How To Choose the Right Music Teacher For Your Kids
With Christmas approaching, a lot of parents are planning to give their kids musical instruments as Christmas gifts. However, it is important to find the right music teacher for your kids once they’ve been gifted with the instruments so the instruments are not just sitting in a corner collecting dust.
The right music teacher can discover the student’s talent at the beginning of their studies and continue nurturing the students throughout their lessons. At Scottsdale Studio of Music, we have multiple teachers for each instrument, so you can choose among different teachers to find the best fit for your kids. Over the years of operating the studio, we have found the following qualifications are helpful to find the right music teacher for your kids.
If you’d like to learn more about our piano lessons in Scottsdale, guitar lessons, vocal instruction, or other programs we offer, please get in touch! Our teachers are highly qualified, and we welcome new families into our community throughout the year.
What Credentials and Experience Should Your Music Teacher Have?
When searching for the right music teacher, it’s always a good idea to know what their credentials and experiences are when it comes to teaching. In general, you will want to work with a teacher who has, or is working towards, a music degree. That’s because there is a standardized baseline of musical proficiency and knowledge there, and most music programs have a practicum in which the student engages in teaching that is observed and critiqued by an expert.
That said, a music degree can sometimes be replaced by years of lessons and teaching experience. If someone had a particularly good teacher (s), then spend years learning the art of music teaching in a hands-on sense, they may be just as qualified as someone who received a degree.
Some of the most amazing teachers may not have majored in music in college, but they have had years of teaching experiences to know exactly how to discover and nourish a student’s musical talent. A teacher who is currently working on a music degree can be a great fit for your kids’ music lessons because they are constantly getting fresh knowledge from their professors on how they can improve their lessons weekly.
At Scottsdale Studio of Music, we have a variety of teachers with different music backgrounds. You can read their bios here and book an introduction lesson with them to see if they are a good fit. There are various college, university, MTNA, and even music therapy certifications available that can help you understand whether or not a music teacher is a good fit for your family.
Can the Teacher Set Realistic (But Inspirational) Goals For Students?
The ability to set goals for the students is an important trait that most parents overlook when they are trying to find a music teacher that is right for their kids. We have worked with dozens of music teachers at Scottsdale Studio of Music over the years, and if a teacher is not approachable, or if they can’t help students work towards their goals during the interview process, we don’t offer them the position.
Setting Musical Goals
The right music teacher for your kids should have the ability to ask your kids or you for music goals and work with the parents/kids every lesson to achieve that. If or when the goal is overlooked during lessons, that’s when the kids start to lose their interest in the instruments.
Parents should check with their music teacher periodically to be on the same page and working towards one goal to guarantee the success of their kids’ music lessons.
Setting Goals Outside of Music
Your teacher should work with you to reach non-musical goals as well. For instance, you may want to focus on specific concepts in your music lessons to help your child get accepted into a competitive performing arts middle school or high school. We can make sure theory, technique, sight reading and other concepts are taught so that your child can succeeed. Or maybe you want your child to learn to socialize better, focus, or learn the value of consistent practice. As always, communicate your goals with your teacher, and we’ll be happy to help.
Choose a Teacher With a Positive Attitude
Just like learning everything else in life, there are ups and downs in progress when it comes to music lessons. When a student experiences setbacks in their lessons, it is important for a teacher to be able to maintain a positive attitude to help students push through the obstacles and move onto the next challenge. A small gesture like giving a high-five at the end of a hard lesson or simply saying “Great Job” after a recital significantly boosts a child’s confidence when they are already experiencing fear and lacking confidence in themselves. A positive attitude from the music teachers can also boost a student’s creativity, give the student the freedom to explore other repertoires or music genres, or even give the students the ability to create their own music.
Contact Scottsdale Studio of Music For Lessons Today
Finding the right music teacher can be very time-consuming and it can take more than one lesson for the students and parents to figure out if the teachers would be a good fit. With the variety of music teachers here at our school, we would love to welcome you to our musical community. In addition to piano lessons, we offer singing lessons, drum lessons, violin lessons, and more. All here in our Scottsdale music studio. We are happy to work with students of all ages and skill levels. Get in touch today for your lessons!
