This is a pretty common question so I will start this new blog with this subject. I think there are some universal things you should be looking for when selecting a music teacher. First would be there competence in their given instrument. I think a lot of parents and even some adults probably feel like if the student is a beginner that the skill level of the teacher doesn't matter too much. We are talking about the skill that teacher possesses at their given instrument, not their ability to teach. We will get to that in a bit. I personally think this is a huge mistake that lots of people make. Let's apply this to sports. If you were going to learn how to play baseball or enroll your child in a baseball camp, which would you choose; a camp that had teachers who played in the major leagues, or a camp that has teachers that never even played in high school? Well of course you would choose the camp where the teachers had major league experience. Now this doesn't always mean that just because someone has excelled at their craft that they can teach others to do the same. However, the chances that they have some inside knowledge of what works best and how to apply it is high. In music this doesn't mean that the teacher has to have sold a million records, although that may help, but they need a high level of proficiency to be a good teacher. I get tons of teachers applying at my school, the Music Factory, who need to be taking lessons from us, not trying to teach others. Look for their education experience as well as their professional experience in their field. Ask for specifics with this. Lots of teachers will say they have tons of professional experience but when pressed don't really have much of a resume. If they are coming with a degree from a good music school your are probably safe even if they haven't excelled in the professional arena yet. It's a long haul for musicians and it may not be their time yet. Do some research when selecting a teacher, don't chose the most convenient or the first one that comes along. Most rates for private music lessons are in the same price range so there is no reason to settle for a poor teacher. The best teachers might only be a bit more expensive and it will be worth every penny.
Once you have found a teacher who seems to posses a high level of competency in their instrument and has a proper education to back it up we want to look for some things that are easy to spot. First, is the teacher organized? Do they use a curriculum and a system of follow up with students and parents? This shows that the teacher has the ability to transfer their knowledge to someone else. We don't want a voice teacher who just shows the student how well they can sing but doesn't explain the technique in a way that is easy to understand and apply. Ask for examples of these things. Maybe take a trial lesson which most teachers and schools will do for free to see if the teacher has a good system in place. The experienced private music teachers have developed their methods over years of teaching.
Lastly is the teachers personality. None of this other stuff really matters if the teacher is such a stick in the mud that you can't stand to be around them, This is also something to be looking for when you take a trial lesson.
So a review.
1) competency
2) teaching method
3) personality
Danny Thompson is the drummer for the band Face to Face and is co-owner of the Music Factory School of Music in Costa Mesa California.
www.themusicfactoryoc.com
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