Beyond Expertise: 10 Essential Qualities for Effective Teaching in the Traditional Arts
Introduction
When it comes to teaching traditional music and song, people often think that being great at playing an instrument or singing is all you need to be able to teach. The truth is this: being a good performer does not automatically make you a good teacher.
Being able to play or sing well is certainly important, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the other essential qualities musicians need to develop in order to help them become great teachers.
1. Subject Matter Expertise
Subject matter expertise means knowing a lot about a specific thing—in this case, traditional music and song. Being an experienced traditional musician or singer is an important starting point for anyone wanting to teach. Knowing your subject well gives you confidence and can help you make your student excited about becoming players or singers themselves. As teachers, it’s also important to perform from time to time for your students. Letting them see and hear you do what you do as a musician can be inspiring for them. Plus, it will remind you of what you love – and what brought you to teaching in the first place!
2 Patience
Learning music is a gradual process, especially for beginners. So, having patience is like a superpower for teachers. Being able to stay calm and be understanding, especially when students are struggling to learn something new, is vital. A patient teacher takes the time to explain things again and again, never rushing or getting frustrated. They create a safe space for students to learn at their own pace, cheering them on every step of the way. Patience isn’t just a virtue; it’s the heart of great teaching, nurturing confidence and growth in every student.
3 Empathy
Taking the time to understand how students are feeling can be a game-changer for traditional music teachers. Empathy is about being really tuned in how your students are doing. It’s about staying alert to when your students are frustrated, bored, or stuck – and then stepping in to help. When teachers really get what’s tough for students, they can give the perfect support. Many teachers will naturally be empathetic, possessing an innate capacity to be sensitive and attuned to the emotions of their students. For any teacher who fears that this is not their strong point, worry not – empathy can be developed and honed over time through practice and experience.
4 Effective Communication
As traditional musicians and singers, we’ve have accumulated a great deal of ‘wordless knowledge’ over time. When it comes to teaching, this is can mean that sometimes we face questions we can’t easily explain. We can show our students how to execute a particular technique, for example, but we might struggle to put it into words. Not being able to describe what we do can be frustrating for students who need clear explanations. So, finding the words and learning to articulate all of our intuitive, ‘wordless knowledge’ is a valuable skill for teachers to develop.
Being able to communicate with learners across all age groups is another challenge we face as traditional music and song teachers. Often we find ourselves teaching young children, teenagers, and adults – sometimes all at the same time! When you add each individual’s learning style into the mix … it can be quite the juggling act! Active listening is a tool that helps us to tune us in to each student’s unique needs and teach effectively in what can be very diverse and dynamic learning settings.
5 Adaptability
Good teaching means being flexible! It means adjusting what we do in order to help students stay interested and understand better. Teaching on a wing and a prayer isn’t the goal here — in fact it’s the opposite. It’s about being prepared for anything! It means having a well-stocked toolkit of ideas, resources, and strategies all ready to go whenever they’re needed – a treasure trove of tools at your fingertips for any teaching moment!
6 Passion
A passionate traditional music teacher makes students love music. Such teachers inspire curiosity and dedication, creating musicians who are committed to learning. When teachers show how much they care about music, it encourages students to work hard and aim for greatness. Seeing teachers demonstrating dedication and a strong love for music can be a powerful motivation for students to strive to do their best.
7 Enthusiasm
A music teacher full of excitement gets students excited about music too! Their lively way of teaching makes lessons fun and encourages students to explore and be creative. When a teacher shows how much they love playing music, it gets students excited too. It’s contagious!
8 Creative Teaching Methods
When it comes to traditional music and song teaching it’s easy for us to rely on teaching practices that have been around for decades, believing that they are ‘traditional’. They are not! Education has evolved and traditional music teaching should not lag behind. It’s time to get creative with our teaching and re-imagine how we can inspire our 21st century learners. Why limit traditional music and song teaching to simply transmitting repertoire? Why not make it a dynamic and holistic learning experience, one that engages all students, whatever stage of the learning journey they are at. Check out The TradLABB™ Card Deck to help your plan out your lessons creatively.
9 Effective Classroom Management
When it comes to traditional music and song, teaching in groups is a very common practice. And once you teach in this sort of setting you become a classroom manager (although no-one may have ever given you that memo!). Group teaching relies on having a well-organised space where students feel safe and sure about what to expect. Balancing rules and support helps students to be disciplined yet confident. When everyone knows what’s expected and there’s a routine, it creates a peaceful vibe. And everyone can get on with the happy business of teaching and learning!
10 Continuous Professional Development
As traditional musicians and singers, so many of us ‘fall into’ teaching; we effectively pivot from being performers to being teachers. And, whether it’s occasional, part-time, or pretty much our full-time occupation, most of us make that transition with little or no training or support. The only thing we have to rely on is what we remember from our own experience as students, and the methods our own teachers used. Think about it. In what other profession would you be expected to figure it all out for yourself, and keep going it alone? That’s why CPD is so valuable for traditional music and song teachers. Seek out the support. Sign-up for the training. Attend workshops, network with other teachers, read books. Commit to your on-going growth and development as a traditional music/song teacher and keeping building your skillset.
Conclusion
Subject matter expertise – the ability to play and sing – is crucial for traditional music teachers, but, as we have seen, there is a whole lot more required in order to teach well. It’s the combination of these additional qualities that truly sets exceptional music educators apart. By embodying patience, effective communication, adaptability, passion, creativity, classroom management, and a commitment to continuous learning, traditional music and song teachers can provide an enriching and transformative musical education for their students. Remember, it’s not just what you know; it’s how you share it that makes a difference.
To build your teaching skill set sign up for our RIAM-certified ‘Teach Traditional Music & Song’ Foundation Certificate course. Dates for 2024 will be announced soon.
