How do I find a good violin teacher?
A helpful, supportive, and knowledgeable violin teacher will help expedite your progress and keep you encouraged and motivated when times get tough. But how do you find a good violin teacher? Here are my top recommendations.
The Suzuki Association website. If you are looking for a Suzuki-trained teacher, this is your best bet. You are able to search for teachers by zip code, see their bios and teacher training experience, and access their contact information.
Reach out to local music schools. If you read my article on how much music lessons cost, then you understand that taking lessons at a music school may be more expensive than with an unaffiliated teacher, but it certainly is an easier way to find teachers. Additionally, most music schools have several teachers on their payroll, so you can easily try several teachers out and see which is the best fit for you.
Reach out to your local college or university’s music program. If they do not have a music professor that is willing to take you on, you might be able to find a student to teach you.
Your local symphony. Many symphony musicians also teach! If you get in touch with the personel manager (which you can usually find on their website), they can put you in contact with a few musicians in the symphony. This was how I found my 2nd and 3rd teachers, Marina Brubaker and Frank Huang.
Word of mouth. If you have a friend, or your child has a friend who plays the particular instrument you’re interested in, you can certainly ask them for their teacher’s contact information.
Facebook groups. Many teachers advertise their lessons in local Facebook groups. There are also instrument facebook groups (ie violin groups) and Suzuki groups where teachers abound!
Social Media. Many teachers post their playing and helpful information on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This is how many of my current students have found me!
Google search. Tried, true, and effective. In a google search you’ll likely find both music schools and private unaffiliated teachers in your area.
Before committing, have a trial lesson with a few teachers to get a feel for their teaching style. At the end of the day, you want to work with someone who is supportive, encouraging, and can help you accomplish your goals. If you’re interested in working with me privately, either in person in New Jersey or online, apply here.
