How to Choose a Music Teacher or Music School
Finding the right music teacher or music school is the first tough hurdle that many will be facing. If you are a parent who wants to develop the potential of your child or a music or piano enthusiast, how do you know what to look for? Would just marching into a music school and enrolling be enough?
Finding the right piano teacher is the best choice you will make. An excellent piano teacher is not just a great mentor but also a source of inspiration and aspiration. They will not just help realize a student's potentials but also polish it. It is thus very important that you find the right music teacher or music school.
When it comes to choosing a music teacher, many bases their selection on how well the teacher plays and where or how they learned to play well, these are not good ways to measure how they will teach. Just because they have won competitions or performed in concerts or have a diploma or certificate does not mean they are a good match for every student. There's a lot more to teaching than these factors.
We will go over helpful points when choosing a music teacher.
1. The way they connect to their students.
It is too often the case that parents would just sign up their child with the first teacher that the music school staff recommends. A smarter way to do it is to look into the teacher first. Find time to talk to the teacher to see how they communicate ideas. A teacher who can communicate well will be able to instruct well. They should be able to speak with confidence. Also, listen to how they talk to people in their workplace as it can reveal much about their character.
You should also look into reviews made by their present and past students to see how well they were able to help them. Would you want a teacher who is kind, strict, or demanding? Does the teacher know how to adjust to the temperament of the student or is it the other way around? It is important to regularly find out how students are getting along with the teacher.
Lastly, look into how they use positive reinforcements. You want a teacher who corrects when it is needed but you also want someone who will be constantly encouraging their students to improve.
2. The way they teach. Their pedagogy.
When looking for a music teacher consider how they teach. Ask if you can stay and observe during the first few music lessons because this is where you can see how the teacher conducts the class. This is where you can see if the teacher knows how to fit their teaching style or pedagogy to the learning style of the student. A visual learner would be provided a book with instructions and diagrams. An auditory learner would do better by repeating after a piece of music is played. A kinesthetic learner would want to be given a chance to play.
Also, look into the style preference of the teacher as some are partial to a particular style. Is the music teacher simply letting the student play children's music, classical music or jazz? You're in luck if their preference is similar to yours as you may get good instruction but if it differs then you may not get much out of the music lessons.
The syllabus is also an important area to look into. Does the teacher or even the school use a standardized syllabus such as the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)? You would want a music school and its teachers to follow an accredited and standardized music lesson curriculum so you should always ask. Anyone can put together a compilation of music sheets but a proper school would follow approved standards.
We here at The Piano Solution can give you what you are looking for. Our competent, capable, and passionate teachers use tried and effective pedagogies and syllabus in helping the students learn music while developing their passion and interest in the artistry of music. You are always guaranteed the best results in the industry. There's no better place for your child to grow their musical talent quickly. Learn with us at The Piano Solution.