| You are looking for the best piano teacher for your | | | | old school, and only use phones, but others are |
| child. If you are like most parents, you may not be sure | | | | younger and use their computers to contact the world. |
| where to start. You may be having a difficult time | | | | Set up interviews with your top 3 choices first. Be sure |
| finding piano teachers in your area. And, once you | | | | to ask if the interviews are free. Most reputable |
| have found a few, how do you choose the best one | | | | teachers will offer a free interview, but some excellent |
| for your child? | | | | ones do not. Do not let interview fees color your |
| The hunt for the best piano teacher can be a tiring | | | | thinking, though. Just be prepared for either answer, |
| one. You may live in a large metropolitan area with | | | | and ask what form of payment the teacher accepts. |
| many teachers. In this situation, you may not know | | | | Some prefer checks, some prefer cash, and some will |
| where to start your search. Or, you may live in a | | | | take a credit card. Be sure they give you a receipt, |
| suburb or rural area where there are only a few | | | | and ask for a business card or business brochure, a |
| teachers. In this case, the teachers may not be taking | | | | studio policy, and a resume. You will want to take |
| more students, or they may be too far away to reach | | | | these items home and to think about the interviews |
| easily. Here are the first two steps for finding the right | | | | and what you saw and heard. |
| teacher. | | | | There is an important triangle between the teacher, the |
| Make Your List | | | | student, and the parents during private piano study. |
| One of the first things you should do is make a list of | | | | Each leg of the triangle must work well together with |
| teachers that interest you. From your available | | | | the others for private study to be successful. For that |
| sources, choose a balance between music studio | | | | reason, you should plan to take your child for the |
| teachers, and also private piano studios. I have owned | | | | interview. After all, your child will be taking the lessons, |
| my own private piano studio for over 29 years now, | | | | and he or she will have a pretty good idea right away |
| and though it may surprise you, I still recommend | | | | whether or not he or she likes the teacher. The |
| interviewing teachers at your local music studio. Why? | | | | teacher should not only interview your child and |
| Because you need to know what is available in order | | | | answer your questions, but also tell you about teaching |
| to make good comparisons among the teachers on | | | | methods suggested to use with your child. Some |
| your list. Be certain that your list includes even the | | | | teachers use only one method, others use more, but it |
| farthest ones from you, because you may very well | | | | has been my experience that methods are best when |
| find that the one you like the most will require the most | | | | suited to the child's needs. So, I have learned to use |
| investment of your time. You won't know until you | | | | several over the years that work for me, and that I |
| meet them. | | | | find the most successful. I tend to use a sequential |
| Set Up Interviews | | | | series of method books, but teach drawing ideas from |
| Once you have your piano teacher list, you will begin to | | | | several differing methods so that I can use whatever |
| contact them via phone or email. Some teachers are | | | | works with each student. |