Here's something I've noticed about more and more community music school websites these days.
Teacher #1: Teaches clarinet, saxophone, and piano.
Teacher #2: Teaches voice and piano.
Teacher #3: Teaches drums, trumpet, voice, and piano.
You see where I'm going with this. Over time, more and more teachers and school owners have made it okay for non-pianists to teach beginner piano lessons.
If you're a pianist who happens to also play saxophone, then sure. Teach piano and saxophone.
But if you're a saxophonist whose main piano experience is passing functional piano in undergrad, that's another story.
Because teaching piano is more than showing kids how to push the right keys at the right times. If that were all there was to it, then most people could become piano teachers.
Good piano teaching is something more.
It's proper technique. Good sound production, minus the tendonitis.
It's learning how to read the grand staff using a developmentally-appropriate approach.
It's knowing the dozens of common pitfalls that derail students for life.
And it's learning how to help students level up all their skills to approach more advanced repertoire without the frustration.
That's why every piano teacher should be a pianist who's at least done the thing themselves. But preferably who also loves teaching the piano.
Otherwise, we're just paying for non-pianists with a non-piano degree to teach our kids how to push keys.
I TOTALLY “Get” what ur saying!! And over my lifetime I’ve been a student of those kinds of teachers. And the only way I know that is that I finally have a teacher who knows how to “play & teach” piano. I’m very proud to say in the last 16 months that I’ve been w SSPS, I have learned MORE and come further in my piano skills than all the years I spent w lame teachers. So a big kudos to SSPS & all that the faculty teaches us!! I for one am thrilled beyond belief my Google search lead me to u!! Thank you Jonathan for having a vision and carrying out ur dream!!! I’m not ur mom but I’m just as proud of what u and the other faculty members have & are accomplishing!!! Go U!!!!