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Episode 87:  Cheers to What Your Time is Worth

Hello, music teacher friends!  Thanks for tuning into Episode number 87 of the Beyond Measure Podcast!  Christina Whitlock here, your APTF – that’s Anytime Piano Teacher Friend – here.  This is the place for you if you find yourself needing to spend some time with a fellow studio teacher who knows this business.  I’ve got your back, my friend!  Always.

Today’s episode is kind of an offshoot of the previous two weeks…because, wow.  Turns out ya’ll have some FEELINGS about building and downsizing your studios.  My inboxes have been HOPPING with conversations pertaining to how much you have resonated with these topics.  I guess changes in our studio size stir up a lot of emotions, huh?

As with many things in life, the rub of these topics ultimately leads back to money.  I have a whole episode dedicated to talking money  – it’s called Cheers to Money Talk – it’s Episode #37.  In that episode, I talk about how emotionally taxing it is for us to be in charge of setting our rates.  I mean, it is, right? On one hand, it’s an incredible benefit of what we do.  We do not have to wait around on offers or for someone else to decide what our skillset is worth.  WE CALL THE SHOTS.  That’s pretty great, friends.  But.  On the other hand – that puts US in charge of weighing ALL the things – like profit/loss scenarios of our studios.  It leaves US wondering about market standards and what people are willing to pay. It’s so much.

And do you know what makes it worse?  The constant barrage of internet reminders to, “CHARGE WHAT WE ARE WORTH”, right?  I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times.  Charge what you are worth.

Well, that can be motivating, like, empowering advice, I guess.  No offense to anyone who has posted that online recently.  But – when you try to take it for more than surface value, it’s also pretty confusing, right?  I mean, what are we worth?  Even the most extravagant service charges are still not WORTH the value of the humans behind them, are they?

And – what about this?  If I know the so-called experts are telling me to CHARGE WHAT I AM WORTH – am I now supposed to feel guilty for undervaluing myself if I’m not charging some wild amount of money?  Like, now, not only am I EARNING less money than I should be… now I don’t value myself highly enough.  That’s a HEFTY double-whammy, right?

Look.  We, as a profession, do not need ANY more reasons to feel guilty.  We feel guilty for missing time with our families when we’re teaching.  We feel guilty for missing lessons if we make the choice to spend time with family.  It’s a never ending guilt cycle.  Don’t even get me started on the guilt we feel investing in ourselves or our own development.  I do NOT need to feel additional guilt because I’m not “charging my worth”… whatever that even means! 😊

Am I ranting here?  Perhaps.  Sorry about that.  But here’s the real deal:  After conversing with SO MANY of you these past two weeks over your MANY feelings over needing more students or fewer students or whatever demands are currently in place over your life – it’s clear to me we all need to (1) take a really deep breath…. And (2), give some REALLY careful consideration to the value of our TIME.

Not the value of ourselves…. Because we are all priceless.  But, surely, our TIME is in various states of demand.

I often hear teachers ask one another, “What should I charge to play a wedding?”  or “How much do you charge to accompany a student for solo and ensemble contest?” or whatever…

Do you want to know the REAL answer to that question?  It’s, “How much is it worth TO YOU, in this current season of life?”

Again – I know – constantly placing monetary value on our abilities is exhausting.  It is.  So I understand why people ask.  But, in the end, like, if I lived in a community where everyone told  me the going-rate to play for a wedding was $50?  Knowing that information would not lead me to simply play the wedding for $50.  There’s no way.  Now – might there be someone out there who would agree to do it for $50?  Sure!  Maybe someone has the time – or just loves being part of weddings. Good for them.   But – right now –  I would be working up a quote that took into consideration all my prep time, the rehearsal, meetings with the couple, travel, AND factored in the many pressures associated with playing weddings.  (because, if you know, you know. 😊)

So many of us are gigging musicians and these decisions are part of our everyday life.  Again, it’s FOR SURE a struggle.  But, in the end, I ask myself one simple question:  Am I going to approach this work with excitement?  Or am I going to feel bitter about it; as though I’m doing whoever a HUGE favor.  The answer to that question is pretty telling.

I also ask myself whether I’m being compensated enough to bring my best to this opportunity.  If I say yes to a collaborative opportunity but am not making enough money to prioritize adequate practice time, that sets me up to look and feel like a mess in rehearsal – or worse – the performance.  This is not a win for anyone.  Ask me how I know.  😊

The same concept applies to our studio teaching lives.  As I mentioned last week, there is ABSOLUTELY a time and a place for bringing on scholarship students or agreeing to teach someone for a lower rate.  That’s your business.  BUT.  Remember my big question.  Before you AGREE to enter into that situation, are you going to be able approach that commitment with excitement?  Or are you ultimately going to feel bitter or compromised over it?  Are you going to be able to bring your best to it, or… not?  I have a whole episode on making exceptions – it’s a pretty good one, if I do say so myself – that’s #53.

It boils down to this:  TIME is the hottest currency in society today. Research is proving up-and-coming generations are prioritizing TIME over money in many cases.  So today, I’m asking you:  are you valuing your TIME correctly?   What does your TIME really cost you?

