Perspectives through Teenage Piano Teachers
Morgan Wang & Alwena Lin
It seems to be that once one becomes a high school senior, they immediately find a job, whether it be through fast-food chains or other local businesses. It’s rare to find high school students earning wages from teaching piano like me(Morgan)*. Continue reading to find out how we got the job, why we were qualified, what our experience was like, and more!
-How long have you been teaching, and who do you teach?
M: I’ve been teaching piano since freshman year of high school. My students are in all different grades, ranging from first to fifth grade. I do not teach through an organization, rather, students come to my house or I go to their house to teach.
A: I’ve been teaching piano to beginners in 1st to 8th grade at Journey of Education, a community organization, since July of this year.
-How are you qualified to teach piano?
M: I’ve been taking piano lessons for around 11 years and completed level 10 CM (was a state-level winner) when I was a sophomore in high school. I’ve competed in various regional and state festivals, competitions, and more.
A: I’ve been taking piano lessons for 12 years and recently passed level 10 CM with honors for piano.
-How did you start this job?
M: My piano teacher was not able to teach some of the students on her waitlist, so she approached me and asked me if I was interested in teaching them. To this day, I am so thankful that she gave me this opportunity.
A: My piano teacher told me that many of her students haven’t taken a lesson since March due to quarantine. Even though I continued, not many others felt comfortable enough to do so. I volunteered to teach piano because I wanted to ensure that others have an opportunity to learn in the comfort of their own home.
-What do the piano lessons look like/what exactly do you teach your students?
M: The lesson length largely depends on the age and level of the student. Typically, my younger, beginner students will have 30-minute lessons once a week. My older, intermediate students will have 45-minute lessons once a week. I teach year-round, so the total amount of lessons for each student turns out to be 36 (I don’t teach during the summer and holidays). I teach my students all the piano basics, like notes, dynamics, timing, intervals, etc. I also use lesson books, so I usually teach my students 4-5 new songs each week from it. My students also participate in yearly recitals, so they tend to play bigger pieces like “Heart and Soul,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Big Chief Strong Fingers,” “Fur Elise,” “Trumpet Fanfare,” and others. Before COVID-19, I did in-person lessons and would either have my students come to my house or I would go to theirs. Currently, I do online Zoom lessons to keep my students and me safe.
A: I hold online group sessions twice a week in 30-minute intervals. The first 15 minutes is spent practicing music theory, which is simply reading notes and counting beats, and the last 15 minutes for learning a short song so that students can be satisfied and have fun. The song is usually a children’s song such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or a well-known song such as “Jingle Bells”.
-What characteristic does one need to become a good piano teacher?
M: Patience! Since I teach younger kids, their attention span is very short, and they tend to zone out. It can be frustrating when you have to repeat the same concepts over and over, but once they understand it, it is so satisfying to witness!
A: An important quality is engaging students in learning. In group sessions, many kids feel too shy to get involved, so I ask individual questions to get their response. It allows them to learn efficiently and helps me know whether they understand a topic.
*Alwena volunteers, which means this is not her job.
