WELCOME!

Thank you for your interest in teaching positions with Ames Music Studios.  Following is information on how teaching positions are structured, a description of the school and our teaching philosophy.  

If you are interested in applying for a teaching position after viewing this material, please email your resume and a brief description of yourself and the position in which you are interested to:  jobs@amesmusicstudios.com.  No phone calls please.  Suitable applicants will be contacted after receiving your resume for an interview.  

Studio background

Ames Music Studios is a privately-owned, performing arts school founded in 1998.  In this time, we have served thousands of central Iowa students, from Ames and surrounding communities.  Students range in age from three to retirement, though most are school-aged.  Originally designed to offer private music lessons in a variety of musical styles and instrumentation, we have expanded our programs to include private and group lessons on a variety of instruments, vocal music, preschool and prepiano classes, the Iowa School of Rock, and starting in the fall of 2009, we plan to add theater and musical theater study options.

While some of our students go on to pursue musical professions, most take classes to develop a solid musical foundation and develop a life-long love and passion for music and musical endeavors.  We strive to provide a creative, fun, learning environment where a quality musical education may be gained, with a well-organized administration and nice teaching facilities.  

Teaching options:  teaching at a studio vs. teaching privately

Whether one is teaching music privately in your home or students’ homes or teaching with a studio, there are pros and cons to each option.  

First, let’s look at the option of teaching privately.  In the private studio, one advantage is that you get to keep all the tuition charged for the lessons you teach.  Usually, overhead expenses can be kept to a minimum without the customary expenses found in a music studio, such as hiring a receptionist, advertising, etc.

One challenge in teaching privately may include simply finding enough students to keep your schedule as full as you would like.  Costs of newspaper or other advertising to attract students can be expensive.  Many private teachers rely heavily on client recommendations, and though you may be a well-liked teacher, it can take time to fill your schedule.  

When running a private studio, you are teacher, collection agent, secretary, and scheduler, among other responsibilities.  Enforcing your collection and attendance policies can be difficult, and often your time is not respected by your students.  Consider the following two examples.  Let’s say the student is ill on the first lesson day of the month (when the tuition check is due).  The next week, the student has a school band concert that coincides with their lesson time.  When the teacher is finally paid, the student may be reticent or just refuse to pay for your time for the two lessons missed.  This could represent half a month’s tuition lost, instead of earning the entire month’s expected income.  If they make up the missed lessons, additional time is spent scheduling and providing the make-ups.  Another example might be if a student is going on vacation and will be absent for two weeks, it may be difficult for the teacher to collect tuition for the entire month of lessons, even though the teacher may not be able to fill the lesson times of the vacationing student.  If these scenarios happen a few times each month, it represents a significant loss of income.  What about last minute cancellations or no-shows?  These situations are usually at the cost of the instructor, not the student.  When a teacher is consumed with collections, scheduling make-ups, etc., it can be difficult to concentrate on teaching which is what most teachers really want to do.

Now let’s look at teaching in a music school.  Tuition rates for independent teachers and music schools are usually comparable, but there are more expenses for the school such as advertising, utilities, rent, office staff, etc.  Thus, the teacher makes less money per student.  But if the school has a consistent structure for attracting students and maintaining schedules, the teacher makes more money overall.  

In a music school, there is a more steady stream of students coming into the studio throughout the year so that schedules are kept as full as possible.  Thus, the income earned by the teacher is more consistent.  People are not calling just because they have been referred to one teacher as with the in-home studio, but are attracted to the studio through a large number of possible connections, including internet searches, yellow pages ads, personal referrals, newspaper advertising, and signage, to name a few.  

Another advantage of teaching in a music school is that you are able to focus on teaching, without all the added responsibilities of scheduling, collections, providing make-ups, etc.  In a professional, distraction-free environment, you can enjoy teaching to its fullest and provide students with the best learning opportunities.  

Why teach with us?

There are several places where one could teach music in the Ames and the central Iowa area.  Why should you consider teaching with Ames Music Studios?  Here are some of the reasons why quality teachers chose to teach with us over all other choices:

1.  Your schedule is kept as full as possible with a constant flow of new students.

Our consistent advertising means that there are incoming students all year round.   Most students register and start classes in the fall, and student numbers change over the year due to students moving or quitting.  These changes can leave the teacher with gaps in their schedule.  While most studios only solicit new students in August and September for fall registration, we market year-round.  In addition, these fluctuations are mitigated by the fact that people are referred to our studio in a variety of ways as listed above, and often have been reached in two or three ways.  Each year, advertising is a major priority to help keep schedules as full as possible.  This is done by a variety of means such as internet (we also emphasize search placement), yellow pages, newspaper advertising, direct mail and other media.  From year to year, we continually design and add new programs and curriculum to attract a diversity of students with a variety of interests.  

2.  Your only responsibility is to teach; all the extras are taken care of.  

Your job is to teach.  Our job is to create a stimulating environment in which teachers and students can do their best.  We advertise and attract students, handle all billing, collections and scheduling.  An office manager and other staff handle all phone calls. Thus, teachers can dedicate themselves to teaching and to development as a teacher, without all the distractions and added responsibilities.

3.  Your time is respected—you are paid whether or not your students attend their lesson.  

In the common situations in which a student misses a lessons, such as forgetting the lesson, or going on a trip or other social activity, the teacher is paid for that lesson, and not expected to make it up.  If a student has unpaid lessons, or a debt with the studio, the teacher is still paid.  Students are allowed up to two make-ups per year for illness, and we schedule these make-ups, so that the teacher is not spending their time scheduling.  Thus, our teaching positions are structured so that your time is used productively.  

One of our current teachers told us an anecdote that exemplifies the importance of being paid for the time you put in.  One of her friends, a vocal teacher in an independent studio, had eleven students scheduled on a particular day.  Two of those students actually showed up for their lessons;  none of the others had excused absences.  Not only was the teacher paid approximately 80% less than what she expected for that day, she spent over nearly five hours of time being available for students that evening, and put in even more time making follow-up calls to find out why students were not at their lessons!  

Our instructors go into each month knowing what their minimum income will be for the month since fluctuation in weekly attendance is not reflected in monthly earnings.  The only income variable is if a student gets added to the schedule during the month which represents increased income.
 

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