Instrument teacher has a day job in an unrelated field

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do you plan on paying for lessons? Keeping in mind that kids are in school during the day and that there is marginal demand for adults who don't work taking lessons, do you think a teacher could make a living just teaching in the afternoon?

Every music teacher either has a day job, is retired, or has a spouse who is the primary earner

This is OP. Yes I've known many teachers who had day jobs, but always in music. I guess I'm asking it's ok the teacher spends most of her day not with her instrument/music. Like let's say someone works as in bookkeeping 8-4. Would you hire that person to teach classical piano or cello?

If they had good referral reviews, yes.

Being a professional musician or a full-time teacher in a school (where they are teaching dozens of instruments, and not 1:1) says nothing about their teaching ability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do you plan on paying for lessons? Keeping in mind that kids are in school during the day and that there is marginal demand for adults who don't work taking lessons, do you think a teacher could make a living just teaching in the afternoon?

Every music teacher either has a day job, is retired, or has a spouse who is the primary earner

This is OP. Yes I've known many teachers who had day jobs, but always in music. I guess I'm asking it's ok the teacher spends most of her day not with her instrument/music. Like let's say someone works as in bookkeeping 8-4. Would you hire that person to teach classical piano or cello?

What are you trying to give your child by giving them music lessons? A trip to Julliard and a career in the New York Philharmonic, or a lifelong love of music?

If it's the former, just save yourself and sign up for something like Levine School. If the latter, chill way out. And even if it's the former, your child might surprise you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are weird

Well I already know that. I'm not asking about my weirdness, I'm asking about music teachers.

LOL I like you OP. To your question, I know many excellent DC area musicians - both vocal and instrumental - with day jobs. I think your questions about demand and time away from the instrument are just not that pertinent to whether the teacher would be good or not. If I were you, I'd go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking at a new instrument teacher for DD. We had a different teacher and just felt it wasn't a good fit culturally: very laidback, not enough focus on technical training, no thought to building performance experience for the kids... I found another teacher who is from a similar cultural and musical background and has a lot of classical training and past experience teaching the instrument. Which is great!

However, this new teacher also has a day job in an unrelated field. I have no idea the hours of this day job and I think its sort of a small family business. What say you, DCUM? Is having an instrument teacher with a non-musical day job, ok? DD is still fairly young and has been playing her instrument just under a year.

Is this a joke? How much performing do you expect your child to do with under a year of experience playing an instrument. I think a teacher with non-musical day job is fine for your young child who just started playing an instrument.

No it's not a joke. I grew up taking lessons. All the kids were expected to at least perform at the student recital several times a year and you had to perform from memory. Our old teacher had optional recitals once a year and all performed looking at music. In my opinion this does not build sufficient experience playing in front of an audience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are weird

Well I already know that. I'm not asking about my weirdness, I'm asking about music teachers.

LOL I like you OP. To your question, I know many excellent DC area musicians - both vocal and instrumental - with day jobs. I think your questions about demand and time away from the instrument are just not that pertinent to whether the teacher would be good or not. If I were you, I'd go for it.

I guess I'm actually glad to see DCUM so collectively in agreement that I am crazy? I'll go ahead with the new teacher and see how things go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are looking at a new instrument teacher for DD. We had a different teacher and just felt it wasn't a good fit culturally: very laidback, not enough focus on technical training, no thought to building performance experience for the kids... I found another teacher who is from a similar cultural and musical background and has a lot of classical training and past experience teaching the instrument. Which is great!

However, this new teacher also has a day job in an unrelated field. I have no idea the hours of this day job and I think its sort of a small family business. What say you, DCUM? Is having an instrument teacher with a non-musical day job, ok? DD is still fairly young and has been playing her instrument just under a year.

Da foook does it matter?

[Anonymous]

Your kid will have several music teachers over the years, but the biggest factor in mastery of the instrument is practice. No matter who the teacher is or what their style is, your child is responsible for 90% of their own musical growth.

You can also teach the theory side of things yourself. Get a basic elementary school level music theory book or workbook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do you plan on paying for lessons? Keeping in mind that kids are in school during the day and that there is marginal demand for adults who don't work taking lessons, do you think a teacher could make a living just teaching in the afternoon?

Every music teacher either has a day job, is retired, or has a spouse who is the primary earner

This is OP. Yes I've known many teachers who had day jobs, but always in music. I guess I'm asking it's ok the teacher spends most of her day not with her instrument/music. Like let's say someone works as in bookkeeping 8-4. Would you hire that person to teach classical piano or cello?

What are you trying to give your child by giving them music lessons? A trip to Julliard and a career in the New York Philharmonic, or a lifelong love of music?

