About This Music Career

A Private Instrument Teacher teaches students how to play a specific instrument. This is not always easy, as the student is sometimes forced to take lessons by an overbearing parent. Either way though, a good Instrument Teacher can make learning any instrument exciting, and make the whole experience a good one.

Private Instrument Teachers can teach in a number of different locations, including their own home, the student's home, a music store, a private studio, and more. When teaching, Teachers can provide instruction to a group of individuals, or to just one student at a time. Lesson length varies from 45 minutes to about an hour, and usually takes place once per week. And, Instructors may teach beginner or advanced students - there are also expert instructors who teach professionals.

In terms of skills, Private Instrument Teachers must be reliable and dependable because the worst thing a teacher can do to hurt their reputation is to cancel lessons, or show up late. Also, the teacher must relate well to the students and should be easy to get along with. Most Private Instrument Teachers work on their own, in which case they make their own hours and decide their own rates. Others work on staff for a studio or shop, in which case the business' policies determine schedule and pay.

Salaries
As mentioned, there is a difference between those Teachers who are self-employed and those who work for a music store or shop. Salaries also vary depending on the instrument being taught and the expertise of the teacher. All thing considered, fees usually range from $10 to $50 per hour. However, fees naturally go up for field experts, such as jazz greats and orchestra musicians to about $50 to $500 and up, per lesson. Those who work on staff in music stores or studios, the instructor is either paid per student, a weekly salary, or a combination of the two. In these situations, Studio Teachers may earn from $25,000 to $60,000 plus annually.

Employment
Employment prospects are fair, and once a teacher obtains a few students who are satisfied, word travels quickly to other potential customers.. There are many Private Instrument Teachers who work full-time as schoolteachers and part-time giving lessons after school to interested students.

Advancement
Advancement in the form of taking on more students and charging higher rates can be relatively easy to accomplish due to positive word of mouth. Then, eventually, the teacher may have so many students that he or she may want to open a private teaching studio, where he or she can then employ other private music teachers.

Education and Training
The Private Instrument Teacher must have the ability to play an instrument well enough to teach a student the many different techniques of playing. Thus, extensive training and/or study in the specific instrument or group of instruments is necessary to be successful. This may perhaps be professional training from a music college, or training through private lessons.

Experience, Skills, and Personality
It goes without saying, but the Private Instrument Teachers must have the ability to play the instrument or instruments he or she is teaching. In addition, one of the most important traits a teacher can possess is patience, because it takes new students a while to pick up new techniques on an instrument, and some students simply don't have the determination to learn a new instrument. So, the teacher must show patience and must be enthusiastic enough to communicate new techniques to the student.

Unions and Associations
Private Music Teachers do not have a union but can belong to the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) if they are performers as well. In addition, Private Music Teachers might belong to the Music Teachers National Association, Inc., the Music Educators National Conference, or the National Association of Schools of Music.

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