Resources Mentioned

• Ep. 072 - The Case for Consultations in the Music Studio

• Piano Safari (Fisher & Hague)

• Piano Adventures (Faber)

• The Music Tree (Clark & Goss)

• The Suzuki Method

• Ep. 068 - How to Plan a Musical Informance

• Ep. 069 - A Musical Informance to Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

• Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned From Hosting a Musical Informance

• Musical Informance Planning Guide for Piano Teachers

A friend of mine from college reached out to ask about how to find a piano teacher for her two young children:

"Any pointers on how to find the right person?" she asked in a DM. "Do you think going to a school is better or finding someone to come to us is better?"

The interview process for finding a music teacher goes both ways:

• The teacher is interviewing the student and family to assess musical, physical, and emotional readiness; determine if the student (and parents) have the same goals for musical study; and evaluate whether or not they'd be a good fit in the studio. We talked about this in the last episode, Ep. 072 - The Case for Consultations in the Music Studio. So, go back and listen to that, if you missed it.

• At the same time, the student (and often the parents) are interviewing the teacher to assess musical skills and qualifications, teaching style, method and curriculum choices, and extracurricular offerings.

The end of the school year and the summer months are a popular time to interview and onboard new students in your studio.

This episode is meant to provide some guidance for you, the teacher, in preparing for these interviews or consultations with prospective families. Think through these questions in advance and be prepared to discuss your qualifications, teaching approach, and expectations, along with any studio experiences or opportunities you provide.

13 Questions to Help You Prepare for a Consult with a New or Prospective Student

QUALIFICATIONS + PERSONALITY:

Think about some of the things a parent might want to know before hiring you to teach their child.

• What is your background? Have you studied your instrument and/or music education formally? A background in music education or pedagogy is always helpful; just because someone can play at a high level doesn’t mean they’re good at teaching, breaking down concepts, and sequencing learning.

• How much experience do you have? Ideally, you want to have at least a few years of teaching experience. Also, it’s ideal for students and families if you’re established and committed to staying in the community (vs. someone who is more transient and may leave in a year or two).

• Are you personable? Do you smile? Are you encouraging and kind? Are you enthusiastic about the music you’re teaching? Consider offering a free consultation or trial lesson so students and families can get to know you and your teaching style. Invite parents to sit in and observe. Again, I outlined this for you in Ep. 072.

TEACHING APPROACH:

• What levels do you teach? Some teachers prefer working with beginners (which works for a few years, but not necessarily long-term) while others prefer to teach at a more advanced level. For instance, I love teaching beginners, but I also teach all the way up through 12th grade (late intermediate/early advanced level).

• What methods do you use? You probably have your own opinions about this, but be prepared to talk about your methodology and curriculum choices. I’ve tried a few different ones over the years, but I’ve settled on a few favorites for beginners: Piano Safari, Faber Piano Adventures, and The Music Tree. I use all three in my studio: I choose which will be best for each student (sometimes two different methods for siblings!). I also try to incorporate repertoire that’s outside the method series so students have access to music in other styles and by different composers. Suzuki is also great, though everything is taught by rote, so look for a teacher that supplement the Suzuki method with a reading method. Speaking of that…

• When do you introduce music reading? Some teachers jump right in with note-reading and theory from the first lesson; others begin with keyboard exploration, improvising, and experiencing the sounds of the piano through rote pieces. The latter is similar to how we learn language and is a very natural approach to learning music. The Piano Safari method builds in lots of rote pieces in the beginning and a good teacher will teach pieces in other method books by rote, too. They’ll talk about “looking for patterns,” ask “Is this the same or different?” and teach pieces with off-staff notation (either finger numbers or letters going up and down on the page without staff lines). So, be prepared to talk about this with parents, as well.

• Do you have a comprehensive approach? Music is multi-faceted and in piano study, we work to develop the eye (reading and recognizing patterns), ear (listening and recognizing patterns), sense of steady beat, and musical expression. A comprehensive approach should include:

  • Technique and warm-ups (to build and strengthen fingers, hands, and arms)

  • Sight-reading (to develop the eye and recognition of patterns)

  • Reading pieces (to develop hand-eye coordination)

  • Rote pieces (to develop the ear and musical expression)

  • Rhythm (to develop a sense of steady beat and recognition of patterns)

  • Aural skills

  • Creativity (improvisation and composition)

  • Theory (to develop an understanding of “musical grammar”)

  • Listening (to develop the ear and musical expression)

• Can you talk through all these different components of the music learning process and demonstrate to parents and prospective students how they all work together?

• How do you evaluate student learning? This might look like formal assessments (rating scales, rubrics, performances) or informal (questions such as, “What are some ways you can practice this at home?” “How do you want this part to sound?” “What questions do you still have?” or “How do you know this?”)

EXPECTATIONS:

• What do you expect of parents? Practicing assistance at home? Sitting in on lessons and taking notes? Communication?

• What do you expect of students? How much practice time do you expect per week? Be prepared with some recommendations. I ask my beginning students to practice 10-15 minutes per day. I also offer the following reminders, which I heard from The New School for Music Study:

  • Practice the day before and after your lesson

  • Don’t skip more than one day in a row

  • Complete your assignment each day you practice

STUDIO OPPORTUNITIES & EXPERIENCES:

• What genres do you teach? Maybe you focus on classical music, jazz, or pop music or a particular combination. I recommend learning and studying a variety of music from different genres. I value classical music and classical music training because I believe it’s an important foundation for learning and exploring other styles of music, but I also introduce my students to reading lead sheets, playing songs by ear, and learning repertoire in pop, jazz, and contemporary styles. What about you?

• Do you provide opportunities for students to participate in a county or state music festival? Having access to festivals and opportunities for outside evaluation is an excellent experience for elementary and intermediate students. To participate, you usually need to be a member of the host organization. If you’re affiliated with a school, the school may cover your professional dues. For instance, I’m not a NYSSMA member, but I can send students to Solo Festival through the school where I teach (a music faculty member serves as the point of contact).

• Do you offer recitals, group classes, or other community events? Performances (formal and informal) are great, as are opportunities to learn from their peers in a group setting. One thing I offered in my studio that was new this year was a musical informance. We did this mid-year, so it was a great opportunity for an informal performance at a time of year when we normally wouldn’t have anything going on. Hear about my experience with informances, what I learned, and the new resource I created for piano teachers in Ep. 068, 069, and 071.

Closing

I hope this helps you feel confident and prepared stepping into interviews and consultations with prospective students and families. Now you know what questions to address and what elements of your studio and teaching practice you can highlight.

I’d love to hear from you:

Do you have anything to add to this list? Send me a DM on Instagram or leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!