If it's the former, just save yourself and sign up for something like Levine School. If the latter, chill way out. And even if it's the former, your child might surprise you.

OP here. I guess something in between the two? I don't need or want DD to play in the New York Philharmonic or become an international soloist. But I do think the common "practice if you feel like it once a week" Chopsticks/folk songs approach to instrument learning would just be an exercise in frustration for me. I'm not willing to drive DD to weekly lessons and help with daily practice for a casual level of proficiency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can not figure out why this would be a problem. What potential problems are you imagining?

I think OP is wondering if it is OK that the teacher for her very young child (who has been taking lessons for less than a year) isn't fully immersing herself in the instrument, and if that makes her an unfit instructor for little Larla.

Which is, of course, nuts. Weird is not nearly a strong enough word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can not figure out why this would be a problem. What potential problems are you imagining?

I think OP is wondering if it is OK that the teacher for her very young child (who has been taking lessons for less than a year) isn't fully immersing herself in the instrument, and if that makes her an unfit instructor for little Larla.

Which is, of course, nuts. Weird is not nearly a strong enough word.

DD isn’t very young for her instrument. Many kids start 2-3 years earlier. DD is very devoted to it and loves listening to pieces too, and old teacher did not assign enough to practice, nor was he critical enough to help develop proper form. So we are kind of starting over with new teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are looking at a new instrument teacher for DD. We had a different teacher and just felt it wasn't a good fit culturally: very laidback, not enough focus on technical training, no thought to building performance experience for the kids... I found another teacher who is from a similar cultural and musical background and has a lot of classical training and past experience teaching the instrument. Which is great!

However, this new teacher also has a day job in an unrelated field. I have no idea the hours of this day job and I think its sort of a small family business. What say you, DCUM? Is having an instrument teacher with a non-musical day job, ok? DD is still fairly young and has been playing her instrument just under a year.

Good fit "culturally" ==} The teacher wasn't demanding enough for OP, and didn't make her kid nearly miserable enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can not figure out why this would be a problem. What potential problems are you imagining?

I think OP is wondering if it is OK that the teacher for her very young child (who has been taking lessons for less than a year) isn't fully immersing herself in the instrument, and if that makes her an unfit instructor for little Larla.

Which is, of course, nuts. Weird is not nearly a strong enough word.

DD isn’t very young for her instrument. Many kids start 2-3 years earlier. DD is very devoted to it and loves listening to pieces too, and old teacher did not assign enough to practice, nor was he critical enough to help develop proper form. So we are kind of starting over with new teacher.

So many assumptions that can be drawn form your posts, OP. I'll just go with one (that won't get me banned) - it's the violin, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can not figure out why this would be a problem. What potential problems are you imagining?

I think OP is wondering if it is OK that the teacher for her very young child (who has been taking lessons for less than a year) isn't fully immersing herself in the instrument, and if that makes her an unfit instructor for little Larla.

Which is, of course, nuts. Weird is not nearly a strong enough word.

DD isn’t very young for her instrument. Many kids start 2-3 years earlier. DD is very devoted to it and loves listening to pieces too, and old teacher did not assign enough to practice, nor was he critical enough to help develop proper form. So we are kind of starting over with new teacher.

So many assumptions that can be drawn form your posts, OP. I'll just go with one (that won't get me banned) - it's the violin, right?

Lol, do you need to ask?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are looking at a new instrument teacher for DD. We had a different teacher and just felt it wasn't a good fit culturally: very laidback, not enough focus on technical training, no thought to building performance experience for the kids... I found another teacher who is from a similar cultural and musical background and has a lot of classical training and past experience teaching the instrument. Which is great!

However, this new teacher also has a day job in an unrelated field. I have no idea the hours of this day job and I think its sort of a small family business. What say you, DCUM? Is having an instrument teacher with a non-musical day job, ok? DD is still fairly young and has been playing her instrument just under a year.

Good fit "culturally" ==} The teacher wasn't demanding enough for OP, and didn't make her kid nearly miserable enough.

Actually she’s not miserable at all. I have her the choice to stay or try a new teacher and she wants to switch. DD is pushing herself and setting her own practice times. And yes there are certain schools and methods which demand more rigor so we are trying that this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are weird

Well I already know that. I'm not asking about my weirdness, I'm asking about music teachers.

LOL I like you OP. To your question, I know many excellent DC area musicians - both vocal and instrumental - with day jobs. I think your questions about demand and time away from the instrument are just not that pertinent to whether the teacher would be good or not. If I were you, I'd go for it.

I guess I'm actually glad to see DCUM so collectively in agreement that I am crazy? I'll go ahead with the new teacher and see how things go.

Good luck! I hope it works out.