5 Qualities to Look For When Trying To Find A Piano Teacher for You
Everyone’s needs are different when it comes to piano lessons.
Here are five qualities to look for to help you find a piano teacher that is right for you.
1. Personality
2. Priorities
3. Flexibility
4. Location
5. Policy
1. Personality
Piano lessons (and most music lessons in general) are taught one-on-one. It is important that you (or your child) enjoy spending time with the teacher that you select.
For example, if you are an adult student and you really love to chit chat, and the teacher is a traditional, no-nonsense kind of person, the lessons may not be what you are looking for.
You also want to make sure the teacher is patient and kind. This is important because the learning experience oftentimes must be enjoyable to be effective.
2. Priorities
You also want to evaluate that your priorities and the teacher’s goals for the lessons line up.
Some teachers are competitive and they expect students to participate in exam programs, festivals, and competitions. Other teachers focus on making the learning experience fun by holding raffles, practice challenges, and recitals.
Most parents look for a combination of the two styles-an option to pursue piano more seriously, if their child would like to do so, and a fun learning environment that will inspire the child to practice and play to the best of their ability.
3. Flexibility
One of the most important factors in finding a piano teacher is evaluating if they are flexible. Piano lessons can last most of a child’s elementary through high school years.
In order to achieve longevity in this activity, it is essential for the teacher and the student to be flexible.
Life and schedules are always changing, so I try to be as accommodating as I can be with my students. When a student is younger, they tend to get out of school earlier, making scheduling lessons and daily piano practice relatively simple.
As the student becomes older, their schedules become fuller.
I have to be very creative in finding suggestions to help them keep up with practicing, scheduling lessons, and playing in recitals/festivals/exams that they like to participate in.
I find this challenge to be enjoyable, and I know the families appreciate this as their lives and schedules become busier and more complicated.
4. Location
Another factor to consider when trying to find a piano teacher is their location.
Is it close to your child’s school, other activities, or your home?
Is there a friend you have in the studio that you can carpool with to minimize driving time?
Do you want lessons in your home or in a teacher’s studio?
These are important things to consider before signing up with a particular teacher or studio, and is partially why I have set up my studio the way that it is-with options for different studio locations throughout Orange County and in home Aliso Viejo piano lessons as well.
This way I can try to meet the needs of each family and student.
5. Find Piano Teacher with a Good Policy
The not-so glamorous (but very important!) part of picking a teacher is reading through their policies carefully and seeing if you can keep to it.
If a teacher does not have a studio policy, this should be a red flag.
The expectations for lessons should be clear from the outset to both the teacher and the student.
Some teachers require the student to commit to a year of lessons, while others go month to month.
Some also have a trial period of a couple months so that the teacher and parent can assess if it is still a good fit at the end of that time.
Following these 5 steps will help you to identify the right teacher for you.
Next week, I’ll be posting more resources on where you can find piano teachers like this online (other than my website).
In the meantime however, one great resource that’s worth taking a look at is TheHomeSchoolMom Homeschooling Resources, to find local piano teachers and other local services!
Until then, keep practicing and have fun!
Oreo Says Hi!
