If you are a member of a church that hosts music lessons, you may be given a discount on music lessons. If you are not a member of a church, explain your budget to the church and they may negotiate with you on lesson prices as well. Because music lessons are often voluntarily set up by musician church members instead of being run by a business, negotiations are much more easily made. Some churches may offer face-to-face music classes for free, while some church members, such as Corey Pennycuff who set up the Evangelistic Piano website (see Resources) offers free online lessons for anyone to read through and teach oneself. A good way to find out about prices and negotiations is to talk to a nearby church's musicians about your or your child's interest in music.
Many musicians offering lessons at a church have been playing their instrument of choice for years. If the teacher plays music for the church, he will be skilled in reading music and playing live. Your teacher may have been in a band or have taught lessons for a living in the past but now teaches as a hobby or for extra income. Just because lessons are at a church and not at a music store or music school does not mean your lessons will be less quality. Before deciding on a teacher, talk to several and get to know their backgrounds and playing style.
If you choose to take music lessons at a church, chances are you will meet other musicians. Look to see if the church you choose to take lessons at hosts musician's groups that are free. These can be helpful for regular practice and learning of your instrument. Musician's groups often encourage all levels of expertise and are more than willing to offer tips on playing your instrument. Practicing music with other musicians can encourage you to practice and improve your instrument, and your musician group may be able to put together a performance for community functions or charities.
When taking music lessons at a church, your teacher may encourage you to become part of the church band or youth band. Often, church bands are made up of volunteer musicians. Youth bands are church bands formed by young musician volunteers and often run by youth leaders. If you are invited to play some songs in front of the church congregation, the choice is yours depending on whether or not you feel comfortable. However, performance opportunities can build courage and help you to improve your skills.