave it full priority and found ways to barter and babysit to help pay for classes. We don't feel like we gave up anything, we just take turns, really."  

Another perspective is, "I'm just so very grateful we live in a community bursting with knowledge and opportunities for my child. It's amazing to have the problem of too many opportunities to pursue.  But, just about everything can be sampled during childhood. There is enough time to experience it. It's a good idea to remember that kids have an entire lifetime to focus down and build up excellence.  I give my kids this basic foundation of music and a bit of basic athletics and they can choose where to go with it next."

Teaching Abundance

These are some tough questions (sadly based on some real life tantrums) I put to my own children, to help them see the difference between scarcity and abundance. I encourage them to make a conscious choice to think about situations in an abundant and thankful way.

• When your sister gets a new winter coat do you feel upset (scarcity) or do you feel happy that she has what she needs to be warm (abundance)?
•  When your brother opens his birthday presents do you feel angry (scarcity) or do you feel happy to see that he is happy on his special day? (abundance)
•  When you ask for an ice cream cone and you get one, but then Mom offers one to your sister, too, do you feel angry (scarcity) or can you feel happy that your request was honored? (abundance)
• When you have a swim race with your brothers and sisters, do you get mad whenever you don't win (scarcity) or can you feel happy for whoever wins? (abundance)
• When we have cookies for dessert do you try to hide some for yourself to eat later (scarcity), or let everyone share them and because we can make more another day? (abundance)

When you notice your children (or yourself) feeling jealous of someone else, beware! The scarcity mindset tells you that others' happiness must somehow diminish yours.  How is the other person's happiness, success, or possession preventing you from getting your happiness, success, or possession? It's usually not.

When you can be happy for your friends and family because they have what they want, and still be content with what you have, you'll be recognizing abundance.  I hope you have some time this month to look around and feel a sense of thankfulness as you recognize our abundant lives, in music class and everywhere.

-Gina Weibel, M.S.

Let's Play Music Teacher