Teaching in a Music School, What Skills Do You Need?

If you want to be a teacher in a music school then you are going to need a certain set of skills in order to enjoy the job, be successful in it and, help your students to go on to achieve great things. I have been teaching in a  music school for over 20 years and throughout that time I have seen many students come and go who wrongfully thought that general teaching skills were enough to work in this type of education center. If you want to pursue a career in teaching your knowledge in a music school, here are the skills that you will need to possess.

In-Depth Music Knowledge

Naturally, at the very heart of a great music teacher is a wealth of in-depth musical knowledge that spans all area so the industry. It doesn’t matter how greta a teacher you are, if you don’t know what you are talking about from a musical standpoint then you can never hope to inspire and educate the students who are sat in front of you. You must also be a great student and keep your ear to the ground of any changes or advancements in the music industry.

Breeding Creativity

One of the most important factors about being a music teacher is having the ability to breed and encourage creativity from your students. Now, this is not a skill that is easy to learn and it requires a lot of practice before you can find the balance between dictating to your students, and allowing them to spread their creative wings.

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Patience

Music is not like math and science and you must reserve a great deal of patience in order to best serve your students. Music is a creative discipline and this means that the things which you teach are not always black and white. When dealing with creative people, there is the temptation for them to go too far and it is up to your to have the patience to work with your students.

Motivational Skills

Motivational skills are highly important as a music teacher and if you really want your students to find the success that they are after, it is up to you to motivate and inspire them. There is no one-size-fits-all approach here as each person requires different approaches in order to  get them motivated. You must be flexible in your approach and understand what is required to inspire different types of people.

Basic Teaching Skills

And finally, you must have basic teaching skills to be able to work in a music school. These include organization, teaching style, ability to command respect and a maintenance of very high standards. If you are able to offer basic teaching skills, plus the additional skills which we have listed here, then you will definitely have what it takes to work in a music school as a teacher.