I remember when I first walked into the music store and saw my old guitar teacher working there. He asked if I wanted to teach guitar in his store and I was a bit shocked. I said, “Sure…Why not?” I had no idea it was the beginning of an amazing journey for me. At first, teaching was just a job for me, but it quickly became one of the best things that ever happened to me. The more I taught music, the more passionate I became about teaching. There are countless benefits to teaching music, but I’m going to only list three…because I have an affinity for threes.

1. The Reward
Honestly, there is nothing more rewarding than teaching. Watching students “get it” and smile is enough to fuel my tank for days. I also love the character development you see in a music student. Music has a way of bringing students out of their shell and sparking individuality. It becomes a unique experience for every guitar student I have. It’s amazing to watch students perform at our showcases and see their confidence grow right before everyone’s eyes. I have parents walk up to me all the time and tell me how much I have impacted their kids’ lives. Students call me 10-15 years later expressing their gratitude for our lessons. Many of my students have gone on to become professionals themselves, using the very tools they were equipped with in their music lessons. There is nothing that describes the reward of teaching, unless you have experienced it yourself.

2. The Student
Sometimes, I am not really sure who the real “student” is…them or me. I have learned more from teaching my students than I have doing anything. Simply going over various learning events in lessons, I have discovered new information on the fly. Sometimes, students will show me something they discovered that I didn’t even think about. Teaching music has stretched my repertoire, styles I teach, instruments I play, methods, approaches, and much more. The better my students are, the more I need to practice to stay ahead of them. If you are striving to be a better player, you’ll be blown away by how much teaching is learning.

3. The Job
The previous two points were certainly my favorite benefits from teaching; however, there is the obvious benefit that teaching is a great occupation. Teaching private music lessons is a steady job that can pay quite well. Being a musician sometimes can be tricky and one has to wear many hats. Teaching music can be a viable career option or simply a stepping stone towards another career option. It is a very flexible job with both scheduling and the amount of hours you care to work. One can easily foster other musical goals while teaching music. Also, you are in an environment working with other music professionals like yourself. This will cause you to challenge and support one another.

If you haven’t taught music before, give it a shot. It could be the occupation that will catapult you to becoming solely a professional musician. It certainly will cause you to grow and learn, and the reward that you receive will be lifelong. Good Luck!