Private Instruction

When to Consider Private Instruction 

Instrumental Music Students

As soon as your child has established a commitment to his/her instrument and a desire to improve his/her music ability, private instruction should be considered.  It is important to realize that musical development is different with every child and that each student brings a host of unique problems to an instrument.  The sooner a young musician can learn from the expertise of a specialist on the instrument with the concentrated attention of the one-on-one learning, the faster and more correct the development will be.

What to Consider When Choosing a Private Instructor

The choice of a private instructor is very important as a negative relationship between the student and the instructor may be more harmful than helpful.

-      The instructor should be a specialist on the instrument. Specialists intimately know and understand the problems of the instrument, know the best ways of overcoming the problems and know the standard literature for the instrument.

-         The instructor must value the total development of the musician. Lessons should provide regular development in tone and technique, scales, ensemble and solo literature.

-         The instructor should be positive in approach.  Students need to be constantly encouraged for their successes, not discouraged for their shortcomings. 

* A current list of private instructors is available in the file below.