In our day to day busy lives, we find we spend more time driving from activity to activity that the idea of our child receiving their extra-curricular activity at home is appealing. Finally, chances to catch up on housework feed the others and prepare for the next day. Yes, these are but some of the advantages of "in-home" music lessons, one of the only activities that a child can take at home. It is especially advantageous where small children or limited transportation is involved. The appeal extends to not having to hunt around and pack up music books, instruments and coats, kids and boots.

But at home does the child fully concentrate on the instruction being given or are they distracted by the activities they are missing out on? The hardest decision is where to have the instruction take place, in an open room like the family or living room where the distractions of phone calls, people coming in and out and even pets or young children running about. Are you getting full value for your money? Especially if the student needs to discipline a sibling or answer the phone. Often students are not prepared for the teacher's arrival and valuable time is spent searching for last week's assignment or that music book that someone must have run off with.

When teaching "in-home" the instructor must time moving from home to home in an efficient manner. But as we have all experienced the traffic, accidents, construction, and other unforeseen circumstances an instructor delay is common. Their career choice places them in the same category as courier's and taxi drivers since they are constantly "on the road." Add to this the desire for the instructor to provide the full teaching time to the student but the need to be on their way to teach several others. It's hard to picture when the teacher is there in your home that they are not a visitor but a teacher who has probably already taught a half dozen students before you and still has a dozen more to visit before they can go home.

Contrast this with "in-studio" teaching where the student is in a private area which is distraction free. Here they can focus on what is being taught rather than what's on television. Parents can sit in on the time and ask questions and better understand how much progress their child is making and what homework needs to be done. This is much like watching the hockey practice or swimming lesson and sharing in the frustrations and joys that come with learning and experience.

The student has already completed the search for lost notes and misplaced music books long before departure. Parents can relax and recover from any travel frustrations over a hot coffee while a proficient instructor exercises their craft. There too is the opportunity of meeting other parents and students. In-studio lessons are a short time compared to sports and other arts activities so can be easily scheduled in on the way to and from other errands.

In either case forgotten or unfound books may need to wait to the following week and conflicting activities or lateness can occur one way or the other. Frustrations of travel and the pressures of the day are a part of life. But this is all part of learning a musical skill, an art. Practice, hard work, regular habits and good instruction lead to personal pleasure of the achievement, the ability to display progress to friends and relatives -- and in some cases teachers and examiners. Music is a part of everyone's daily life whether the theme music of a favorite television program, a favorite CD playing in the background, or even as sound effects on a video game. The art learned as a child can bring pleasure and in some cases income. But the investment is time and money, how you spend it is up to you.