Guides
Straight answers about learning and teaching music in Australia. Written by a music teacher, sourced where it matters, and corrected when we get something wrong.
For parents
Choosing lessons, what they cost, and how to tell a good teacher from a listing.
How much do music lessons cost?
Real advertised rates from 336 Australian teachers: what half hour and hour lessons cost, how piano compares with guitar and voice, and when a cheap lesson is a false economy.
2027 school terms and your music lessons
Term dates for every state in 2027, what they mean for lesson billing and exam timing, and when to book if you want a spot in Term 1.
What age should a child start music lessons?
The honest answer, by instrument and by child: what the research supports, what readiness looks like in a room, and when in the Australian school year to actually start.
How to choose a music teacher: the questions to ask
The questions that actually reveal something, the one credential to check before anything else, and why the trial lesson tells you more than any qualification.
For teachers
Running a studio in Australia: pricing, policies, credentials and getting students.
Child safety checks for music teachers: every Australian state
Working with Children Checks, Blue Cards, Ochre Cards and VIT registration, explained state by state: which one you actually need, why a police check is never enough, and how a parent verifies it.
Cancellation and make up policies that actually work
How to write a music lesson cancellation policy that protects your income without making you the bad guy, including the make up credit model that stops the endless rescheduling.
How to get more music students
What actually fills an Australian teaching book: term timing, referrals you can engineer, directories and lead platforms compared honestly, and why retention is the cheapest acquisition.
How to start a music teaching business in Australia
Everything between deciding to teach and invoicing your first family: the child safety check, a free ABN, the $75,000 GST line, insurance, and the setup that saves your first year.