HIRING THE RIGHT PIANO TEACHER
If you are interested in learning how to play the piano or improving your skills, finding the right teacher for your goals is important. A good piano teacher balances inspiration and discipline. So, here there are a few important things to consider:
- Make sure you ask for references or reviews. You should also ask about their experience (formal education and teaching experience). A piano teacher have to hold degrees in music or music education.
- Ask potential teachers to play you something, and if they don’t, leave. If the piano teacher cannot play the piano, they should not be teaching you.
- Ask if they host recitals for their students. Performance is a skill that can carry over into other areas of life and will also improve their confidence for years to come. Your teacher should plan the recital, find the venue, advertise the show, and prepare you for the spotlight.
- When you start to build skills, your teacher might introduce sight reading to your lessons. Sight reading is just what it sounds like, reading a song by sight. The songs you sight read won’t be as complicated as your other repertoire, but they will build your skill and adaptability. So, avoid those teachers who promise you to become a pianist without reading a single note, just by ear. You’ll be able to play just two or three super-easy songs after one year working on them. Do not waste your time!
- Ask teachers for their piano studio. Though having your lessons at your home may sound convenient, consider a few disadvantages. When your lesson time comes, you’re responsible for minimizing interruptions and providing a reasonably clean area for the lesson. A teacher’s home or studio is often ideal because you can count on a comfortable, professional work environment and a good piano. To have a good piano is very important because most of the time, students (specially beginners) have a keyboard at home, so at least they should be able to play an acoustic piano during their lessons. A Grand Piano should be a must for a good and experienced piano teacher.
- The first years of learning are the ones you need the best teacher. Anyone is able to learn how to play an instrument, but unfortunately some students get lost on the way because they are taught poorly and incorrectly. Unfortunately, in this country anyone can teach piano or any kind of musical instrument without a degree or without any experience. Most parents are not musicians and don’t research appropriately before hiring a music teacher for their kids. There are many people in the U.S. today who took piano lessons when young and later decide on their own to teach piano for money. These are for the most part unqualified piano teachers. They see teaching piano as an easier and more profitable option than other types of work. They usually charge a lower fee and tend to attract many parents looking for cheap lessons who unfortunately don’t look closely at the teacher’s qualifications. Teaching music privately, and even in some music schools, does not require any level of specialized training or experience in this country. Anyone can advertise as a piano teacher and start teaching. As a result, I have found many students who can’t read a note or play the piano with the two hands together, after taking piano lessons for years with unqualified teachers. Sadly, some students can never recover from an early bad experience because the early stages of learning are the most important ones. They have to learn right from the very beginning. So, do not try to save some money because in the end that cost-saving measure will prove far more costly to you and your children.
Maria Teresa Studio 