A piano teacher is a person who teaches others how to play the piano. This person may teach young children and teens or focus on adult students. Some piano teachers are willing to instruct people of any age.
Piano teachers often get started in their careers because they have a love of playing the piano. People who choose this career often do so after taking years of lessons themselves and developing their own talent. After learning a range of music styles, some pianists may decide to express their love of the piano by helping others learn to play it.
For some people, teaching students to play the piano may be harder than playing it themselves. A person who wants to teach piano must not only have above-average knowledge of the piano and good playing ability, but he must also have excellent communication skills in order to teach others. He typically needs lots of patience and the ability to encourage and motivate his students. Students may lose their motivation and desire to play the piano if a teacher is overbearing or insulting.
As far as credentials are concerned, a piano teacher may be anyone who knows how to play the piano and teaches others. For example, a person with no degree may teach at a music studio, recreational center, or at a private residence based purely on his talent and teaching ability. Some piano teachers do earn college degrees, however. In fact, those who want to teach in a public or private school may need a degree in music education to do so.
A piano teacher may choose to open his own studio and offer lessons without having an employer. Those who choose this route are even less likely to need college degrees, as potential students may be less concerned with degrees than employers may be. Piano teachers who open their own studios may even employ other music teachers, offering a variety of music lessons in addition to those for the piano.
Whether a person seeks a degree in music or not, he will need to develop solid teaching skills and strategies in order to be an effective piano teacher. He may do this by observing other piano teachers and asking them for advice concerning teaching strategies. He may also attend music teacher training programs, workshops, or seminars. Some aspiring piano teachers may even learn effective teaching strategies and methods from books and video lessons.
