How to teach music
I started my teaching journey in 2014 at the University of Texas String Project. In this program, college students are taught how to teach younger students (elementary and middle schoolers) through teaching lessons and evaluations. When I moved to Chicago in 2017, I began teaching private lessons and group classes in public schools. I was very fortunate to land a full time teaching position in 2019; however, when COVID hit, all of my lessons shifted online. Since then, I have grown a sizeable studio made up of adults and children, in-person and online. At this current time, I have 39 students, and I’ve had as many as 50!
One of the things that helped me the most when I was just starting my teaching journey was to think of teaching as practice, not performance. Of course we want to do everything right and always have the perfect plan or perfect solution for our students, but that is not always possible, especially at the beginning. Understanding that nothing and no one is perfect and that you WILL make mistakes as a teacher is actually very freeing. With that being said, here are some tips and things that I wish I would have known when starting out on my teaching journey.
Get some sort of training. I highly recommend Suzuki training; it completely transformed the way I teach and my teaching philosophy. However, I understand that Suzuki training is expensive and not everyone wants to teach the method, which is totally fine. Whatever method you choose, seek out a course or a mentor to help guide you in the beginning. It truly makes a world of difference.
Develop a teaching plan. As a part of my first Suzuki class, we had to write down all of the skills we wanted the student to demonstrate before starting Twinkle (the first piece in the book) and all the skills we wanted them to learn in each of the subsequent pieces. Having this list helped me create learning plans for my students so that I was never wondering what to do next. This can, of course, change over time, but it’s very beneficial for both the student and the teacher to have a clear plan to follow.
Break things down into very small steps. This is especially important for children. There is so much that goes into even the simplest of techniques, like bowing. Understanding what these steps are and explaining them well are two of the most basic elements of a becoming a good music teacher.
Structure your lesson around teaching segments. A teaching segment is a portion of the lesson where you identify the problem, work on it (ie give the solution), and then put it back into context. I also try my best to have my teaching segments relate to each other in some way (although this isn’t always possible). It’s impossible to fix everything at once. Focus on one or two things until the student has mastered them, and then turn your attention to something else.
Develop multiple ways of solving problems. Every student learns in different ways and you never know what words or tactics will resonate with them the most. One of my favorite things about teaching is listening to my students and things that they have come up with to tackle different things they’re struggling with, and then sharing that with my other students.
Be gracious and patient with yourself and your students. If you truly care and want your students to succeed, you are already a great teacher. Never stop learning.
What advice would you give to new music teachers? Leave a comment and let me know!
