Teaching Lessons

[EVH Wolfgang]

I've been Teaching Lessons off and on for a couple of years to 6 people. These have all been people I know.

What I'm wondering is: What is the best way to find complete strangers to teach?

I don't have any degree so the way I found the last people was from them knowing me and them seeing my ability at a gig or something. I've been playing for over 15 years and I can play anything right as or after I've heard it or read the tab or whatever.

I was thinking about checking with music stores but do you think they'd require a music degree?

I currently work full time but, if I was able to have enough clients, I'd teach full time.

Is there a site you can recommend?

Thanks.

[Scheming Demon]

You can try music stores but the teachers there are usually very protective of their students. Unless there is a big demand that they can't handle you might find it difficult to break in that way.

You probably don't need a music degree (depending on what you're teaching). You just have to be good and offer something that somebody wants to learn from.

You're best bet is to advertise in music papers, run classifieds and see if there is a Mobile Musicians Studio in your area. This is where the teacher is willing to travel to the student.

Good luck, it's tough to break into and maintain a healthy supply of students. There's a lot of turnover with kids taking lessons and then quitting after awhile. It can be very lucrative however if you can maintain a decent size student base.

[djelf]

I've taught at music stores, and found it pretty good. One I was subbing at (for my teacher!), and when he left, he recommended me. Later, I walked into another shop, where they let you teach, take your calls, refer students, etc, for $2 a lesson rent of a studio. It was awesome, except they didn't go after the students for money.

Anyway, I don't have a degree, and have been playing music for 20 years, guitar for 14. I studied theory pretty intently for a couple of years, and I find that helps a lot in teaching.

Advertising in the papers, or putting up flyers at any college campuses, maybe a high school (if they let you), record stores, music shops, will greatly awareness of your presence. If you keep advertising, you will acquire credibility through the longevity of your presence, and people that have never met anyone that knows you will still know that you're that music teacher.