freelance myths debunked

Freelance Music Teacher Myths: Debunked! Part 1

Andrea Orem
freelance myths debunked, insurance, multiple income streams, myths debunked, time management
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As a freelance music teacher, you may have encountered various misconceptions about the profession. In this blog post, I will debunk some of the most common myths surrounding freelance music teaching and reveal the truths behind them. Let’s dive in!

Myth #1: You Have to Work Evenings if You're a Freelance Teacher

Truth: This is a prevalent myth that many aspiring music teachers believe. While it’s true that some freelance music teachers choose to work evenings to accommodate students' schedules, it is not a requirement. One of the greatest advantages of being a freelance teacher is the flexibility it offers. You can set your own hours and create a schedule that best suits you and your family.Personally, I have structured my teaching hours to avoid evening work altogether. There are plenty of opportunities to teach during the day, especially with homeschooled students, retirees, or adult learners who have flexible schedules. Remember, as a freelance music teacher, you are in control of your time!

Myth #2: You Can't Make a Living Teaching Freelance Music Unless You Work Crazy Long Hours

Truth: This myth often discourages talented musicians from pursuing a career in teaching. The reality is that you can absolutely make a comfortable living as a freelance music teacher without working excessively long hours.The key is to structure your offerings effectively. By diversifying your services, setting appropriate rates, and managing your time wisely, you can create a sustainable income while working reasonable hours. In my case, I maintain a thriving teaching practice with only 15-20 hours of work per week. Of course, there are exceptions—like concert weeks when everyone in the music world tends to put in extra hours—but that’s part of the excitement!

Myth #3: Freelance Teaching Only Works if Your Spouse Holds the Insurance

Truth: While having a spouse with employer-provided insurance can be beneficial, it is not essential for successful freelance teaching. Many self-employed individuals can secure health coverage through various options. In my family’s case, both my husband and I are self-employed, and we utilize health sharing programs (currently this specific one but we have used others in the past and saved a lot!) as an affordable alternative to traditional insurance. It’s crucial to weigh the pros and cons of different health coverage options based on your family's specific needs.

Being a freelance music teacher allows you to create a career that fits your life rather than conforming to traditional job structures. By debunking these myths, I hope to encourage more talented musicians to explore the rewarding path of freelance teaching. Join us in the Freelance Music Teachers group on FB and stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll tackle more myths and share additional insights into this fulfilling career!

Myths About Teaching Freelance Debunked, Part 1

Andrea Orem
budget, freelance, freelance myths debunked, music, piano teacher, selfemployed, teacher
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There are a lot of myths about teaching music freelance that I've heard from my coaching clients and others that I am going to debunk in a new blog series, so here it goes. :)

Myths about Teaching Freelance Debunked, Part 1

#1 If I want to teach freelance, I have to teach private lessons.

Nope! I do teach a couple private lessons (currently I only have 4 private students), but that is not the bulk of what I do. Mostly, I teach choirs (3 different groups) and elementary music classes during the day!

#2 If I want to teach private lessons, I have to give up my evenings and weekends.

Also no! All of the lessons I've taught from my home as a self-employed individual have been during the day. Occasionally I'll offer makeup lessons on a Saturday or an evening, but all of my lessons (at one point I had 13 private lesson students) have been during the day. How do I find students to fit this need? Homeschoolers, retired folks, and online students in other time zones are the three easiest ways, in my experience.

#3 Self-employed people pay double taxes.

While I am no tax expert (so don't take my comments as advice, just my own experience!), I have never paid double in taxes because I am self-employed. There are SO MANY things we can deduct by being self-employed that my taxes are no worse than someone who is an employee, and I have free control of my schedule, work part-time with full-time pay, and don't have nearly the amount unnecessary paperwork or meetings as employed people do. To me, the perks are worth it!

If you'd like more budgeting 101 for self-employed music teacher tips, you can grab that here. I'm all about saving you time where I had to learn the long way through living it. :)

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If this was helpful for you and you'd like to stay tuned for part 2, you can join my free group where we talk about this kind of thing all the time. I post the blogs, informative videos, and discount codes to my coaching & courses here.

