Looking for a Music Teacher
COME HERE, Music can have an amazing effect on you as you listen or actually play it. It has the ability to create a calm and peaceful feeling or get an entire crowd excited. It can motivate you or help you to meditate. If you are involved in playing an instrument, studies show that learning music enhances memory, improves hand-eye coordination, increases reading comprehension, and develops discipline. If you participate in musical activities you also build social skills. This sounds like a winning proposition all the way around. If you want to get your child, or maybe even yourself, involved in playing an instrument such as the piano, violin, or even flute lessons at St Paul, you will want to take the time to evaluate teaching options. Your choice could make the difference in the success of these lessons.
Considerations When Choosing a Music Teacher
- You will want to seek the opinion of friends and family when you begin looking for a music teacher. It is important to ask around and compare what you hear with the needs and wants of your child. If you are using music lessons as a means to help your student become more well-rounded and develop some musical skill, you will look for a certain type of teacher and experience. If you feel like your child is gifted in a musical area, your search will be entirely different. If there are professional musicians that you can talk with, you will find that they are well aware of the teaching talent in your area.
- You will want to learn what you can about a teacher, when you have narrowed the list down. It is important to check out their credentials and understand the background they bring to teaching. Some may be active professionals, and that would give you the opportunity to see them perform. If you live near a university, you may be able to find a list of qualified teachers in the music department.
- It is also a good idea to visit with students that are currently enrolled with a teacher you are considering. They will be able to tell you a lot about the lessons they receive. Again, if you are more serious, you can find out if they compete and how successful they are. You may also want to attend a recital and see what level the performances are at.
- You should be able to observe a lesson and determine if it will meet your child's learning style. It also gives you the opportunity to see how the teacher relates with the students and what the rules and environment are like.
- When you find a program you are interested in, make sure you ask about the fees; make up lessons, extra activities, practice requirements, and what supplies you will need to purchase. You will want to make sure that these items are reasonable for your situation. It also will help you and your child to decide if this is a commitment that they can make and keep.
- You want to make sure that as you move forward you have the option of monitoring lessons, either regularly or on occasion. If you are able to observe how the lesson progresses you will be able to see the interaction between your child and the instructor. Watching will give you ideas about how to support your student with practice requirements. It also gives you the insight to know if the teacher you have selected is still meeting your child's needs at any given time.
