1/27/2014

How To Find A Great Music Teacher

By Madeleine Bridgeman


If you look back at your many years of education, from kindergarten through college, one thing holds true. A good teacher is one that we remember, and we also remember what these special teachers taught us. No matter what subject we are learning, a teacher can make or break the experience. This is certainly the case when a child begins taking music lessons. A great teacher can truly inspire your child, while a poor instructor can have the opposite effect. Here are some tips that will make selecting a music teacher a bit easier.

Obviously, you want to select someone with excellent qualifications. So look for someone with both professional experience as a musician and a music teacher. Ask your potential teacher about the ages of their previous students as well as what instruments they have taught children to play. After all, if your instructor has mainly taught higher level students, they might not be a great match for a young child taking their very first lessons. A teacher that focuses mainly on piano and voice might not be the best person to teach your child how to play the violin or clarinet.

Everyone has expectations when the music lessons begin. The student has expectations about the level of fun and the level of difficulty. The parents have expectations about how quickly children learn an instrument as well as how enjoyable the experience will be for their child. Finally, the teacher has expectations about how much work is required of each student to achieve success at various levels. It is important that all three of you have similar expectations. You might simply want to find a creative outlet for your student or perhaps you are hoping for a high level of achievement. Different teachers also have different philosophies about achievement.

Of course, it shouldn't all be about practice and perfection, learning an instrument also should be a positive experience. Certainly it teaches the benefits of discipline, which is extremely important, but music also provides a way for your child to be creative. If your teacher seems a bit too much like a taskmaster and isn't particularly personable, this might not be the best choice for a young, beginning musician. You need to find an instructor that has a good rapport with your child, someone your child will want to please.

In many cases, it is wise to follow your instincts, even if that means selecting a teacher with less experience. It's also fun if your child gets to make some choices along the way. This might mean finding a teacher that allows the child to select some music based on their own individual tastes. Modern music certainly can be used in place of classical, and a good mix of both provides the foundation for an excellent musical education.

If you need a music teacher in Orange County or music lessons in Dana Point, San Clemente or Laguna Niguel, try to find a place that not only offers highly skilled music teachers, but also a music school that focuses on making the whole experience fun and enriching. Options such as Los Rios Rock School are definitely worth considering. Students at this music school not only learn the fundamentals during a weekly private lesson, they also become part of an actual rock band. These student bands perform throughout the year at many popular venues, such as the House of Blues.




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