Look.  I know.  Money is always a hot-button topic.  Especially now.  Inflation.  The economy.  Unrest.  Uncertainty.

If we raise our tuition rates, some will say we’re greedy.  If we don’t, others will say we’re bad at business.

I need you to forget ALL of that.  Toss it all out the window.

Instead, consider today:  What does your time cost you?

It’s not about going-rates for your area or what that business coach told you about how you should run your business.

It’s about what your time costs.

For me?  Right now?  My time costs me absence from my young family.  My most precious treasures here on this earth.

Your time might cost you attention to your loved ones, too.  It might cost you attention from creative work that matters deeply to you, and serves your community.  Maybe it costs you volunteer hours from something you feel really passionate about.  Or a ritual you really want to make part of your day.

Be honest with yourself.  What is your time REALLY costing you?

You can only set tuition rates that work for your life when you answer that question first. It doesn’t matter what the teacher across town is charging.  It matters what YOU determine to be fair compensation for what your teaching time is ACTUALLY costing  you.

You may hear this and think it’s all about justifying higher rates.  That’s not really it.  Let me give you an example.

While I was doing my undergraduate in northeast Ohio, I managed to work my way into some really cool networks of ladies groups and business organizations who would hire me regularly to play background music during their events.  I had multiple groups of wealthy women who would pay me VERY well to come play for an hour in BEAUTIFUL historic homes while they had lunch.  I played dinner banquets for groups like NPR.  I *loved* this kind of work, and was delighted to make a few hundred dollars for an hour’s work.  After all, once I’d built up a binder of suitable music – all of it being pretty much sightreadable – I really just had travel time plus the hour’s performance.

But – when I moved to Indiana to do my Master’s Degree, I never found those same kinds of circles.  And I missed them.  Shortly after we were married, I received a call from the local Historical Society, asking me to play an hour of dinner music in a historic mansion.  Woohoo!  I was SO excited because this was my favorite kind of gig.  But – the man said the budget was a strict $50.  No wiggle room.  I said no at first, but he pretty much begged me to do it, and promised to bring me back twice a year in the future, after a higher budget was established.

Well, despite being programmed through my earlier years to NEVER accept a lowball offer, common sense prevailed. I was a newlywed.  My studio was relatively small.  I was really trying to build it.  We were not in a position to turn down money.  So, I had the time… Thanks to my trusty binder, the music needed no preparation… I loved the kind of gig.  Fine.  I agreed.  And you know what?  He kept his word, and agreeing to that one $50 offer led me to several future invitations of more appropriate compensation.

Hear me:  this is NOT me advocating you take jobs simply for exposure.  I hope you know “exposure” doesn’t pay the bills.  BUT.  In this particular case, I needed money, I had time, and I liked the gig.  It was an all-win situation.  Had I stuck to my original guns and refused to do it for lesas?  Well, nothing would be drastically different in my life, but I would have cost myself a decent chunk of change the long run, and missed out on a kind of performance I enjoy.

As we prepare to wrap up for today, I want to encourage you to stop spinning your brain in circles around dollar amounts.  Yes, you could take a busy high school student on at 9:00pm on Tuesday nights.  I’ve been there done that, before kids.  😊  If you’re going to be able to approach that lesson with excitement, then do it!  If you’re going to dread it every week, don’t do it.  It’s not worth it.  Some of you know I have a student who comes to my house for an hour at 6:30am each week.  We’re heading into year 2 of this arrangement.  It works great – he’s a terrific student, I’m a morning person, and meeting before school is just a different kind of energy that I’ve come to really enjoy.  But – he also pays a premium tuition price.  It is enough of an inconvenience for my family that I needed to make the compensation high enough to justify the situation.  And, yeah… if there’s ever a morning where my attitude is dragging a little bit, knowing I’m being fairly compensated for the time goes a LONG way to helping me feel better.   What’s it going to take for you to approach your lessons with excitement this year, friends?  THIS IS THE QUESTION.

Let’s wrap this party up with a toast:

Music teacher friends of the world: I just want to say this: All our time is precious.  Regardless of children or loved ones or passions or privilege – whatever the case – if you want the most out of studio teacher or musician life, you MUST learn to carefully weigh what your time is worth.  Ask yourself consistently:  Am I being compensated enough to approach this job with EXCITEMENT, rather than resentment?  If the answer is no, something’s got to change or you’re going to find yourself drowning in negativity.  Consider this episode your life preserver!   Cheers to figuring out what your TIME is worth, my talented friends.  Here, Here.

Thanks again for listening to Episode 87!  This your reminder – again – that, even though talking about money can be uncomfortable and makes some of us feel slimy, studio teaching IS YOUR JOB.  As in, it’s a service you provide in exchange for ACTUAL DOLLARS. 😊  Money may not be the only point of what we do, but it is ONE OF THE POINTS, so I hope I’m helping you consider it outside the veil of shame you might have once felt.  Do me a favor and make it a GREAT week, okay friends?  As always, come find me on socials, or email me at [email protected].  I’m dropping some links to previous episodes mentioned today in the shownotes so be sure to check those out.

Thanks again!  Onward and upward toward MORE EXCITEMENT about what we do!