A lot of potentially good players have been screwed up by teachers who insist that the only way to play is the way they play. That's a crock. Each person has to do it his or her way. There is no secret about how you learn to make a good sound. You work your butt off.
- Adolph Herseth
The Job of the Teacher
The teacher guides the student as they learn to express themselves through the medium of music. Ultimately a student will becomes their own teacher as the real work that leads to improvement comes in the practice room, not the teaching studio.
A good teacher should be able to:
Perhaps the biggest red flag in a potential teacher is someone who prioritizes technique (a "mechanic") and doesn't treat music as an artform. Even a beginner should be treated as an aspiring artist that uses technique to be a "storyteller of sound." Arnold Jacobs, perhaps the most renowned brass teacher in history, said "the art form, creative thought, or song is 85 percent of music. The artist must prevail in musical thoughts." A student should be encouraged from the very first lesson to use technique creatively to express emotion and character.
The Job of the Student
The student absorbs information. A student should think of themselves a musician instead of a "horn player". The horn is simply the medium we have chosen to express ourselves.
Beginning Students
A horn player's first encounter with their new instrument is typically around age 12 in a beginner band program. This is a good age to start as the body is usually just developed enough to position the horn on the leg and the mouthpiece on the lips without too much body tension.
If a student shows interest and aptitude for playing, the next step is to find a good teacher. A good band director will usually have recommendations and may even arrange for a teacher to come to the school to teach private lessons. Hopefully this person will be a professional level player that can, at the very least, set a young player up for success by establishing the basic foundations for future success: learning relaxed breathing, how to hold the horn, building a functional embouchure, the basics or practicing efficiently, and most importantly, imbuing the student with the joy of experiencing and making music.
Advanced Students (High School/Pre-College)
Depending on the student's goals, staying with the same teacher throughout high school might be a suitable option. However, if a student is advancing quickly and aspires to play at the collegiate level, a responsible teacher will support sending the student to someone that may have more performance expertise and connections to the music world beyond the student's hometown. Sometimes a student or parent will intuitively sense that a student has outgrown a teacher but will feel disloyal or conflicted about seeking out a new instructor. Rest assured that any teacher that prioritizes the student's best interests will support a change to a stronger teacher and may even have recommendations.
Whether you're a beginner or a pre-professional player, it's my opinion that four years of weekly study with any teacher (even the most gifted) is enough to absorb whatever useful information they have to offer. Studying with a new teacher can give students an opportunity to learn different perspectives and ideas about playing that are almost always valuable in our development.
For an advanced high school student that aspires to play in youth orchestra or compete in honor band and all state competitions, finding a performing teacher that can demonstrate a high level of playing and communicate technical and musical concepts well is essential. If you live near a major city or university with a music performance program, try contacting a member of a full-time professional orchestra or a conservatory level music instructor. If they aren't able to teach you personally, they should be able to guide you to a skilled teacher.
The teacher guides the student as they learn to express themselves through the medium of music. Ultimately a student will becomes their own teacher as the real work that leads to improvement comes in the practice room, not the teaching studio.
A good teacher should be able to:
- demonstrate a high standard of playing for the student to imitiate
- draw attention to unhelpful habits that inhibit technique and sound production and help develop new habits to promote efficiency, ease and resonance
- help students to formulate practice goals and strategies
- offer encouragement positive reinforcement along
- evaluate a student's performance honestly while offer gentle correction and constructive criticism
- inspire, motivate and spark a student's curiosity
- communicate passion and enthusiasm for the artform
- Explain difficult concepts using simple, memorable metaphors and analogies
- emphasize "art" over the "craft"
Perhaps the biggest red flag in a potential teacher is someone who prioritizes technique (a "mechanic") and doesn't treat music as an artform. Even a beginner should be treated as an aspiring artist that uses technique to be a "storyteller of sound." Arnold Jacobs, perhaps the most renowned brass teacher in history, said "the art form, creative thought, or song is 85 percent of music. The artist must prevail in musical thoughts." A student should be encouraged from the very first lesson to use technique creatively to express emotion and character.
The Job of the Student
The student absorbs information. A student should think of themselves a musician instead of a "horn player". The horn is simply the medium we have chosen to express ourselves.
Beginning Students
A horn player's first encounter with their new instrument is typically around age 12 in a beginner band program. This is a good age to start as the body is usually just developed enough to position the horn on the leg and the mouthpiece on the lips without too much body tension.
If a student shows interest and aptitude for playing, the next step is to find a good teacher. A good band director will usually have recommendations and may even arrange for a teacher to come to the school to teach private lessons. Hopefully this person will be a professional level player that can, at the very least, set a young player up for success by establishing the basic foundations for future success: learning relaxed breathing, how to hold the horn, building a functional embouchure, the basics or practicing efficiently, and most importantly, imbuing the student with the joy of experiencing and making music.
Advanced Students (High School/Pre-College)
Depending on the student's goals, staying with the same teacher throughout high school might be a suitable option. However, if a student is advancing quickly and aspires to play at the collegiate level, a responsible teacher will support sending the student to someone that may have more performance expertise and connections to the music world beyond the student's hometown. Sometimes a student or parent will intuitively sense that a student has outgrown a teacher but will feel disloyal or conflicted about seeking out a new instructor. Rest assured that any teacher that prioritizes the student's best interests will support a change to a stronger teacher and may even have recommendations.
Whether you're a beginner or a pre-professional player, it's my opinion that four years of weekly study with any teacher (even the most gifted) is enough to absorb whatever useful information they have to offer. Studying with a new teacher can give students an opportunity to learn different perspectives and ideas about playing that are almost always valuable in our development.
For an advanced high school student that aspires to play in youth orchestra or compete in honor band and all state competitions, finding a performing teacher that can demonstrate a high level of playing and communicate technical and musical concepts well is essential. If you live near a major city or university with a music performance program, try contacting a member of a full-time professional orchestra or a conservatory level music instructor. If they aren't able to teach you personally, they should be able to guide you to a skilled teacher.