Hey all musicians... anyone ever teach in music centre before..

I used to teach at Yamaha in Johor Bahru and had a bad experience with the management here . I was wondering anyone else have this kinda experience and how you dealt about it?

In this Yamaha,

1. The lady boss would delay payment to teachers.
2. And as all of you know, they deduct a royalty fee from student - they say it's to pay to Yamaha. But i really wonder, does Yamaha has the right to collect money from courses not under Yamaha syllabus? If no, then where the money end up?
3. Another issue is she would keep on asking teachers to take in more students.
4. She would also add an extra RM2 to every book she sells there.
5. When student did not make payment and did not give notice to stop that month, she will not give you the commission although you have taught for the full month. Even though they still have 1 month deposit in hand.

I really had enough , and that was why I'm thinking of what we, as teachers can do so that we are protected from this kinda ruthless boss.

Wow... that's one heck of a mean lady boss!!
Looks like she's taking advantage of every student & opportunity...
It might be best for you to stay away from such mgmt, it may cause more frustration than helping you & your students make music...
I once worked for a Yamaha here in KL but the boss is much much nicer than the one you described :-)

Actually, i was wondering why aren't there any organization who can protect music teachers? or there are... but i do not noe any...

Don't think so there are any... And don't think there will be any either... :-(

Teach on your own better.

You get 6/10 or 5/10?

+1

to answer your questions:

1. payment delay should not happen. in yamaha retail branches (means directly under yamaha), pays are made by the end of the month, no delay.
2. royalty fee is the thing that made yamaha's fee higher than many other music centers. yes, even for non yamaha course students, still need to pay that darn royalty fees, simply because the student is learning in "yamaha" school.
3. lol, anywhere you teach will also hear the same thing. whether the boss will pressure you, that's different story.
4. that one i dunno. price controlled books like ABRSM exam pieces or some standard teaching books are not jacked up, but other things like percussions/strings/accessories will be more expansive.
5. well, same as retail branches and HQ. can't do anything. some centers will eat the debt and pay the teachers every month on time regardless if they receive the fees or not, but you gotta replace lessons that the student misses, usually. good thing about yamaha is that they have this policy backing the teachers up where teachers have no obligations to replace missed lessons for any reason, unless teacher is the one who's taking leave of FFK. deposit i think usually will be paid to teacher if the student FFK instead of not paying fee.


all in all, can't do anything about those issues mentioned apart from delay payment. music center's teachers are underpaid in malaysia. reason is simple, anyone can teach in music center. some people learn until grade 3~5 also dare to start teaching, that sort of supply sort of drag the overall quality down and yet centers won't pay more for better teachers. so usually those who really loaded with real knowledges and experiences, will choose to teach privately, or part time in university. you can definitely survive by teaching, but you can't possibly save money solely by just teaching in music center. car broke down, emergency medical fees, that one you have to be really careful.

if you want to survive with extra money to save/spend, you can't rely solely on teaching unless you reach to the level where your name passed around by word of month automatically among students.

This is so true.

In my town, there is a girl who learn and teach violin at her own music center. You guess what happen during her teaching? She goes to the next door to ask her mother whenever she faces problems. The mother will explain to her. After that, she goes back and continue her teaching.

This happens in Penang. My cousin who doesn't have Grade 8 certificates in both practical and theory teaches at a music center. The boss asked her to teach higher grade. My cousin said I can't do it because it is beyond my level. The boss answered you should dare to teach

My uncle is more funny. He said it is more competitive in Penang. That's why the centers would employ a teacher who just only has Grade 5 certificates.

1. How long they delay your payment? If it is consistently delay for long period of time, you just have to act like professional and tell her off. don't just keep quite. because if you don't take actions, she just think that she can bully you. I don't what is the situation in JB, but as a classical guitar teacher in KL, I can find another music centre to teach easily, as classical teacher is in great demand especially the good one.so don't be afraid to quit, because it is their lost. (but sometime you find it is hard to left behind some good students, so you need to handle the situation well)

2. I presume they told you the payment scheme before you sign up right? like i said, act like a pro, if you do not agree with the term don't sign up, if you sign up, don't question the term afterward. like someone already said, yamaha's fee is always higher, so if you commission rate is high, should be fine (but generally they will give you low commission rate)

3. This is an issue? You have all the right to say no.

4. She has the right the set the price, you might not agree the price, but act like pro, for these RM2 , i'll just let it go because books are her business not yours , unless, of course in the case of selling defect products or overprice product, you have to make noise.

