The Quest of Finding a Music Instructor

By Jacqueline Schmidt, violin teacher in Minneapolis offering local viola classes too.

I recently received an email from a parent asking how to find a music teacher for their child. This is a great question! In my experience as a Suzuki violin and viola instructor, I’d love to share with you about what you should consider.

Photo courtesy of adjustafresh

1. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Before you start looking, you need to know what you’re looking for. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before you look for a teacher:

• What instrument will your child be learning?
• What method are you looking for? Suzuki or traditional?
• What are you willing to commit to in terms of time, schedule, practicing, and cost?

2. DOING THE RESEARCH
You are about to invest your time and energy. Research and asking questions are definitely worth the time and effort! These are the best ways to get a good base of information to start for the search:

• Word of mouth
  Talk to parents who have had positive experiences with their child’s music lessons. What do they recommend? Why?

• Visit Music Schools
  Look around your neighborhood and see if you can attend a concert or observe lessons. What do you notice about the quality and attitude? Is this consistent with what you are seeking?

• Search online
  You can find tons of wonderful teachers online through various resources. Along with TeachStreet.com, you can find great resources like Suzuki Association, which is a great resource for Suzuki parents, teachers, and students. You can also search for a teacher by instrument and zip code to see who is in your neighborhood.

3. NARROWING THE SEARCH
Let’s say you’ve done your research, know what you’re looking for and have even found a few potential teachers. Before committing to a teacher, I would suggest checking out the following:

• Background
  What kind of background does the teacher have? Where and how have they learned to master their instrument? If they have a website, check it out! For example, my website, jackieschmidt.com, has my resume, teaching philosophy, studio policy and even video of my students! This gives potential students a chance to know what my teaching is like before we meet.

• Working Style
  What is this teacher’s working style and personality like? How will this match up with your child?

• Specialization
  If you are starting with a very young child, definitely seek out a teacher who specializes in this! Teaching music to young children is truly an art. Likewise, if you are looking for a teacher who takes on adult students or teenagers. There are a lot of teachers around and you want to find the best match for you.

• Trial Lesson or Observe Their Teaching
  The best way to see if the teacher’s working style and personality in action is to observe their teaching or to request a trial lesson with them. As a Suzuki teacher, lesson observation is one of the core beliefs of the Suzuki philosophy. For potential students in my studio here in Minneapolis, I offer an interview lesson (first, trial lesson) to them at no charge.

Best wishes on your teacher quest! If you have questions, feel free to drop me a line at jackie@jackieschmidt.com or stop by my TeachStreet profile.

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