This article was written by Dalia Miguel and by How.com.vn staff writer, Kira Jan. Dalia Miguel is a violinist and violin instructor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is studying Music Education and Violin Performance at San Jose State University and has been playing violin for over 15 years. Dalia teaches students of all ages and performs with a variety of symphonies and orchestras in the Bay Area.
There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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When you become a music teacher, you get to pursue your passion for music and share that gift with others. If you’re patient, enthusiastic, and excel at an instrument, you might make an amazing teacher. It can be tricky to figure out how to turn your passion and talent into a career, but don’t worry—we’ve answered the most common questions about making your music teacher career happen!
Steps
What qualifications do you need to be a music teacher?
- To teach at a public school, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree. Typically, you’ll attend a 4-year accredited university to study music education or a related field. Then, you’ll go through a teacher training program affiliated with your school in order to prepare you for in-class instruction.[1]
- After your bachelor’s, you’ll need to get a state teaching license. While private schools might not require this, all public schools will.[2] To figure out which credential you need, search for your state’s teaching credential commission website. Look for the requirements to get a single-subject certification in music (offered in 39 states).
- To be eligible for certification, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree and sufficient student teaching or observation hours (which vary by state).[3]
- You may also need to take tests on your proficiency in basic subjects, teaching pedagogy, and music content.
- Application fees will range from $0-$200 depending on your state.
Advertisement - To teach at the collegiate level, you’ll need a graduate degree. For example, you could pursue an M.A. in Violin Performance or a Ph.D. in Composition. Most master’s programs will take 2-3 years if you already have a bachelor’s degree while Ph.D. programs will take 5-6 years.[4]
What should you look for in a degree program?
- Pick a program with musicianship requirements you can meet. As a music teacher, you’ll have to be skilled at an instrument and learn to be functionally proficient in both keyboard and voice. To attend an accredited university, you’ll have to demonstrate your musicianship through performance and music literacy.[5]
- Search for programs that will give you hands-on experience. Look for colleges that partner with schools to give you opportunities to shadow teachers or gain student teaching experience.[8]
- Make sure the school will give you the right kind of certification. Search the school website or ask students, faculty, and admissions officers questions about what the degree will qualify you to teach.[9]
- What type of music (general, instrumental, choral) will you be certified to teach?
- Are the certifications transferrable to other states?
- Will you have to pursue a state teaching license outside of the program or does the school build certification into the curriculum?
- Look for schools with proven success in job placement. Does the school help connect students with employers? How do the musicians and music teaching professionals you know view the school?[10]
How do you start teaching private music lessons?
- Create a simple website. Include a bio, picture of yourself, page with testimonials, and contact details.[13] Add blogging content to boost your website in the search rankings. You can use the blog space to write about your teaching philosophy or music interests, but just be sure to include keywords like “Los Angeles piano lessons” or “Tallahassee voice lessons.”[14]
- Use social media to target local parents, musicians, and arts programs. Upload short tutorials, FAQs, and pictures of you playing. You can even message local schools, summer camps, and afterschool programs to see if they’re interested in hiring a music teacher or sharing your content. If you’re asking a local page to promote you, be sure to explain why your content is relevant for their audience.[15]
- “Hi, I’m a local music teacher and wanted to ask if you’d be willing to repost this tutorial on learning guitar. I really appreciate your positive messaging promoting arts in the community and I’d love to be a part of that with my music lessons. Thanks!”
- Look into teaching music at a summer camp or after-school program. Even if you start on a volunteer basis, you’ll get more teaching experience and exposure to families who may hire you for private lessons.[16]
- Offer free 30-minute consultations. In a free consultation, you can show off your teaching abilities and let your client know that you’re the right instructor for them. Use the time to give clients an evaluation of their skillset, figure out their goals, describe a plan you have for them to move forward, and tell them how you’d coach them in the right direction.[17] It might be also a good idea to schedule a trial lesson.EXPERT TIPProfessional Pianist, Composer, and Music EducatorWarren Lee is a Professional Pianist, Composer, and Music Educator based in Hong Kong. Lee is a concert pianist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and is on both the Steinway Artist and Naxos Recording Artist rosters. Lee was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2015. In 2017, he received the Ian Mininberg Distinguished Alumni Award from Yale University. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music from the Royal Academy of Music and a Master's degree in Music from Yale University. Lee also holds an MBA degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and an LLM degree in Intellectual Property Law from the University of London.Warren Lee
Professional Pianist, Composer, and Music EducatorMusic teachers foster deep learning by understanding students’ experiences. Connecting personally with students matters most for music teachers. Understanding their experiences makes kids feel "seen" and comfortable to learn deeply — beyond just notes and rhythms. Building trust opens their hearts and abilities.
Community Q&A
- QuestionHow many years of experience do you need to become a music teacher?How.com.vn Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerHow.com.vn Staff EditorStaff AnswerIt'll take 4 years to get your degree in music education, but the amount of years of experience on an instrument will vary. For instance, you can become proficient at piano in 3-5 years of consistent work while it takes 5+ years to become proficient at violin. - QuestionHow long does it take to get a music degree?Community AnswerYou could get it in three years of hard work, if you take summer courses. The usual length of time is four years, though.
- QuestionDo the music courses in each state vary?Community AnswerThe courses themselves will vary from university to university, but the concepts are the same. For example, every music student must take theory courses. Some schools are on a 4 course system, some on 5; some have a separate course for ear training, some including ear training within the theory class.
Tips
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about becoming a music teacher, check out our in-depth interview with Dalia Miguel.
References
- ↑ https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/careers-for-music-lovers.htm
- ↑ https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm
- ↑ https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/careers-for-music-lovers.htm
- ↑ https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/careers-for-music-lovers.htm
- ↑ https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/accreditation/standards-guidelines/handbook/
- ↑ https://www.teaching-certification.com/music-teacher-certification.html
- ↑ https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/accreditation/standards-guidelines/handbook/
- ↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0027432119865461
- ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors/education-education-specific-subject-areas-music-teacher-education
- ↑ https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/students-parents/
- ↑ https://www.careersinmusic.com/music-teacher/
- ↑ https://www.careersinmusic.com/music-teacher/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEOXAgK5gM&t=115s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz38r17BFb0&t=162s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2VWiQfYEs8&t=264s
- ↑ https://majoringinmusic.com/finding-first-music-teaching-job/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEOXAgK5gM&t=217s
- ↑ https://certification.mtna.org/Certification/Get_Certified/Teacher_Profile_Projects/Piano_Overview/Certification/Get_Certified/TPP/Piano_Overview.aspx
- ↑ https://certification.mtna.org/Certification/Get_Certified/Fees.aspx
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