Student FAQs:

• How often do students take lessons?

  • Students have the opportunity to pick a day and a time that fits their schedule and availability best. Most families choose to take a weekly lesson. In some situations, an instructor can accommodate a bi-weekly lesson schedule for busy working professionals or folks that are on a budget.

    One of the great advantages of taking music lessons with MTN is that you are never penalized for missing a lesson so long as you notify us 24 hours in advance that you will not be available for your scheduled session. In other words, a fixed duration of lessons, whether it be monthly, quarterly or yearly, is never imposed on MTN families or students. You simply pick a day and a time, purchase a credits package and credits are deducted as you go.

• How do MTN instructors differ from others?

  • Since inception, MTN has held high expectations of excellence and accountability in a largely unregulated field. Finding instructors that possess the proper education, experience and knowhow has always been a challenge.

    Fortunately, years of experience and constant refinement of our hiring process has paid off greatly. MTN instructors must have a positive history of teaching experience and have that "special something" that communicates trust and commitment to us before we consider them for our team. MTN instructors have also passed a thorough background screening. Patience, commitment, dedication to purpose and exceptional teaching ability separates MTN instructors from the rest.

• Where are music lessons taught?

  • MTN specializes in private in-home lesson services. We believe that our service solves a multitude of problems for busy moms and working professionals who need a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and appreciate the luxury of having a teacher that travels to their home.

    An additional benefit of in-home lessons is that over 90% of the time a student will practice the lesson material immediately after the teacher leaves since they're already set up. When you take your child to a studio or guitar store, more often than not, the guitar goes back into the case and your son or daughter ends up missing out on valuable practice time and momentum.

• How may I pay for lessons?

  • At MTN we realize that there are limitations and circumstances that arise that are beyond a student or teacher's control. That's why we created the MTN credits system.

    Inspired by years of real-time market analysis, the MTN credits system is a credit based program designed to deliver maximum value per unit by allowing students to essentially "pay as they go." Far too often parents get discouraged as missed lessons accumulate. Make ups are difficult to schedule and often times impossible to coordinate between a student's and teacher's busy schedules. Credits can be purchased in the student account center, are discounted in bulk and fully transferable between members of the same family.

• What is MTN's cancellation policy?

  • As long as your MTN instructor is notified 24 hours in advance, there is no penalty for missing lessons. If you would like to reschedule, please contact your instructor. You can accomplish this by viewing their schedule in your student account area. From there you may make a schedule request directly to your instructor.

• Which forms of payment does MTN accept?

  • We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and eCheck. Please reference your student account area for payment details.

• Do I need to have my own instrument in order to take lessons?

  • Yes, you must own or rent an instrument applicable to you or your child's lesson focus. Our instructors do not supply instruments or accessories. Please see our online store for great deals on musical instruments, sheet music and accessories.

• What is MTN's reschedule policy?

  • If you provide 24 hours notice by communicating through the MTN website to your instructor, MTN will NOT deduct or penalize you for any lessons missed. At MTN, you pay as you go.

• What is the minimum age I should start my child in music lessons?

  • The right age for starting music lessons varies by several factors. For one, your child's attention span plays an important role in whether or not they can remain engaged for a 45 min lesson. Additionally, be able to employ the practice schedule that their instructor scheduled for them for the week between lessons. We suggest an average starting age of 5 years old BUT if you think that your child is ready at 4 years old and possesses an exceptional or above average attention span, then we are more than happy to accommodate you and make our own assessment. Elton John started playing piano at two! Imagine if they told him he was too young?

• Can I change my lesson day or time?

  • Yes. You can manage your schedule, payments and messages in your student account area.

• Am I required to take a certain amount of lessons?

  • At MTN you pay as you go. Whichever package you choose to purchase, you may use your credits as you desire. Please see our selection of plans and a detailed description of our credits program.

• Does MTN offer volume discounts?

  • Yes. Please see our selection of plans and a detailed description of our credits program.

• How often should my child practice?

  • As a rule of thumb, a student should practice their instrument for at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Of course the more a student practices the faster they will become proficient and get the most out of their lessons experience and education. It is important for a parent to emphasize the word "play" instead of "practice" as a method to encourage kids to invest time in their instrument.

• Does MTN supply books and materials?

  • Yes. Please check out our store for great deals on sheet music, instruments and MTN gear.

• Are there any other ways to earn bonuses or discounts on future lessons?

  • Yes. We really appreciate your referrals. For every family to send to MTN that purchases a credits package and references your name, we will automatically provide you with 7 free credits.

• Does MTN offer 30 minute lessons?

  • Unfortunately, no. The minimum scheduled amount of time must be 45 minutes or greater for any single student. You may split 1 hour between 2 students, though, when applicable. At this time, given the high cost of gas and travel expenses, 30 min are not offered alone.

    **Students benefit greatly from the extra 15 minutes that a 45 minute lesson provides. In this case, an instructor need not rush to complete a session which insures that a student understands the information completely and is getting the most out of the lessons; saving parents time and money.

Instructor FAQs:

• How do instructors get paid?

  • Instructors are paid as independent contractors. MTN does not withhold taxes. All instructors are paid monthly and are issued a 1099 form for the IRS at the end of each calendar year.

• How does MTN differ from the competition?

  • While no one can guarantee that an instructor will have a full student load all of the time, we never hire more instructors then we need. Some companies hire a mass amount of instructors to improve their impact on the internet but fall short when it comes to providing a real income for their instructors. MTN prides itself on being honest and fair when it comes to the treatment of its instructors but expects 110% of effort from every teacher when it comes to administration responsibilities and commitment to student's time and education.

• What is expected from an instructor?

  • Consistency, commitment to excellence and exceptional attention to detail is what sets our instructors apart from other schools. Communication is a major requirement with respect to your position with MTN. An instructor is required to log in on the website at the end of each day's lessons and physically "check off" each lesson that was completed, canceled or rescheduled for that day, along with a brief synopsis of everything that was conducted in the lesson and all progress that was made.

• What are the requirements to become an Instructor for MTN?

  • MTN gets thousands of resumes and inquiries each year. We seek instructors who possess a pleasant, patient and nurturing disposition. Additionally, you MUST have prior teaching experience, a degree in music or equivalent experience (trade school or apprenticeship) for consideration. You must own a car, be at least 18 years of age, and legally permitted to work in the US.

• Do I have to own a car to work for MTN?

  • Yes. Our instructors are required to travel to our customer's homes.

• Does MTN require a dress code?

  • MTN requires that instructors arrive dressed in a button-down shirt or golf shirt with slacks (no jeans) for men. For women, MTN requires that instructors arrive in either a button down, blouse or sweater with slacks.

• Why do I have to provide a picture when applying to MTN?

  • MTN provides a photo of all of our instructors for perspective students to review on our website. Also, all MTN instructors are required to maintain a professional MTN profile on our company website.

• Why is prior teaching a requirement?

  • At MTN we feel an instructor with prior teaching experience possess the tools and knowledge needed to provide an above average level of music education.

• Is there a contract or time commitment required?

  • A year commitment is required. Instructors must sign and complete our teaching agreement in order to teach students with MTN.

• Do I get paid if a student cancels a lesson?

  • No. Instructors get paid for lessons they teach. An instructor may suggest a makeup lesson to be completed within the same week, on a different day.