Interviewing Music Teachers
Evaluating Student Activities
Evaluating Student Activities
Learning to play the piano must not be a solitary endeavor. Your child will like lessons better, and
learn faster, if there are some group activities incorporated into their education. Group performance
in occasional recitals is a key to gaining a true understanding of music as a performing, rather than
academic, art. And some kind of independent evaluation in festivals, competitions, and/or
independent exams (such as ABRSM, RACE, or Guild) is essential both for the structured goals and
validation such events provide.
learn faster, if there are some group activities incorporated into their education. Group performance
in occasional recitals is a key to gaining a true understanding of music as a performing, rather than
academic, art. And some kind of independent evaluation in festivals, competitions, and/or
independent exams (such as ABRSM, RACE, or Guild) is essential both for the structured goals and
validation such events provide.
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Piano Studio of Andrew Horowitz
- Do your students participate in recitals, festivals, or competitions?
- Red flag: “I provide my students with everything the need in my own studio.”
- At a minimum, students should be provided with at least one general studio recital per
year, and at least two or three other classes, festivals, or events. You should expect
part-time teachers with very small studios to pool their students with other teachers’ to
hold recitals.
- Festivals are non-competitive or semi-competitive (honors awarded, but winners are
not ranked) events where students receive comments and, usually, a rating from one or
more adjudicators. The judges are sometimes hired, but more often are other teachers
volunteering their time. While competitions are only for a certain kind of student,
festivals are for all students, both the more and less talented.
- Exams, such as those offered by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
(ABRSM), the Royal American Conservatory Exams (RACE), or Guild Auditions, are
similar to festivals in that they offer non-competitive adjudication of students’
performances. The standards for these exam systems are generally more complete and
rigorous than most festivals, however. ABRSM and RACE also employ professional,
paid judges, and maintain careful control of judging standards.
- What do you think about competitions?
- Red flag: “I abhor competitions.”
- Competitions are a tool. Not every student will be successful in competition, but many
students—perhaps most—can benefit from the structure that a competition deadline
provides. They’re also a chance to get out and hear your region’s best students, which
can be inspiring in itself. A flexible attitude towards competitions reflects a flexible but
serious attitude about teaching in general.
- Do you teach any group classes?
- Red flag: “I don’t have time for group classes.”
- Red flag: “I only teach group classes.”
- Many teachers offer or require occasional group classes. Common group class
arrangements are:
- weekly small groups instead of individual lessons
- a few times per year in large or small groups
- monthly in addition to the individual lesson in large or small groups
- monthly instead of the individual lesson in small groups
- Group classes are always an asset to a student’s education; they allow for time to be
spent on elements of instruction that the individual lesson does not allow (such as
theory, ear training, history, and listening); and, equally important, groups allow
students to enjoy and experience music making with other students. Group classes
keep piano study from feeling like a lone endeavor.
- All group classes involve compromises, however. Any class grouping requires
teachers to place students of somewhat varying intellect and ability in classes together.
What’s good for the class as a whole may or may not be ideal for your child. If the
teacher offers or requires more than a few classes per year, ask them how they deal
with this challenge. A well-run group program's educational benefits outweigh the
costs in most cases. But a poorly run group program is a waste of time if you're
looking for comprehensive education.
- Also keep in mind that weekly small group classes are often more remunerative than
teaching individual lessons. Teachers working under this system often have a strong
financial incentive to put a class together, and to keep a class together. It is appropriate
to ask a teacher about her financial incentives for teaching group classes.
- Can you recommend any concerts, recitals, or competitions in town that would be fun to go
to as an audience member/observer?
- Red flag: “No.”
- Part of serious music study is learning about its place and history in the culture. It
can't be overstated that music is essentially and fundamentally a performing art, and
without attending performances, a void will exist in the student’s education. Your
teacher doesn’t need to be an active performer, but she should be plugged into, or at
least aware, of the local performance scene.
Questions to ask