How to go about being a Piano Teacher

jlee · Post by **jlee** » 06 Mar 2008, 12:02

I'd like to teach Piano from home (casual/informal lessons/basics). I have taught in music school before. How do I 'advertise' my services?
I have a Grade 8 in Practical and Grade 6 in Theory

Do I need to register with any local authorities? Do I need some sort of license?
Is it legal to slot leaflets into homes in neighbourhood?
You help is greatly appreciated. I live in King's Lynn.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 06 Mar 2008, 19:22

Just go for it. Technically there are police checks you could go in for, but you don't need it legally. I don't think the police check costs much, and it's useful to have. No doubt they'll soon be compulsory anyway...

I would do a teaching qualification of some sort - the Associated Board one isn't too bad to do. People don't usually bother to ask, but if they do, it's more impressive to reel off some letters!

markymark · Post by **markymark** » 06 Mar 2008, 23:27

Having Grade 8 practical and Grade 6 theory is nothing to be sniffed at! It is a very high standard and testimony to your musical competence. The fact that you have taught in a music school will give you some experience, although I wonder if your teaching was more casual tuition rather than teaching?

There are no formal qualifications necessary to start teaching privately but I do feel a police check would not go amiss. Speaking as a school teacher, police checking is important for public teaching, so how much more then will it be important to have this when teaching from your own home? In order to teach with a board, make contact with them expressing your wish to start teaching privately. Most of the boards have materials and advice resources that are useful for any instrumental teacher and will also link you up with your local representative.

There is such a variation in the quality of private piano teaching that I personally feel that a teaching qualification should be statutory, but that is my personal view. In spite of all this, I still feel that a teaching qualification may be useful here in order to ensure that your teaching style and line of development throughout the ability ranges is appropriate and useful. I'm by no means suggesting that you can't do this already, but anyone can teach to the set pieces and guide someone through to Grade 8 but is that really teaching? It is useful to have official traning that allows you to teach thoroughly and relevantly, no matter how much musical skill you might have. Qualifications don't make a good teacher, but you couldn't really be a poor teacher and hold a ATCL/LTCL in instrumental teaching, or equivalent, nowadays as observation and oral assessment make up a sizeable portion of the total marks. The problem is that may people will do a diploma in performance or composition and then flash themselves off as a teaching expert which is quite ridiculous. They may have the performing skills but these qualifications do not testify to their teaching ability, if you understand me.

Trinity College have recently launched new music teacher qualifications which you can find out about from their website. They do offer long distance training for a fee and which pertains to the three sections for assessment in the teaching training exams and coursework. The ATCL level is very accessible and will no doubt give you added confidence as a professional teacher should you wish to go down this route.

You have already heard about Associated Board but London College may also be worth checking out as well if you are interested in teacher training.

bulgar · Post by **bulgar** » 07 Mar 2008, 14:18

markymark wrote:
Trinity College have recently launched new music teacher qualifications which you can find out about from their website. They do offer long distance training for a fee and which pertains to the three sections for assessment in the teaching training exams and coursework. The ATCL level is very accessible and will no doubt give you added confidence as a professional teacher should you wish to go down this route.

You have already heard about Associated Board but London College may also be worth checking out as well if you are interested in teacher training.

could you please give the link , I 've checked the web site but couldn't find it .thanks

markymark · Post by **markymark** » 07 Mar 2008, 19:21

You can read about the types of diplomas available by following this link:

http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=280

And you can find out about distance support and enrolement by following this one:

www.tt4m.co.uk

bulgar · Post by **bulgar** » 07 Mar 2008, 21:43

thank you Markymark,
I know about the Diplomas from ABRSM and Trinity and I have a dilemma which board to go with. If anyone can give me an advice will be grateful.

markymark · Post by **markymark** » 07 Mar 2008, 22:11

Ask yourself the following questions;

> How much does it cost to do the examination?
> What is involved in each test? (You can download syllabi from either website)
> Will I need training or do I have enough experience to tackle the course without tuition or the assistance of a teacher?
> Which course has better learning support?

I have to say, based on my experience, Trinity Guildhall diplomas tend to be more common than the CT or DipABRSM qualifications. I think the ABRSM hold training days at a regional centre which may be more beneficial to you rather than via correspondence and online conferencing through Trinity. I suppose you could contact Associated Board and ask them about the locations for their regional training centres and see if that helps shortlist your choice.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 08 Mar 2008, 18:56

The European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) also run courses which seem very thorough at a cursory glance, but I've never looked at the syllabus in detail and so don't know what requirements - if any - there are.

markymark · Post by **markymark** » 08 Mar 2008, 22:19

I was looking at EPTA website not that it tells you a terrible lot.

One downside to that course is, like the Associated Board courses, you need to come across for residential weekends and training days. In other words, depending on where you live in the UK, you may well have flights, trains, taxis or car travel bills to add onto your training costs too.

I'm not dismissing this option but as I mentioned earlier, find out about the course if you're interested to secure details about cost, entry requirements and modes of assessment.

For the likes of people with children or a full-time career to hold down, Trinity's distance learning is more attractive.

bulgar · Post by **bulgar** » 12 Mar 2008, 11:23

Trinity no longer offer the distance learning course .However , if anyone is interested they offer the Diploma Handbook and Supporting materials that are designed to support self-study and do in fact contain much of the material from the DL course - the cost is £140 for ATCL handbook and additional resources and same price for LTCL handbook and resources.

markymark · Post by **markymark** » 12 Mar 2008, 21:09

Oh! That's a shame. Still, based on my experience, they seem to be very willing to answer questions and to provide you with all the necessary help and support. That means a lot!

jlee · Post by **jlee** » 13 Mar 2008, 10:56

Thank you both, Gill the Piano and markymark.

So after reading your very generous and helpful replies and links, the solution is still, to get that Teaching Cert. For the record, I've taught in Music School before in a proper setting! It was easy to get that job cuz I was a former student in that School! But going 'solo' now, I'd better get some credentials.

Thanks again!

Any idea what sort of books are good for beginners? THANKS SO MUCH

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 13 Mar 2008, 18:13

Go to a music shop (a good one) and look at what's available. www.Musicroom.com are very good too.

markymark · Post by **markymark** » 13 Mar 2008, 23:59

Paul Harris has some nice ranges of books, though I have mostly used his sight-reading range, "Improve Your Sight Reading".

He also has another range called "Getting Started" which covers oral, theory and keyboard musicianship written specifically for beginners and particularly young beginners. There's also "Me and My Piano" which may be useful for beginners too. There is another range which evades me at the moment but may come to me later.....