What are some of the key advantages to taking in home piano lessons? Many students travel to studios or music lesson facilities for their lessons. While there is nothing wrong with this, there are some clear advantages to taking piano lessons in your home. As a teacher, I have taught in both environments and I have picked up on several key differences between students’ experiences and long-term success with both approaches. 
First Advantage
The first and most obvious advantage to taking music lessons in your home is convenience. It’s tough organizing a family to go to the movies or out to dinner but, to get in the car, pack up your music and supplies, deal with traffic and do all of this after a full work or school day can seem insurmountable. Most parents and students find the idea of a teacher simply showing up to their home for lessons an extremely attractive alternative. This way, we can work around a families schedule and show up when the student is most likely going to get the most out of lessons. Most students, families and teachers would agree that a lesson is only worthwhile when the student is in the correct frame of mind to learn and through my years of teaching I have found my in-home students are always more likely to be ready and open for a productive lesson.
Practice
Other advantages are less obvious but just as, if not more, important. Essential to success when learning an instrument is practice. Anyone who has taken lessons before knows this! Having lessons on the same piano, in the same room where you practice has a tremendous amount of advantages. Learning music is like learning a new language and for some staring at 88 piano keys can feel intimidating. The more you can keep the same and consistent between the lessons and a students practice sessions, the more likely it will be that they are setup for success. Trying to recall all that was discussed in a lesson is much easier when you are in the same environment as the lesson itself.
Relaxation
Another advantage is the relaxation factor. Young beginners in particular can sometimes feel apprehensive about something as new and foreign as taking up piano. Having the comforts of home and a familiar environment can be extremely helpful for overcoming this. I have spoken to many families that describe a night and day difference to how their student approaches learning and practicing when the lessons are in their own home.
Benefits As A Teacher
As a teacher, there are also some real plusses to working in your students’ homes. As teachers, we believe that the relationship we have with our students and families is essential to getting the most out of a lesson. Playing music is a creative process that involves taking risks, trying new things and not always being successful at the first go. Being in a comfortable environment, like their home, enables the students to take risks and feel comfortable doing so. When teachers have their studios in say, a music store, and give lessons in a small sterile room while mom or dad waits in the waiting room, it is a one on one experience. However, when a student gets a lesson from a teacher in their home, it can become a family experience. Mom and/or dad are not far away. Perhaps a brother or sister is able to see how much fun learning music can be, and as a teacher I’ve gotten to know many family pets.
Benefits To Home Lessons
Going to music lessons in music stores, a music school or teachers home is a very common way of taking lessons. It has been for years, my first teachers were all at their locations. However, in my experience and as our lives become more and more packed with activities, I have found that students are more likely to stick with their instrument, develop a love for music and the process of playing it by learning where they feel most comfortable, their homes.
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