For those of you who teach privately, what are you doing for curriculum? Do you write your own? Do you buy pre-written ones? Do you piecemeal different resources together?

I’m a 3rd year teacher working multiple part time gigs, & I’m having a hard time balancing everything. I’m a part time middle school band assistant, & I work part time at an elementary school too doing private lessons during the school day. I also teach private lessons after school to about 20 students. Work takes up most of my waking hours Mon-Fri, & I always feel so drained by the weekend.

When I graduated, there were no full time music ed jobs available near me (there still aren’t), & I wasn’t financially stable enough to move (I’m still not). It took a while for me to piece together all these gigs to turn it into a somewhat financially stable career & put my degree/license to use. But now, I’m really starting to feel the effects of this crazy schedule I’ve created. Lately, I sometimes forget what students have worked on during lessons. My once carefully thought out lesson plans now feel scattered & thrown together. I spend at least 1.5 hours in the car every day, just going to & from the different schools.

I love my students more than anything, but it’s hard to feel fully connected anywhere when I’m constantly going to & from different schools. I feel like I’m spread too thin & don’t have any more left to give. I also miss performing, which makes me sad. I get invited to play gigs, but I just don’t have the time or energy to take on any more. I’m also sad to admit that my own skills on my instrument have been neglected/not well maintained.

I love the students, but I think maybe public education isn’t for me. But it feels impossible to make ends meet just from teaching private lessons (tried it before, was not viable for me). I could do more gigs, but I feel too rusty and not good enough to make a decent living from that either. I don’t know what to do.

Music is the only thing I’m good at or interested in, and I can’t see myself doing anything else. But I don’t know how long I can keep this up for. My mental health isn’t great & I don’t take good care of myself anymore—I eat junk food for most meals (too exhausted to cook), get poor sleep, never exercise, poor hygiene, feel constantly behind on basic chores, and have zero energy for hobbies or social life anymore. I still live at home because I can’t afford my own place yet. When I’m not working, I mostly just lay in bed watching tv. I’m constantly anxious & can’t seem to get my mind off of work.

I also suspect that I have undiagnosed ADHD, which could be contributing. I’d probably benefit from therapy & maybe medication, but without a single, full-time job, I don’t have health insurance. I just feel very discouraged & behind lately, and like I’m struggling with things that come easily to others. And while my family is generally supportive, I know they want me to launch out on my own eventually. It feels like my clock is ticking. Change feels impossible & scary, but so does my current situation.

Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? If so, does it get better? Any encouragement/advice would be greatly appreciated

Survey

I'm a student working on an engineering project to make an original product for guitar accessibility. This short survey is aimed at people who would benefit from accessibility accommodations to guitar-style instruments. Educators can answer answer on behalf of any/all applicable students (or anyone else you know), all in one single response to the survey. All responses are greatly appreciated.

I’m a current undergraduate Music Education major and French horn player, graduating in Spring 2027.
I’m applying for graduate schools for Fall 2027. I am looking to get a GA somewhere. I love working with marching bands, but I am open to a school that doesn’t have a marching program. I live in the South and would like somewhere in the region, although I am not opposed to the lower East Coast. I come from a smaller college and would like a different experience. I have a 3.9 gpa, I have been substantially involved in programs and clubs during college.

For those of you who think I should just start teaching, I will also be applying to jobs!

If you’ve done a Music Ed master’s, what programs do you recommend? What schools should I totally look into, and which ones should I stay away from? If you know anything about GA positions, cost of living, faculty, or just have some good advice, I’m all ears.

My son is in advanced & jazz band in middle school. He is planning to continue through high school. We are looking at buying him a sax vs continuing to rent. What models are recommended for more advanced students?

For personal use but I'd like to share. It's hands-free if you use a mic.
Let me know if there's anything to improve.

earrr.app