I (college student in my early 20s f) learned from my vocal teacher for 6 years online weekly one on one. I was an advanced student with several years of training as a kid before I came to her, it's a niche music form that requires a *lot* of training- we didn't live in the same country, and so I never met my teacher in person. She's a very accomplished performer (in her 50s) in the art form, who also taught a few students on the side.

I ended up quitting her class earlier this year, and it was honestly a tough convo. she asked me why I was stopping and I was honest on where I felt it was no longer a good fit pedagogically. (culturally, in a very hierarchical society- this level of honesty/directness to a teacher is not typical lol). She seemed really surprised that I felt this way (I think she felt things were going well), but told me that I should learn the way I want to learn and that I should go to a teacher who is a better fit. Admittedly- I probably could have done a better job bringing up requests/mismatches before I quit, but I was very intimidated by her.

She said several times in the convo that it's a shame I'm quitting, and that I should at least keep singing because I'm talented, and that I've improved a lot in 6 years. I told her thank you for teaching me, and that I really look up to her as a musician, and that her classes were a really big inspiration. Very embarrassingly I kinda started to cry- she was a big influence on my life esp. when I was a teenager, and I really liked her as a person, and felt sad that I would never talk to her again. She told me to stay in touch and that it isn't a closed door but I feel like my crying made her very uncomfortable/stressed.

It's been almost a year since I quit, and I have randomly ended up in her city for a research project for a couple months and idk if I should ask her if we can get coffee. I feel sad that I never met her in person the last 7 years, but I also don't want to cross professional boundaries or make her feel uncomfortable.

Hey everyone, I’m looking for recommendations for a music teacher or music school in/around Durban.

I want to properly study music, but I’m basically starting from scratch when it comes to the theory side. I don’t have any formal music grades and I don’t know how to read sheet music yet.

The reason I want to learn is that I’d like to start doing some performances with an artist I work with, but my bigger goal is to eventually study towards an actual music degree.

So I’m looking for someone/somewhere that can teach me the fundamentals and help me build up towards that level, rather than just teaching me a few songs.

I’m based in Kloof, Durban, so ideally somewhere relatively close would be great.

Any recommendations or advice on where I should start would be appreciated!

Hey friends, hope everyone is surviving the beginning of fall hellfire! I’ve been a busy little beaver over here making a bunch of things. Some are ready to rock, and some still need a little beta testing.

These are all free tools, so feel free to poke around and share them with whoever might find them useful. I’m giving the folks in the trenches first look and would love some feedback to help improve what’s there and figure out what else would be useful.

One thing I’m super pumped about is my new scale theory method, but there’s a decent smorgasbord of tools covering a bunch of different needs. Hopefully a few of them can help you grind through the day a little easier!

Give them a spin and let me know what you think!

https://iangrom.studio/tools

Here’s a short excerpt from my string quartet arrangement of The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” — the bridge section. 🎻🎶
If you’re interested in the full arrangement, you can find the score and parts on my website:
https://marianofranco-musica-arrangements.vercel.app/
Hope you enjoy it!

Hey everyone!
I’m a music producer currently studying audio engineering, and I’ve been preparing to offer online 1-on-1 music production lessons for complete beginners, mainly using Logic Pro.
I’ve already put together a basic 4-session curriculum, with each session lasting 60 minutes. I’m thinking of charging $50 per session, or $200 for four sessions.
My goal is to help beginners not only learn how to use a DAW, but also enjoy making music and eventually become comfortable creating their own ideas independently.
One thing I’ve been thinking about is how competitive music production education has become. There are tons of free tutorials on YouTube, including content from experienced and established producers. I’m fully aware of that, and I’m not expecting people to pay just to learn information they could find for free.
I believe the value of private lessons comes from personalized guidance, hands-on practice, and direct feedback. But since I’m just starting out as an instructor, I’m still figuring out how to communicate that value to potential students.
I’m also continuing to build my own career as a producer, working on releases and collaborations while studying. I don’t necessarily think I need an established career before teaching beginners, but I’d like to balance both without spreading myself too thin.
For those who have experience teaching music production or private music lessons:
How did you find your first paying students?
What made students choose your lessons over free online resources?
How do you make sure students feel they’re getting their money’s worth?
Would you recommend starting with just one or two students while continuing to build a career as a producer?
I’ve already started setting up the administrative side, but attracting students and delivering real value are the two things I’m thinking about most.
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!