Teachers Earn More.
Students Get Better.
Fair wages for professional musicians create better instruction and a thriving NYC music scene.
What Students Pay
Traditional schools charge significantly more while paying teachers significantly less.
Kalman Music Lessons
60-Minute Lesson
Traditional Music School
60-Minute Lesson
What Teachers Receive
Despite charging less, our teachers earn multiples more because we prioritize fair pay over institutional overhead.
Kalman Teacher
From each 60-min lesson
Traditional School Teacher
From each 60-min lesson
Our teachers earn multiple times more per lesson despite students paying less, because we eliminate institutional overhead and prioritize fair compensation.
Annual Teaching Income
Kalman teachers earn a sustainable living wage that allows them to maintain active performance careers in NYC while teaching. Traditional school teachers often need multiple jobs just to survive.
Fair Pay Creates Better Outcomes
Supporting NYC's Live Music Scene
When teachers can actually afford to live in NYC, they stay active performers at venues like Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Smalls Jazz Club. You learn from working musicians, not burned-out instructors juggling multiple jobs.
Higher Quality Instruction
Fair wages mean teachers invest time creating custom arrangements, practice recordings, and detailed feedback. Teaching isn't just a survival job—it's a valued part of their professional career, so they bring their best to every lesson.
Long-Term Relationships
Traditional schools paying minimum wage experience constant teacher turnover. At Kalman, teachers stay for years because they're earning a living wage. You build lasting relationships instead of starting over every semester.
Learn from Musicians Who Can Afford to Teach
Fair wages create motivated teachers. Motivated teachers create exceptional students. Exceptional students support live music.
