10 Irresistible Piano Teacher Qualities

10 Irresistible Piano Teacher Qualities

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How to Attract Students by Emphasizing Your Strengths: 10 Piano Teacher Qualities that Will Set You Apart as a Piano Teacher

With a competitive market, teachers can feel unmemorable amongst the crowd, with parents calling one teacher after another. Or worse yet, they may feel pressured to compete on price. Instead, a better approach is to highlight your top piano teacher qualities to attract the best-fitting students.

Therefore, let’s explore ten irresistible piano teacher traits, and help you identify where you shine most.

1. Patient Instructor

While students muddle through new music, teachers often struggle to be patient through beginner mistakes, such as forgetting middle C yet again.

A patient leadership attitude can make or break a student. Not only does it show grace and compassion to a novice player, but it shows you’re willing to wait. You’re eager to take the time to understand their struggles.

Having the characteristic of level-headed patience will bring out the best results with shy students. If your patient attitude shines, mention this one to reassure parents.

2. Adaptive to Learning Styles

We’ve all had those light bulb moments. The ones where someone explains something just a little bit differently, and all of a sudden, it clicks.

As a piano teacher, it’s essential to cater to learning styles. For example, some kids are visual type learners, whereas others are auditory or tactile learners. Include elements of different styles to find the match for each student.

Being an adaptive-friendly teacher shows you view each client individually – an asset to play up if you identify as a tailored or custom-fit studio.

3. Proficient Model

Skillful teachers wake up in the morning to prove wrong the phrase, “He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches.”

The best teachers are skilled at their craft, can perform on the spot to demonstrate essential concepts, and maintain excellent musicianship by studying or performing.

Fresh and proficient skills also prove to parents that you’re a worthy teacher, in a much more convincing way than a line on the resume or past days’ diploma.

4. Balanced Teacher

Do you wonder what your student just said to their parent as they climbed in the car after your lesson?

Are you just hoping it’s not something to the effect of, “I’m glad that’s over. It’s boring to come to piano lessons?”

A great instructor brings both fun and seriousness to their lessons.

Try our No-Book Beginner free webinar to learn how to teach your beginner piano students in a creative way without opening a method book.

5. Active Learner

Life-long learners make the best teachers. Because they get personal satisfaction by learning, they are continually improving their methods, lessons, and skills.

If this is your strong point, enjoy exploring new methods and be sure to share about your progress and discoveries with your own families. The old saying is — “More is caught than taught.” It sets an unbeatable example for students if you are also practising what you are “preaching.”

With this asset, you will be irresistible as you display that as a teacher, you’re ever in-the-know.

6. Communicative Teacher

Effective communication is the foundation of any great lesson.

You might need to break down a convoluted subject or explain a complicated technique. Maybe you need to point out the student is not practicing enough.

Do communicate clearly but tactfully.

Strong communicators keep an open dialogue and foster connection. And often, less is more. Minimizing over-explaining makes space for creativity to bloom.

7. Loves Teaching Piano

Although people think that they make choices (which studio to join?) based on external factors such as the closest location, at the heart of their decision is usually emotion.

This is especially true for parents, whose decision involves a high priority – their child’s well-being.

Loving what you do and taking extra pride and care, both of the craft and the clientele, is a highly distinguishing factor.

Be the change that you wish to see in the studio. If you want to attract students who love to make music and are joyful — model it. Make sure your messaging communicates this welcoming attitude also.

8. Accommodating to Students & Parents

I know you are now thinking it’s time to talk about offering makeup lessons! But being accommodating is about a broader sensibility.

Accommodating piano teachers are willing to talk to parents. They can adjust a student’s course of study, events, or music participation on an individual basis.

They’re willing to take the time for an outside-the-lesson phone call occasionally or send a quick card or email at an appropriate point.

Thus, the attitude behind this trait is creating a welcoming environment that is just right for this particular student.

9. Approachable Leader

Even if five scale repetitions was supposed to be the beginning of today’s lesson, an encouraging teacher makes space to hear what’s on a student’s mind.

Or, “Yes, show me that new Lizzo song you’re playing on your own!”

Nothing preempts someone to quit lessons more than a disengaged teacher who is all business. (Related: check out this article on teaching pop music.)

I just felt like the instructor didn’t care about me or connect with me as a person.” – said many a sad former piano student.

Approachable, trustworthy teachers focus on creating a safe learning atmosphere, so their students feel free to ask questions and even make mistakes.

10. Wise Goal-Setter

There’s a delicate balance between offering no goals (stress-free, but boring!) or too many.

Decide what kind of studio environment you’d envision students thriving in that suits your style as well.

  • Do your students perform at a recital or a picnic event?
  • Is it for all ages, or do you specialize in teen groups or preschool?
  • Are there music community options, or will you produce everything yourself?

Communicating well about goals is a real service to your students. It gives them permission to dream and a plan to get there!

Parents treasure a leader who can model proper goal-setting in a safe environment for their children.

Concluding the Topic of Best Piano Teacher Qualities

In summary, identifying and working with your best strengths as a teacher will help you niche down to your ideal clientele. This list of ten irresistible piano teacher qualities is a starting place to think differently about what you offer.

Next time you write an About Us page for your studio, consider what’s extraordinary that you offer to families. Tailor your messaging and actions to work best in those areas, and your studio will shine!

So — what are your unique qualities as a piano teacher? Leave them down in the comments below!

Ready to amplify your marketing further? Check out our membership-level offering at TopMusicPro to access our full Studio Marketing Course.

Emma Lunsford

Emma Lunsford is a piano-playing junkie turned freelance writer. After 7 years of piano lessons, she decided to merge both her passions of music and writing together to create her dream career. When she’s not writing about music, you can find her pounding the piano keys with the latest Disney music.  

 feeling inspired? 

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  1. Hi, Emma, thanks so much for sharing! Usually reading stuff on marketing makes me feel overwhelmed and very aware of my own shortcomings (‘how can I possibly brand myself when I’m just average?’), but this post actually made me feel good when I found a few that match! I will definitely be incorporating points 1, 5, and 7 into my profile. 🙂

    • Yes, Sarah! I relate to that point as well. It’s really easy to get in that comparison place where a list of awesome qualities quickly feels like a “musts” list. I’m glad it encouraged you!

  2. Wonderful article, thank you!

    • I’m glad it resonated, Isabel! Which is your favourite personal point on this list?

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