5. I think this is the norm for music centre, but once they confirm the student had stop, they will pay you the deposit.


I always said the as a teacher, you are running your own business, if you think you are treated unfairly and the boss did not give a damn about you, just take your business elsewhere, you get respect this way instead of staying on and keep quite. Example: Google pulling out of China market because of government filtering search results, nobody said Google is stupid, losing big market in China, but earn respect from people because it uncompromising principle.

Generally, if you want respect, you have to earn it. you have to respect the shop owner also. you want to protect your business yet you should not meddle in the shop owner's business.

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Added on October 14, 2011, 3:13 pmAgree, sometime I just so mad how much time we spend to acquired our skills yet get paid less the other professions. but on other hand I understand the beginner fee can not be too high or else discourage people from learning. The problems of music teacher is too complicated to just pin point to a single source. My biggest problem is SPM and PMR keep interrupting students progress.

This post has been edited by yeehoo: Oct 14 2011, 03:13 PM

1. How late is the payment delay? Normally music center teacher get their cheques on 29th,30th or 1st week of the month.

2. I think the royalty fee not all goes to yamaha, it simply means admin fee, example, student pays rm100, music center deducts rm12 for its music center admin fee, then left rm88. 60% commision which is rm52.80 will be paid to teacher, another 40% which is rm35.20 goes to music center.

3. Asking teachers to take more students is normal, boss wants to earn more mah. You can reject your boss saying that your time is not available.

4. Add extra rm2 to the books that she sells, this issue is not related to teachers.

5. Not giving the commision although you taught for the full month, I think your should sue your boss.


Every music centre have problems, I even encounter sexual harrasment from my boss, music classrooms no aircond for months (teachers have to bring fan ourselves), boss does not allow us to take annual leave...... lots of problems...

This post has been edited by la bella: Oct 19 2011, 11:38 AM

I feel you =) i'm currently a guitar teacher at Yamaha.

1.I normally do not have issues of delay payment. How late is late?? i normally get my pay at good timing usually around 26-30th.

2. yes, every branch usually needs to pay admin fee to HQ.not that happy about the amount they take too... its alot because they take from EVERY student. But we cant say much about that because its Yamaha

3. This is normal. My boss keeps pushing me for more time. I usually just tell him i can't or ill just be reasonable and give him an hour or so. but you can only reason with your boss IF u have already given him/her the minimum amount of hours per week.Still she cant forced you to take in more students as long as you gave her the minimum amount of hours per week ^^

4. I wouldn't care less on weather my boss add extra to everything they sell. They need to make money from sales of books, instruments and whatsoever. Can't blame them.

If you're not happy about that maybe you can find another source to buy ur books and buy it for your students? but that would be troublesome if she finds out


5. This is the worst that happens. i also can't stand my centre on this as well.
Firstly we dont take deposits, boss CLAIMS its "illegal" and creates alot of problem. I had a few scenarios that students din pay although i taught for the full month. i din't get any commission as well.
Another student.. claims that he payed already but system says he havent. Boss came to a conclusion that, both parties bear half of the fees. means i pay half he pay half. i really was angry at that because
it's not my fault that student claims he payed but dosent show up in the system.it has nothing to do with me, i taught the full month and i just wanna get payed. if you wanna cut pay cut the clerks who supposedly collect the fees.


Anyways, i doubt there are any protection from anything... I'm so pissed of at centre that i only give them minimum 20 working hours per week and the rest goes to privates. Teaching private students are still the best. Our own rules, freedom , etc....
Hope you can bear with your centre... afterall, we have to be grateful at least that there are students and it's keeping our table full everyday
Maybe try other yamaha's around you??



