They reserve a space in our schedule for a specific student.
Music instruction is an on-going thing.
It is an investment in time and effort, as well as money. They are a flat fee for a product delivered. They are fees paid for the duration of the buyer's interest. We need to know what we think our fees are before we are able to project the correct image to those who purchase music instruction. If we consider our fees only recompense for hourly labor, our clients will consider us as hourly employees and treat us accordingly.