Posted by: clariniano on: July 18, 2009
First, I often need something on short notice, especially if I get a student who wants to meet right away. (Especially early beginning materials for the instruments I teach) The staff get to know you–at one of the music stores they rarely have to ask for my name or phone number to save on purchases. [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: July 8, 2009
Look to see if they participate in any online forums. Typing in a teacher’s name and perhaps specifying location will often help you find out if the teacher gets involved. Look for articles they have written. My current piano teacher regularly wrote articles for a major music publication, and when I one day I saw [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: June 7, 2009
Many teachers think having a large number of students is desirable, and some parents equate a teacher with a large studio as being a good successful teacher. However, a smaller studio, one with a maximum of 20 students, has its own advantages. Among these advantages are quality control of the students. This is usually offered [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: April 25, 2009
There has been an alarming trend in the past few years for private music teachers to charge low fees for lessons. In some parts the fees for private music lessons, especially piano and guitar lessons, have become so low that babysitters and housecleaners are charging more money than private music teachers, without requiring study at [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: April 25, 2009
Lessons in a music store Advantages: Tends to be the least costly for the consumer. Disadvantages: Distractions from the retail section of the music store. High turnover of teachers, because the store usually takes a cut from lesson fees, which are already often below market price. Some won’t let teachers take their students with them [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: April 8, 2009
A beginning student can have a good-quality instrument, good-quality reeds, a good-quality mouthpiece, and a good teacher. However, there are problems with the ligature: even when very loose and the student is placing it in a correct position (or trying to place it in a correct position), there are still problems with the sound quality. [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: April 8, 2009
“I/My son/daughter didn’t practice much this week. Can we cancel this week’s lesson?” Many private music teachers I know get this one on a regular basis. Private music lessons, especially for beginners, should never be missed, and it comes down to one basic factor: motivation. You see, when a student hasn’t practiced much, they have [...]
Posted by: clariniano on: April 5, 2009
There are some private teachers whose students generally sound good and perform well. Yet, the same teachers often have a few students who are performing well below the level of most of the teacher’s other students. Often the first person parents of low-achieving students blame is the teacher. It is not always the teachers fault—though [...]
