The person who wants to become a violin teacher has an interesting road ahead. There are different ways a violin teacher might be employed in this field. A few public schools have thriving string programs and employ full-time teachers to teach the basics and to conduct string orchestras. Other teachers might work for youth symphonies or conservatories, while some teachers only offer group or private lessons. In all cases, teachers must have strong performance and teaching skills.
Most people who would become a violin teacher start by learning to play the violin, at a fairly young age. This is an instrument that takes considerable time to master, and unless people are savants, they’ll usually be best served by starting by the age of nine at most. A good many students start much earlier than this and are playing fluently by the time they’ve reached this age.
Since not all schools do have string programs, parents could help young students find opportunities to study and learn at an early age. They could look to private lessons or musical programs nearby that can give students opportunities to learn to read music, tune and care for their instruments, and eventually to play tunefully. When there are school programs a combination of participation in these, private lessons, and participation in youth symphonies, once a certain level of playing expertise is reached, are excellent ways for the young musician to develop.
Some who want to become a violin teacher decide to get more musical education after high school in college or performing arts schools. A person interested in teaching in public school will likely need to attend college and obtain a teaching credential, but not all violin teachers require this. In college or other learning venues, the person wanting to become a violin teacher should learn other string instruments to a degree, on the off chance he’ll eventually conduct student orchestras. Knowing how to play viola, bass and cello are important and it is especially important that a teacher can read the other clefs when instructing or conducting string ensembles.
There are some specific violin instruction methods that some teachers choose to learn like the Suzuki method. Other teachers don’t adhere rigidly to a particular method. What styles teachers endorse often depends on where they learn how to teach, how they were taught, and where they’re employed. A private teacher may have a freeform method, and someone working at a conservatory may utilize a specific teaching style, in keeping with a school’s goals.
In many locations, the person wanting to become a violin teacher becomes a private teacher, and may also be involved in performance in local symphonies or chamber groups. This means there may not be a specific path to the job; some violinists are talented enough to join symphonies right out of high school and become teachers, too. In very many cases such teachers blend their love of teaching with performance and become known in their communities for demonstrable skills in both areas.
