One of the questions I'm asked most often by my musician/music teacher pals is about how to get started building a private practice teaching lessons.

It's not a difficult thing to do, but it's really nice to have someone share info about it so you don't have to re-invent the wheel.

The first thing to consider is who you want to contact to make an offer.

Do you have a mailing list of fans? Are you already teaching classes in an after-school program, community center or music school? Are you playing live gigs?

You can use any of these resources and settings to begin spreading the word, or "seeding" the fact that you're offering private instrument lessons.

When I first heard about seeding, it gave me a bit of a stomach ache because I thought it meant that I would have to talk about what I do in a way that's pushy and icky.

The good news is that seeding can be based on how we can best serve our students, because it starts with paying attention to what their pain points are.

Example:

When beginning guitar students first encounter things like the fact that it hurts to press their fingers against the strings or how awkward it is to switch between chords, it often leaves them wondering if it's an indication that there's something wrong with them that will prevent them from ever being able to learn to play.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth and one of the ways I can take care of them is to tell stories about other students who've had the same experience, and the fact that they're now having a blast playing guitar.

When I share these kinds of stories, I'm not only taking care of my students but also seeding the fact that these are the kinds of results they can expect as they continue studying with me. Then, when I have private lesson slots available, I can mention it while sharing the success stories of my fab students.

Another setting where you can do some seeding is when you're on stage.

In between songs, you can tell stories about students getting over various learning hurdles.  Part of a band? Have someone in the band mention that you offer lessons and indicate that anyone who's interested can talk to you during a break or after the show.

When people pay us to teach them, they're not paying for our years of study and experience as much as they're paying for the results they're dreaming of.  Seeding student stories gives them information about whether what we offer has the potential to deliver on those results.

In the end, when people sign up for lessons, they do so because they believe we can help them achieve their music playing dreams, and if we do our seeding well, signing up becomes a no-brainer for them.

And what's better than those moments when a student is finally able to play something they thought that only the special talented people could, or understand a theory concept after decades of it making their brains shut down?

p.s.  At the last Folk Alliance conference, I offered a free 10-Minute Tutoring (with a 1 hour follow-up) session for artists who teach and had the pleasure of working with the amazing Erinn Peet Lukes, Nashville-based performing songwriter and teacher extraordinaire.  Check out some kind words from her below about her experience working with me: