What type of courses would you need to do to become a music teacher who works in a school?
"Like my brother Jimmie says, I play like I'm breaking out of jail."-Stevie Ray Vaughan
It depends on the school system, but most will require a bachelor's degree in some music field (music education, performance, music therapy, etc.), and a minimum number of credit hours in education.
Check with the administration of a local school, and they'll tell you what the education requirements are.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
I have been interestes in teaching for years and I recently got a job teaching guitar at an alternative high school.
I started by contacting a local music store a couple of years ago. They had placed an ad looking for a teacher. I asked what the qualifications were. There are going to be some reactions to this: He told me that it is basically a babysitting job. Can you believe it?
But there is some truth to this. A lot of parents pay for guitar lessons for their kids and the kids goof on until they move on to the next thing. I taught at a local arts organization for a while and I have seen this syndrome. I felt guilty about taking the money in these cases and had to tell the parents that the kid wasn't learning anything. I didn't take the job at the guitar store. Someone else with more experience got it.
Anyway, I started volunteering at the library giving free lessons to a group once a week. I did beginning, Intermediate, and advanced. I really learned a lot. I did it for more than a year. I could write a lot more about that. Anyway, it led to a referral for the job I have now. I have an AA in art, but no music degree. I am self taught. I studied theory and reading on my own. (with a lot of help from this site ;) and a collection of books and magazines.
I am lucky to have the job I have. I wouldn't know how to tell anyone to get this job. It found me.
But I do know that ther are other jobs like this. Community colleges have guitar teachers who do not have music degrees. All you have to do is have the intestinal fortitude to advertise yourself as a guitar teacher.
I would reccomend getting some practical experience first. Contact the volunteer coordinator at your library. You won't get paid but the experience is invaluable. So many things will happen in your classes that you will learn from as you revise your methods.
I hope this wasn't too long. Good luck.
I've heard the "it's a babysitting job" from other sources, so I'll believe it.
My qualifications are in Banking, not music, and I give guitar lessons. My contention is that all the musical qualifications in the world cannot teach you the one essential thing you need to get you or your students playing - passion
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
As NoteBoat said, most school systems require you to be qualified to get your education certificate, in addition to your musical ability. In addition, most school systems need teachers who can do a bit of everything. For band, it's best if you can play almost every horn and woodwind. Orchestra is a tad easier, as they are all strings, but you'll need to play the piano as well.
And having worked with many groups of middle-schoolers, I can tell you that teaching is not an easy job! But it's very rewarding when it goes right.
-Laz (not a teacher)