This is my health story

I have always been sensitive. That's a word that has described me, my body in particular, my whole life. I have skin sensitivities to fabrics, bruise easily, I get cold easily, I tend to be on "alert" all of the time (no coffee needed here!), I'm a musician and very creative, and I don't even THINK about using any conventional personal care or other products that are scented... they bother my skin, and they bother my respiratory system too. I've never been able to use any scented products because of the discomfort and increased sensitivity they cause. I can't be around people who wear perfume or scented deodorant, because I can't breathe well and my head has discomfort. I can't go into a public bathroom that has been just cleaned because of the toxic chemicals they used to clean it. I can't enjoy candles or most lotions or makeup like most women I know because I'm sensitive to it.

During my first semester of college, I started to develop debilitating discomfort in my jaw, which I was later told is TMJD or temporomandibular joint dysfunction, not just the kind of little twinge when you bite down on something too hard, but long-lasting aching, along with clicking and cracking. It was exacerbated by singing, gum-chewing, caffeine, and other things, and I was easily able to cut out all of the things listed on my doctor's list except for one -- singing. I was a vocal music education major, and singing was my livelihood (or at least soon-to-be), so I couldn't just not practice! I struggled so hard for 2.5 years through long choir rehearsals, voice lessons, practice sessions, and more. By the end of the day, it would be so bad that I'd almost be in tears. My roommates and boyfriend (and his roommates!), bless their servant hearts, would bring me freezing cold ice packs to numb my face enough so that I could fall asleep at least, though I would wake up in the night unable to fall back asleep due to other sleep issues I also was dealing with.

It seemed like a vicious cycle that I needed to stop. Maybe I needed to change majors and give up my dream of making music, of teaching others to make music too. Maybe I needed to pick something that didn't require so much singing and talking. Even smiling a lot bothered me, so maybe I needed to pick a major or job with less human interaction. But THAT idea broke my heart. I didn't enjoy any of the things I could think of! My boyfriend at the time (now husband!) and I had many conversations about what I should do... singing was part of the fabric of my BEING. I am MADE to sing. If you know me, you know that hardly an hour went by without me humming or singing some little tune. But my jaw bothered me so much most of the time that I needed to change SOMETHING. But what?

And that's when change came...

I found some natural and pretty simple solutions -- though simple doesn't always mean easy! It required a LOT of discipline and self-control on my part.

I'm blessed now to have so many versatile tools in my tool box for any emotion, body system, or issue I may be experiencing. So, where am I now? Healthier than I’ve EVER been. I have NO jaw issues anymore when I keep up my self-created protocol. I sleep through the night. I feel so much better now that I'm sleeping more and deeper. I've spent 4 years now working through the emotional issues I faced in early career, and I am so happy that I can now FEEL emotions without feeling completely run-over and frozen by emotions. I’m also happy to say that I have only had little illnesses since finding solutions, not the constant strep throat and other illnesses I was getting at least once per month before! And, that’s saying a lot as I was constantly around germs while working full time with 500+ elementary students. But once I started supporting my immune system, I stopped getting sick every couple of weeks. I can clean with the most amazing smelling cleaner without coughing. I can wear my own homemade "perfume" and get compliments, and not only does it smell good, it supports my body systems. I can use amazing smelling shampoo now! I can have twice as much energy for the day without drinking any coffee or sugary drink. When I started having these successes, I was at first in disbelief, and now in awe at all that God's created, I believe, and given us for our good. Now these are my first line of defense, my go-tos, the first thing I do when something is off, which is not very often anymore (usually just when the weather changes, ah MN life).

I look forward to living a beautiful life of freedom and feeling empowered every single day, enjoying the life I was meant to live. That life includes sharing my story of overcoming and helping you also find better, safer solutions to overcome your daily struggles.

Are you ready to live empowered to be your own best advocate? Let's chat.

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