5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Have a Studio Policy
When I had lessons as a child, no teacher I encountered seemed to have any formal policy when it came to the lessons they offered. It was predominantly pay by…
4 Ways for Instrumental Teachers to Avoid ‘Resource Overwhelm’
I don't know about anyone else, but one of my jobs over the summer is to make some attempt to sort and reorganise music, organise resources and generally tidy up…
10 Things I’ve Learnt in 18 Years as a Private Music Teacher
I've recently celebrated 18 years as a private music teacher. In that time, there have been many 'ups and downs', and after 18 years, I've definitely learnt a few things…
4 Ways to Make the Most of the Music Exam Mark Sheet
If you're reading this, you've probably taken a music exam fairly recently. Congratulations! Whatever the outcome, I have a huge amount of admiration for any learner who puts themselves forward…
Do You Teach Students Who Have No Idea What They Want to Learn? Here’s How Spotify Can Help
Very occasionally, I come across a student who has a really clear idea what it is they want to learn. They have lots of ideas for pieces they'd like to…
Why Take a Teaching Diploma?
For those teaching privately in the UK, there is no requirement to possess any kind of qualification; however, every year, thousands of teachers choose to work towards a teaching diploma…
DipLCM(TD): Delivering an Effective Demonstration Lesson
In this blog post, I want to share some thoughts about planning, rehearsing and delivering your demonstration lesson as part of the DipLCM(TD) teaching diploma. The advice given here is…
By Investing in Yourself, You Invest in Others
If you put money into a savings account, chances are, you'll get back, with the addition of interest, more than you started with. You might not get very much, especially…
8 Myths of Private Instrumental Teaching
Over the past 18 years, I have come across many myths surrounding the nature of private teaching as a professional occupation. Sometimes these myths are perpetuated by those outside of…
Age-Appropriate: Why Instrumental Teachers Should Be Honest About Their Skillset
When I started teaching, as I'm sure a lot of us did, I'd teach anyone who came my way, who was interested and who was willing to pay. My first…
Instrumental Teaching: The Critical Art of Choice
As instrumental teachers, we are overwhelmed by choice when it comes to teaching resources and materials. New books, websites and subscription sites appear on an almost daily basis. There is…
“When Can I Do Grade 9?”
Please remember to check the current edition of the syllabus as these change regularly, and marking allocations can be amended. You've passed Grade 8. What next? As we well know,…