How to Become a Music Teacher

Hi! If you're reading this you're probably wondering what it would be like to set up your own music teaching business, and how to do it. I've tried to share a bit of my own experience concisely.

When I decided to start teaching, I initially I set my target as 10 students per week. I've been teaching now for just over six months, and have worked my way up to 15 students per week and things are still growing.

Chances are if you're thinking about teaching now, you're in a similar position to where I was, of having a day-job, and wondering whether you want to give up that financial security to take a big risk. One thing I can say is that yes, there is a risk, but I firmly believe that if you work consistently at getting students, then only thing required is a bit of tenacity and a lot of patience.

Here's 10 tips that have been useful for me over the last few months:

1. Advertise You need to advertise in every way you can - when you're at the start with no students, it's all you can do. If you haven't gone self-employed before, you might find this prospect a bit daunting, since you have to advertise YOURSELF! You need to be a bit brazen at the beginning about throwing your name out, and singing your own praises. You will need to refine your advertising steadily as you go (unless you're a born-natural at marketing). Flyers, posters, and online are all very cheap ways that work. Put them in music stores, people's letterboxes, on walls, council buildings, cafes, anywhere you like.

2. Make the decision that you are going to be a music teacher. It sounds obvious - but I've seen numerous people give up after a month or so because they didn't get students quick. One of the reasons for this is that they looked for alternative sources of income that were easier to find, so they were only half-committed, and then when students didn't materialise fast they lost hope, and they got asked to do extra shifts elsewhere. I just got an enquiry from some flyers I handed out roughly 6 months ago, so it just goes to show, things take a while to build up but eventually every little thing you do counts for establishing your name.

3. Look for opportunities to work for schools and music schools Depending on where you live, there will be different arrangements for how schools and colleges take on music teachers. For example, in Bristol, there is a centralised council database of teachers, and to get into a state school as a peripatetic teacher, you need to register onto this list (involving a waiting list and significant red tape). Probably private schools are a bit more flexible, and then there are also music schools connected with music shops such as the one I work at, Drumbank in Bristol.

4. Interview the student before you teach them, where possible If you get an enquiry, speak to the student on the phone and find out enough good information to feel that you know roughly what to expect, can plan the lesson, and make them feel that they're receiving a good service from the very start. The key thing is asking 'open questions' - an example is 'tell me a bit about your situation and what sort of things you're interested in learning'. That is a great open question that will get them talking - when they are talking, take notes.

5. Make lesson plans If you make a lesson plan, it can be used again and again. It might seem like a pain to spend 3 or 4 hours planning a lesson, but if you do this, you can use the same material with many other students. As time progresses, this work you've done will accumulate. It impresses everyone, yourself included, if you are well organised, and well organised lessons are much more fun than confused, aimless ones.

6. Show off your lesson plans in a wider context If you call up a music school that is on the lookout for music teachers, one of the things that will make you stand out is an organised approach, and a good way of showing this is to show your lesson plans. It shows that you've got energy and enthusiasm, and are willing to work hard - therefore you will add to the reputation of the school. If you have any credentials as a musician, then it also helps to mention these, as they add to the credentials of the school itself.

7. Make a website Making a website is often free. I used google pages to make mine. A website can host anything you like - mine has a biography, photos, an enquiry form, and extra information about my approach to teaching. Once you have a website, find out what the most important keywords are for getting visibility on google and get into SEO (search engine optimisation).

8. Know your limits as a teacher If somebody wants to learn something that is outside the scope of what you know and can teach, then tell them. There is no shame in it and it is better for your business in the long run than to have them turn up and then have to leave once they find out you can't do it.

9. Be patient with your students You cannot apply your own values to your students without expecting disappointment. You might set yourself very high standards about your own achievement - rightly so, you are a professional musician. But your students are not, they are doing lessons as a hobby. There may be a few that have great potential, but most of them are there to buy a service from you, and don't expect to be judged when they haven't done their homework. Learning happens faster when people are having fun, so keep this in mind and the student will actually want to practice more naturally. If you have this type of attitude then the student who progresses fast adds to your job satisfaction, whilst the ones that don't practice don't have the power to demoralise.

10. Stick with it There may come times when students leave, and you don't know where your next student will come from. It's at times like this that you have to keep going and put our MORE adverts. "If you build it, they will come."