With so many of us piano teachers out there, why aren't there more regulations? How do students differentiate between teachers doing it only for the money and teachers that truly care? Yes, students might realize after a while that they have studied with the wrong teacher, but often times, the damage is done.

Doctors and lawyers are respected even with their high prices because the public is AWARE of the training and licensing that needs to be obtained. They are required by LAW to operate with a license. Therefore, though we complain about the high prices, we also understand why that's the case. But suppose that piano/music teachers are not allowed to teach privately without certification? Wouldn't that mean that more responsible teachers will be around? Doctors and lawyers can have their licenses revoked if they are malpracticing their operation, so why shouldnt the same happen with us? Though playing piano is mostly for recreational purposes, is it not true that when teaching is not done properly, it can lead to emotional and physical issues with the students?

People value and become aware of a profession when regulations are involved. So am I thinking too much when I say that piano/music teaching should be required by law to be certified? :rolleyes:

I feel that I am a teacher that truly cares...I have experience and credentials to substantiate that...

BUT one thing I like about being a piano teacher is there ISN'T all the red-tape and beauracracy that many other professions have to deal with daily.

I would hate for the government (city, state, or federal) to become any more involved in my life than they already are.

My opinion is that even if piano/music teachers were certified by law there would still be good and bad teachers. just look at your local public schools...or have you ever visited a less than wonderful doctor or dentist?

"one thing I like about being a piano teacher is there ISN'T all the red-tape and beauracracy that many other professions have to deal with daily."

I could not agree more!
If legality got involved with piano teaching they would start mandating benchmarks and curriculum that had to be followed like the schools and we would no longer be "unique" to what we do- we'd become carbon copies because there would be no room for individuality or teaching anymore.

I'm very glad they don't do that. Private piano instruction should remain so. What I do wish would happen with piano teaching though is that there would be some kind of universalized progression of skills (not pieces) throughout the methods. I know it will probably never happen, but how nice would it be when we students who come from teacher X to us as teacher Y , even with a different series, and have no problems sliding over into what teacher Y uses. There'd be no level 2 in one series and a level 1 in another for the same skills, or whatever the compensation between methods would need to be.

Well, I was going to bring this up in the forum a few months ago, but ol' Natalia beat me to it (or rather, I allowed her to beat me to it). :p

I remember that the forum archives have this sort of discussion, but it's always good to relive the topic. I'm actually in favor of having a modicum of regulation in the business. The independent music teaching field needs to be regulated to some extent. Most of us free-spirited, independent artists don’t appreciate being told what to do (I, for one, detest being bossed around) since we want to have artistic license/artistic freedom, but if we really want to ensure a degree of professionalism (hence professional compensation), some rules have to be in effect. Just like you say, those other professional fields (medicine, law, etc.) are seen as more professional and they command professional fees because there are actually established standards for them. The IRS actually considers independent music teaching a cottage industry and it's one of the business types that falls under the radar.

So yes, certification would be great, if possible. There’s even an article I found a few months ago about the importance of certification—though it’s not music-related (medical transcription, to be exact). MTs are not required to be certified like other professionals in the health care field, but the author of this article, an MT herself, wants to see it become the law. She says that with certification come more respect and more remuneration. These are totally the same things IMTs are facing.

My concern is that if there isn't some sort of regulation in effect, the hobbyists "down the street" will continue to undermine and undercut us. The public will still have a difficult time perceiving us as legit, respectable, competent, and qualified individuals. (Again, keep in mind that I've said a LIMITED amount of regulation, NOT TOTAL regulation. Yes, even the adult entertainment industry is regulated. LOL.) There should be an examination of certain general objective skills like an SAT-type of exam for music (and NOT the promotion of a certain method or curriculum). Yes, we know that this is a tough call, but there must be some solution somewhere.

I have to agree with Jaydub. That's one thing that makes teaching "private" lessons so rewarding. We have the freedom to teach based on each individual student's needs. Can you imagine the headache if the government was involved? As we have discussed before - having the credentials whether it's certification in a music association or bachelor/master degree does NOT necessarily mean you are a good teacher. I say leave us the freedom to teach the way we choose to.

One of the reasons that I refuse to teach in public schools is because I like to choose what I want to teach, and not what I "have" to teach. So I definitely understand the fact that we don't want government involved. But again, like Manon said, a limited amount of regulation can help with the public viewing us as professionals. Although there are good and bad doctors/lawyers, the public still acknowledges them instantly BECAUSE of the training they've gone through, and the fact that they've worked hard to get the certification. The purpose of the law/regulation should work in our favor (creating public awareness) instead of against us.

There is no such thing as a "limited amount of regulation."
If it's about the fees we are able to charge, there are plenty of teachers out there that are charging those fees. I for one don't want to teach the people that can afford those fees. (although the monetary benefits would be awesome!)
If it's about educating the public, there are other ways to do that. Those people that don't care whether a teacher is qualified or not shouldn't be forced to do business with a qualified teacher.
Also think about the implications of this: a public school whose teachers have to be state certified (which is getting harder and harder to qualify, btw) has to accept ANY student whereas a private school that does not have to employ certified teachers can accept or reject any student it wants to.
There is freedom in not being regulated. Any kind of certification regulation is going to take away way more of our freedom than would be replaced with benefits.
I like the fact that I can charge as little or as much as I want, and that my qualifications and abilities as a teacher and performer speak for themselves rather than some beaurocrat telling me what I have to prove to the state.

