How do you find the right music teacher

If you aspire to become a great musician, the journey will usually start finding the right instrument and the right teacher. Finding the right instrument is often easy because you’d fall in love with it when you hear the instrument’s sound or the first time you feel it. However, finding the right teacher is often the most difficult process in the musical journey.

Why choosing the right music teacher is crucial?

Having the right teacher, especially in the formative stages of a career, is the most important factor in becoming the professional you aspire to be.

The key is to find a teacher that inspires and challenges you but pick up a teacher based on their “Likeability.”

Many would recall the movie “Whiplash,” where the young drummer chooses a bully and abusive bandleader, Terence Fletcher, and his infamous methods to gain greatness. That shouldn’t be your journey as an aspiring musician. You can and will find the right teacher who’ll motive you in the right way. With years of experience in training and grooming students like you, they know how to prepare you to achieve your goal.

Yes, choosing the wrong teacher can make a life-altering impact but not in the right way.

6 Tips to Finding a Right Music Teacher

Here are six proven ways to find the right music teacher for you.

Ask around

Always ask around for references. You can start with online searches for teachers. You will likely find more than one good teacher online but finding if they will work for you is different. Check online reviews made by their previous students, ask someone who knows them in person so you can get a clear picture of what you’re signing for.

The alternative is to ask with your friends, family, and others who are well acquainted with the music teachers in your community. Even better, ask for recommendations from a local music teacher, music stores, and schools.

It’s always a good idea to shortlist three to five names so you can interview each of them before choosing the right one.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

After shortlisting a few teachers, it’s time to know each other in person. As an aspiring student, you should ask them every important question. The process is the same as selecting the right candidate for a vital position.

Although a round of few questions is never enough to know the teacher’s exact aptitude, experience, and ability, you’d at least know if you should consider them. The right teacher can masterfully tell about any instrument, methods of mastering it, the time it would take, and their previous experiences with different types of students.

Here is a list of questions compiled by ww.willismusic.comthat you can ask during the interview.

· What is your professional and educational experience in music?

· What is your teaching experience? What age groups do you teach?

· How do you participate in ongoing professional development?

· Do you have a written studio policy? Will you review it with me?

· Do you regularly evaluate student progress?

· What instructional materials do you use?

· What kinds of music do you teach?

· What other elements are parts of your teaching curriculum?

· Do you require students to perform in studio recitals during the year?

· Do you offer other performance opportunities for your students, such as festivals and competitions?

· Do you use technology in your studios, such as computers, music instruction software, and digital keyboards?

· How much practice time do you require each day?

· What do you expect of your students? Their parents?

· What is the Parent’s Role?

· Do you charge by lesson or for the month?

Attend local recitals

Music schools and instructors often host recitals that people can attend. Most schools host these recitals twice every year. These recitals boast of music students trained by a certain music teacher or instructor. This can be a great chance to learn more about your teacher of interest.

You can get a first-hand experience of music that you’ll probably learn under an instructor. After attending the local recital, it’ll be easy for you to interact with them. You can ask more questions afterward.

Take advantage of free introductory lessons

The idea is to request to have an introductory lesson before you come for the formal audition, ideally, the spring or the summer before.

This is entirely conditional because many teachers do not habitually offer these, but there’s no harm in asking.

If your desired teacher is offering an introductory lesson, which mostly happens online these days, you can take advantage of it. You’d get familiar with their pedagogy, action, tone, and friendliness. If they hit you as a perfect teacher, then you can start the formal audition process.

Is the teacher able to teach more than one instrument?

Not everyone finds the perfect instrument for them at the very moment; most of the time, it takes playing different instruments before finding a perfect match. Most students aren’t sure what instrument they want to take up when starting with a music lesson.

In this case, finding the right teacher who specializes in multiple instruments can be helpful. String instruments’ sound and rhythm attract many new pupils, but they aren’t 100% sure what kind of string instrument to pick. A masterful instructor will gradually introduce students to different instruments, so they know what works for them.

Choose a teacher who specializes at your level.

Music students with experience in playing an instrument will require a different kind of mentorship than the one who’s just starting with an instrument.

When it comes to teachers, you will find some better at working with a group while others enjoy working solo with an intermediate or advanced player. An advanced level teacher will often instruct a student to hone up their level and tackle challenging pieces. For beginners, teachers who have the aptitude for teaching inexperienced students would work well.

Choosing the right teacher and environment is important to create a supportive atmosphere. The right teacher will keep students motivated for years to come.

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Rick Perdian is the best Music Travel Consultant and event management in the USA. Get in touch with us to learn more about finding the right music teacher and music school.