It has always amazed me at how little people know about the instructor they’ve hired. This page is designed to assist parents and students in finding and evaluating a piano teacher. The more qualified, motivated and involved the instructor is, the greater experience and success the student will achieve in their studies.

Finding a Teacher

A good way of finding a qualified instructor is to contact any of the following:

1. Local school district’s music office – in general, they will have an extensive list of qualified instructors on a variety of instruments.
2. Local colleges and universities – beginner teachers are generally very eager and motivated to teach.
3. Music office of your church or temple.
4. Reputable piano dealerships in your area.
5. Professional teacher groups i.e. Association of Piano Teachers of Long Island.
6. Professional teaching studios.

Evaluating a Teacher

The following is a list of some things to consider and ask a potential teacher:

1. If and where did they earn their undergraduate degree?
2. What was their area of concentration, for example, music education performance, history, business, etc.?
3. How many years have they been a teacher?
4. Have any of their students been accepted to college music programs and/or perused careers in music?
5. Do they organize performance recitals for their students?
6. How is their approach to teaching constructed, for example, what amount of time and emphasis is placed on technique, repertoire, pop songs, reading, research, listening to music, music theory, etc.?
7. Do they incorporate media into their teaching technique, such as instructional CDs, videos, DVDs, etc.?
8. Have they had any work published in music books and/or periodicals?
9. Who recommended them, and why?
10. How are their social skills? Do they interact and related well to the student?

I hope you find this information valuable when finding a qualified, well-trained piano teacher.

Thank you for visiting my web site.

(516) 317-7849

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