Where would YOU look for a piano teacher?

[accomp]

I teach piano and voice lessons and am looking to add some students in the fall. I tend to get a lot of my students from my church. My question is, if you personally needed a piano teacher for your kids, where would you look for one? Believe me, I know different ways and I know what the piano teacher sites suggest. I am just wondering which way is the most effective in actually getting students. (For example, there are websites with private teachers listed and I did get one student this way, but is that a way that you personally would consider if you needed to find a teacher?). Thanks!

 

[Keli]

I'd call the local music stores and ask for teacher names and recommendations. I'd also ask any of dd's friends that took music lessons about their teachers.

 

[dtuleya]

Can you call your local school district and speak with the head of the music department? Maybe set up a meeting with him and ask him to give referrals.

 

[olena]

I wish you lived near me. I need another voice teacher. The one I've been with has been driving me nuts.

After 3 lessons, I have yet to start working on a new song with her. We haven't covered vocal technique at all. She gave me a theory book and I've been doing work to prove to her that I know what a staff is...the difference between quarter and whole notes, etc.

I was in band for a few years...choirs for 8 years. I even took private voice lessons from a college professor for 5 years. I was performing arias for crying out loud.

I guess some teachers don't emphasize music theory at all, but I've sung maybe 20 minutes total out of 1.5 hours' worth of lessons.

Sorry to vent, but I'm frustrated and about to discontinue the lessons. I guess my advice is to not treat experienced musicians like simpletons and give them what they pay for. My whole reason for doing this was to get my voice back into shape for an audition coming up in August.....

 

[DonnaS]

I actually found mine on pianoteachers.com. The list I had received from the piano store was so long that I didn't even know where to begin in finding someone.

 

[grinningghost]

Funny you should bring this up. I AM looking for a piano teacher right now. DD's piano teacher is having a baby in August, and has decided to quit teaching for awhile. I have a lead on a teacher. Here's how. DD has entered a piano competition for several years now, and the woman who chairs the event is a piano teacher (imagine that!). A couple of DD's friends have this woman for a teacher, so I'm going to see if she's interested in adding another student.

If that doesn't pan out, I think I'll just head for the yellow pages. Kind of sad though, DD has been with her teacher since she started playing at 7. She's now 14. They've worked out well together. Oh well, being a Mom is a very important job...

 

[Talking Hands]

Music department at the local university first, then my minister of music and finally the music teacher at school. Forget the local music shops as they have people of questionable quality.

 

[Michelemouse]

I just want to second the music-shop idea. We found our kids' piano teacher through our local music shop and she is fantastic. Definitely check out the teachers they suggest to find one that meets your needs.

Happy Hunting!

 

[faith]

The school's music department. Next church.

 

[accomp]

Thanks so much for the replies!

 

[RUDisney]

Originally posted by olena
I wish you lived near me. I need another voice teacher. The one I've been with has been driving me nuts.

After 3 lessons, I have yet to start working on a new song with her. We haven't covered vocal technique at all. She gave me a theory book and I've been doing work to prove to her that I know what a staff is...the difference between quarter and whole notes, etc.

I could have written this, except about my piano teacher. I had taught myself alot of things on the piano. I had music lesson books and made it up to book # 5 or 6 before my Mom agreed to let me take lessons. It was at the boys' club, before "girls" was added to the title. There were people running through the piano room throughout the lesson. That wasn't so bad, but the instructor wanted me to just practice scales. I had shown her that I knew how to do scales properly, but that wasn't good enough. If she had explained to me in a logical way why she wanted me to do the scales over and over, maybe I would have kept it up, but after two lessons, I decided that teaching myself was less aggrevating. I wish that I had a teacher that I could work with, but since the first one didn't pan out, Mom never pursued another instructor for me.

If I can convince DH that we can't live without a piano in our house, I would go the school route... one of the local universities has a wonderful music program and the students offer lessons, or I'd check around with my friends who have their children in lessons. If neither of these worked, I'd call the school district.