SMPV tariffs
The SMPV's most well-known service, even among non-members, is the standard rates for private music lessons. However, many people do not know how these rates are set and what is included in them.
Marianne Wälchli The SMPV tariffs are set by those present at the AGMs or GMs of the 15 sections. If a new tariff is decided, it applies in principle with immediate effect. It is up to the sections to decide whether they set semester rates, individual lesson rates or both, whether there are also rates for group lessons and whether other lesson lengths are listed in addition to the rates for 60 and 40 minutes. The rates for adult lessons are slightly higher than those for lessons for children and young people. Some sections define a discount compared to the adult rate as a percentage, others set specific rates for lessons for children and young people.
In 2024, we received many inquiries and requests about the tariffs, and I can only strongly recommend that anyone who would also like a tariff for group lessons or for a 30-minute lesson, or who thinks their section's tariffs are too low or too high, go to the AGM/GM, present these requests there and vote on them. Interestingly, quite a few non-members called who "don't need the SMPV otherwise" but would like to see this or that change on the tariff lists. Of course, they can't have a say.
The level of tariffs is always the subject of heated debate at meetings. There is the view that the tariffs should be adjusted annually in line with inflation, and there is the view of those who would prefer to lower the tariffs because they are afraid that higher tariffs could deter potential students.
The tariffs are standard tariffs, which means that no member can be forced to charge these tariffs if they lose many students as a result. Nevertheless, it makes sense to deviate as little as possible from the tariffs when setting prices for private lessons. It is often surprising what adult students in particular are willing to pay for good lessons. It is not only the tariffs that are adjusted for inflation, but usually also the salaries of our students or their parents. And we must not forget that in addition to the teacher's actual salary, the teaching fee must also cover all social security contributions (AHV, pension fund), the rent for the classroom and infrastructure costs, occupational accident insurance, business insurance, professional association contributions, possibly legal protection insurance, further training costs, costs for instrument maintenance such as piano tuning, costs for sheet music and other teaching materials. Depending on the number of students, even with a lesson rate of CHF 120, there may not be much left over.
It is therefore one of the tasks of the SMPV as a professional association to insist that the rates are not set too low and to encourage members to actually charge the standard rates. After all, you know your students and, if someone is particularly talented but cannot afford the standard rate and therefore only attends lessons irregularly, you can accommodate this person a little and "give them some time".
Private music schools and other platforms often write: "The tariffs correspond to the SMPV tariffs." So here too, the tariffs influence the teachers' salaries. It is imperative that we campaign for reasonable tariffs that generate a living wage for private teachers!
