We hope you enjoyed “How to Choose a Piano Teacher – Part 1″. Here is Part 2 . . . And yes, these pointers for piano teachers will almost all apply to teachers of other instruments. : )
5. Find out if the teacher is involved in state and national organizations. It can be a very good sign that you’ve come across a serious music teacher, when they are involved in a professional music organization such as National Guild of Piano Teachers or MTNA. Most states have their own affiliate organizations like CA’s CAPMT. Look up for your state’s information. On the other hand, there are many qualified teachers who are not a part of such organizations. It’s a helpful thing to know, and will give you a clue of the teacher’s goals (playing in state or national competitions will probably be important to the teacher). You will need to decide if that is a goal that you have for your children and you want to participate or not. This is a whole subject for another post! In short, competitions can be very helpful in “stretching” the student beyond his ability, and having a goal to work towards. On the flip side, they can promote pride and competition between young musicians. You need to know your own kids and what will be helpful in shepherding them into the people God want them to be.
6. Make sure the teacher has a strong Music Theory background, and teaches it! This is vitally important to the musical future of your child. The teacher doesn’t have to be a graduate from Juliard, but at the minimum, they should know why music works, and how it works. They should be able to explain what a scale is and how it is created. They should be able to explain chords, musical notation, and dissect a musical piece. They should be able to walk your child through a music theory workbook, and guide them in understanding the why of music. If the teacher is in a state or national organization, this will give you a pretty good idea that they know what they are talking about when it comes to music theory.
7. Find a teacher who makes her students give recitals (and memorize pieces)! This is every student’s nightmare, but it is SOOOOOO valuable. And after students play in 3 or 4 in recitals, they start seeing the benefits. Having a goal to work towards is very important. I liked having 2 recitals every year for my students, one in the spring and one in the fall. If the teacher doesn’t have a recital, or two, or three a year, ask her to start having them. Tell her that you’ll host it at your house and provide programs and refreshments! If she really, really doesn’t want to do one, organize your own recitals/concerts in your church, home-school community, local retirement homes, etc, for your students to play in. One of the important points of learning an instrument is learning to serve others through your music. This lesson must be learned as soon as possible, preferably when the student is still young.
8. Stay away from Music store teachers (I was one, so I can say this). I am going to make a gross over-generalization. Most music store teachers are very personable and very young. Most music store owners are desperate for teachers to fill the studios. They will take just about anyone who knows what a piano is, and let them teach. Take it as a word from the wise. I was one of those young impressionable teachers. It was a great experience for the teacher! But, it’s not so good for the student. Instead, I’d recommend finding a teacher with a private studio. Either one who teaches out of her home, or one who comes to your home.
. . . Stay tuned for “How to Choose a Piano Teacher – Part 3” on Monday, November 7th, 2011!
Photo courtesy of Oude School.