"What I do wish would happen with piano teaching though is that there would be some kind of universalized progression of skills (not pieces) throughout the methods"

check out http://www.royalamericanconservatory.org/

and
http://www.mtnacertification.org/home.htm

I think it's the teacher who has to educate the public. Of course, people can't know about differences between good and bad teachers at first. So make them know you're different from the teacher 'down the street'. Tell your students about your experience and education, make sure they know you are licensed and that there's a difference between you and a teacher who isn't. For example: are you a concertpianist too, are you able to teach even the most advanced student, do your students take part in competitions, do they take part in exams, are there other activities in your studio like music theory and history, possibility to have chamber music lessons, are there regular public performances etc. It may take a couple of years, but you can be sure people will know the difference!

Having taught music education in public and private schools in the past, I can say first hand that not only is it bad having someone tell you what to do, you also have to put up with being observed and then ranked. Sometimes the class they came to observe was my worst one! I have nothing to hide, but it was very nerve wracking. I will say that teaching in school had good benefits and the pay was pretty good, too. It's not a bad career if you don't want to teach private piano and you like children.
We've had a lot of discussions on MTNA certification. I am a memeber of MTNA and they are always pushing certification but I just can't see why I need to make the effort. Around here parents are more interested in your degree than certification.

Susan, that's interesting. At least parents there are concerned about qualifications and degree the teacher has. Here it's all about how "cheap" the lessons are.- UGH. I would give anything for parents to give a flying fig about a degree and certifications rather than "how much do you charge?" as the primary focus.

It would be interesting to compare what gets the most value with parents when it comes to teaching-espcially by geographic areas that we all live in.

Perhaps with many different answers, it will take educating other people about what is more important- and it sure isn't the cost of a teacher that should decide who's more worthy or not! If parent's want "cheap" then the services they receive should be in direct reflection of the "cheap"- such as no labs, no extra help, no time to take phone calls from them,no group classes, no incentives for students (either weekly or earned through the year),no conferences and no record keeping or organization,etc.. I think it would be a huge eye opener to parents to see they would really get "cheap" as what they pay for (or don't pay for) making those of us who try to earn a decent wage more attractive for what we do offer for them and their students.

It's true that we need to educate parents about what to look for in a piano teacher. I always encourage parents to find a teacher who is a member of MTNA (or in California, MTAC). While MTNA teachers are typically more qualified than those who are not members (and we could start a whole other topic on that point), I try to come at it from a different angle: if you want your child to be able to participate in festivals, recitals, workshops, adjudicated events, etc...., a teacher who is a member of a professional organization is the way to go. Opportunities such as Bach Festival, Sonatina Festival, Romantic Festival, Piano Concerto Competition, State Theory Test... the list is endless... these are usually only available to teachers who are MTNA members. And of course, there's Guild Auditions, another great opportunity for students.

I frequently get calls from parents who are looking for a new teacher for their child. After a bit of conversation I find that their previous teacher just didn't offer many performance opportunities for kids; the student is motivated, plays well (perhaps PA level 3 or so), and they're lucky if the teacher does one recital a year. I recently took on such a student. The girl had had lessons for 4 years and her teacher had never 'allowed' her to participate in a recital; yes, ALLOWED her. This teacher has a yearly recital, but not for all her students; only the ones she deems fit to perform. How sad!

In my town it's the non-MTAC teachers who charge the 'el cheapo' rates (although there are a few members whose rates are still time-warped in the mid-80's). Oh well.

As for the worry that we’ll have to abide by some set curriculum standards (I know that NONE of us is crazy about that!) once we’re required by law to be certified to operate our music studios, look at private schools (especially religious ones), for example. They’re required to obey the laws concerning their operation, but they’re free to have their own curriculum. A paradigm shift needs to occur in regards to the independent music teaching field in the minds of both IMTs and the public. It’s not a one-way street. Well, it’s starting to happen, but we’re not quite there yet. So it’s up to us to do the job well in the meantime. I know that all of us here are hard-working teachers and we all deserve fair compensation--at least no one disagrees with this. But we've got to do our part, too (such as educating the public) like what Ali and Mirlou have said. I also always advise potential students to look for teachers in professional teaching organizations because of what these associations offer both students and teachers--continuing education through performance opportunities, evaluations, workshops, conferences/conventions, etc. (Definitely NOT the things that hobbyists "down the street" have at their disposal!) I offer these (and more--including computer lab) in my studio. Usually the more conscientious folks fully understand all the work that's involved in teaching and we hope one day we'll convince more consumers to be more conscientious. I don't know about you guys (in your own personal experience, etc.), but it seems that adults as students make better consumers than adults as parents of younger students--it's usually drama with them.

(As for the non-MTAC teachers selling lessons like peanuts--here in my area, I've heard someone charging $15 per month or something like that. I hope I'm wrong! Yikes. )