Piano instructor skills for your resume and career

In addition to the obvious: Being really good on your instrument and teaching it well, the next would be the technology stuff I mentioned above.

Effective and clear communication - many musical concepts need to be broken down into smaller, more understandable units. The ability to connect with students at their level of understanding is incredibly important.

Constructive feedback. No need to be Pollyanna. However, I am exceedingly glad the days of strict, overbearing, and sometimes abusive 'maestros' are no longer tolerated. Students learn so much better with clear, constructive criticism. Being able to point out what students can improve on while praising them on the skills they've already refined fosters a positive learning environment for all.

Motivation. It's a difficult balance because students have to find their own self-motivation. However, as a musician, I try to show my students by example. I talk to them about my own practice schedule, how much I rehearse and collaborate with other musicians. That these skills do not come easily but with diligence, discipline, and practice. As an educator, my job is to continue fostering a love and interest in music for myself and my students.

A gap year is a terrific way to build a resume. By looking at where there might be a lack of experience like competitions, teaching, administration, summer festival interns, assistantships - they can focus their time and build their resumes well. I also think being creative in these current times, showing that you have experience teaching remotely, making a studio, creating a website, writing an article, and doing research that could be helpful later on. You could also spend the time preparing repertoire to teach or take auditions and make your first recording and video YouTube performance.

Students entering the music education field need to be well-versed in varied types of music teaching. More and more, we are seeing teachers being asked to teach outside of their music specialty areas. For example, For example, a teacher focused on teaching band might be assigned to teach orchestra or general music. In our programs at Kent State, we account for both breadth and depth so that students are well prepared for whatever comes their way.

There's a phrase often used in music, "happy to be here, ready to work." This shows that one of the most important skills is really a disposition that shows enthusiasm and preparedness. So many of the particular activities of a working musician are accomplished through an application of tools gained in traditional music programs rather than simply mirroring the identical circumstances. For example, a nurse might practice running an IV and then be required to do just that. A musician might practice playing a major scale at a certain tempo and then be required to perform an acoustic version of a Rihanna song at a corporate event. As a person who hires musicians myself, I look for those who have been insatiably curious of their craft to have achieved high skill levels as well as those who understand the importance of creating a positive communal work environment. Finally, that phrase also communicates the values of punctuality, dependability, and being solution-centric.