When it comes to falling victim to scams, the best defense is education to identify and avoid them. After a scam is complete, recovering funds and catching the scammer can be a slow process. This article provides useful tools to help readers better identify scams when they encounter them.

As an independent music teacher, you’ve likely encountered situations where the rules around music licensing felt unclear. I once attended a conference session with a room full of music professionals, and despite their expertise, there was no consensus on when an (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) license is required. Even worse, misinformation spreads quickly, underscoring just how important it is to clarify this topic.

When launching a music studio, it is important to understand the requirements for local business licenses and zoning regulations. Following zoning laws and acquiring a business license when necessary protects a private studio or commercial school from unwanted fines or closure for noncompliance, so it is wise for us all to be educated on this important topic.

As independent music teachers and directors of independent music schools, we constantly seek information on the most up-to-date business trends in our profession. Articles, blogs, presentations and webinars all help, but another way to find the latest and greatest information is to conduct a survey of our peers. When planning a member survey, be aware of the following do’s and don’ts to help you gather relevant data, observe best practices and abide by legal requirements.

COVID, virtual teaching, Zoom, downloadable PDFs…all have changed music instruction forever, and rapidly. Don’t let it change your respect for the laws governing copyrights, purchasing music, and sharing that music with others.

When you work for someone else, whether teaching at a community arts school, or apprenticing with a home studio teacher, or collaborating with multiple teachers at an academy or music store, you are being hired as either an employee or independent contractor.

Non-compete agreements, also known as restrictive covenants, are a legal agreement between an employer and an employee that limits the employee’s ability to compete with the employer’s business after their employment ends. While these agreements are a common feature in many large companies, small businesses—such as music studios and independent music instructors—can also benefit from using them.

The MTNA Attorney has prepared several documents for member use.

 

This 18-page book has been made available to MTNA members as a PDF document,