@la bella = Wow.. sexual harrassment from boss!?!? Thats deep... i would've quit already if i were you =X
No air cond?!?! =.=" maybe complain to HQ haha. i'm lucky my boss is good at all these, no air cond mostly only 2-3 days then fixed.
Annual leave also cant give ... thats sad. At my centre we are usually free to take off =)

This post has been edited by Elrinz: Oct 18 2011, 10:51 PM

1. even u teach in yamaha hq, their payment also delay

2. yamaha deduct any royalty fee although not their syllabus

3. that's normal, but it's depends on you whether u want to teach more or not.

4. not my business

5. warn her or else ask her to teach herself


different boss give u different problems; even u become your own boss, customer will give u problems also.
i even met some private students pay less or didn't pay the fees and still argue with me. come on, i won't get rich b'coz of the 1 month fees. driving a big car, staying in a big house can't afford to pay that. some even ask for discount.. for those, they should look for some less qualify teacher so that they can give cheaper and discount.

uh...huh??

Not only boss delay payment, students used to delay payment as well. Didn't pay fee but they said they paid already. Ask them to show us the payment receipt, they said they lost the receipt. LOL. And they still dare to attend class.

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Added on October 19, 2011, 11:50 amYour center don't take deposits? Wah..
Yeah serious.. sexual harassment from boss.. Even other schools teacher knows about it. But no action taken cos no evidences. Only give warning.

And yeah no aircond for half a year. Poor management.

Boss not happy if I take annual leave. He said students will leave to other music center or change teacher if teachers do not come to class. Other than that, public holidays also need to work. Only can take leave if there's 5th week.



This post has been edited by la bella: Oct 19 2011, 11:50 AM

private students slightly easier to deal with. din't pay less.. still argue. then just leave la. no need teach =) these type of ppl are not worth our time.
i got some ask for discount... i stand my ground. if you wanna go yamaha its ok with me =) after all im the teacher there as well. i usually tell them that =p Cause in my town, there is only 1 yamaha and it dominates the market
i agree, if want cheaper or discount.. should look for some less qualified teacher.
Infact there was once.. i actually wanted to recommend another teacher if not happy with my price xD

it's too easy if just leave that way. although not worth my time, but i prefer wasting their money..

depends if u can actually waste their money =p hahahaha.if they dont pay you i think you should leave =D

I get 6/10...

Late means... she only gave me my last month's commision on the 12th of this month. That is like 12 days late... and she only gave me after i called her for it three times a day...

I am quitting this Yamaha and teach private for good. But i just feel this is so unfair for other teachers. Was hoping there is a channel to turn to, like worker's part or whatsoever? Are we protected under the labour law?

Adding the RM2, does affects teachers too... coz we get 20% discount for all books. After raising Rm2, then deduct again... we have to pay more oso... Our access to books here are unlike those in KL, can easily buy anywhere and get 20% discount for teachers... Some centers here don't give discount to other centers' teacher.

Sexual harrassment is too much.... should take action against him oo~~

Sexual harassment?
That is too over the line already desu~

my thoughts as well. i never had problems before as a freelance teacher.

i almost got a job as a teacher in yamaha. then i read this.

According to Malaysian Labour Law, the employer shall not pay to his employees later than the seventh day. If piano teachers are protected under the law, you have the right to sue her.

Where are you from?

i believe that only applies for the basic and not commission.
lots of places pay basic first and commission somewhere in the middle of the month.

Nobody want to go through the troubles (especially there is no profit involved) to set up a music teacher unions , you know, it is lots of work and need vast resources and connections.

Anyway, I think we just need to fend off bad bosses ourselves, by acting professionally. Don't keep quite if you are mistreated, don't stay on if you are still mistreated repeatedly after you make complains, quit. it is always their loss when losing a good teacher.

Although teach privately may avoid these problems, but I want to stress that, teaching in music center help your profession networking, you will get to know some music center bosses, other teachers etc. which I think is important to your career.

Johor Bahru...