It has always amazed me at how little people know about the
instructor theyve hired. This page is designed to assist parents and students
in finding and evaluating a piano teacher. The more qualified, motivated and
involved the instructor is, the greater experience and success the student will
achieve in their studies.
Finding a Teacher
A good way of finding a qualified instructor is to contact
any of the following:
- Local school districts music office in general,
they will have an extensive list of qualified instructors on a variety of
instruments.
- Local colleges and universities beginner teachers
are generally very eager and motivated to teach.
- Music office of your church or temple.
- Reputable piano dealerships in your area.
- Professional teacher groups i.e. Association of Piano Teachers
of Long Island.
- Professional teaching studios.
Evaluating a Teacher
The following is a list of some things to consider and ask
a potential teacher:
- If and where did they earn their undergraduate degree?
- What was their area of concentration, for example, music
education performance, history, business, etc.?
- How many years have they been a teacher?
- Have any of their students been accepted to college music
programs and/or perused careers in music?
- Do they organize performance recitals for their students?
- How is their approach to teaching constructed, for example,
what amount of time and emphasis is placed on technique, repertoire, pop songs,
reading, research, listening to music, music theory, etc.?
- Do they incorporate media into their teaching technique,
such as instructional CDs, videos, DVDs, etc.?
- Have they had any work published in music books and/or periodicals?
- Who recommended them, and why?
- How are their social skills? Do they interact and related
well to the student?
I hope you find this information valuable when finding a qualified,
well-trained piano teacher.
Thank you for visiting my web site.
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