Music Teacher's Helper Blog

If you use Music Teacher’s Helper, you are a teacher, but do you also perform?  If so, how do you balance these two roles?

Your comments on this topic are very welcome below.

Two different approaches:  A friend of mine who has performed and toured for many years told me recently that she has come to realize she enjoys teaching more than performing, and now emphasizes her time with students.  As to me, I have always enjoyed working with students, and have quite a few, but I also value performing such that if there’s a conflict, I generally rearrange my lessons to accommodate the gig, regardless of financial consequences.  I feel it’s good for my skills, connections, and exposure, and if I’m not performing enough, teaching feels more like a job, rather than a chance to encourage students and share my expertise with them.

Do you find yourself leaning more towards teaching or performing?  What are the benefits and drawbacks to students of having a performing teacher?  What are the benefits and drawbacks of performing, from the perspective of a teacher?

The benefits for a student of having a performing teacher include a sense of pride that the teacher is known and respected for playing music.  Even though lessons may not be as regular when a teacher performs or even tours, most students are pleased to know that their teacher is in demand as a performer–as long as their lessons are regular enough for them to make progress, of course.   Students trust the experience of a performing teacher when it comes to preparation for a student performance.

Teachers can gain a better perspective on teaching when they perform themselves.  If they themselves are out there on stage a reasonable amount, they have more to offer to their students because preparing and performing concerts or making recordings makes them better musicians.

Teachers who perform locally can often count on their students as the core of their audience.  It’s important to encourage students to hear live music, especially that of their own teacher.  Going to hear a teacher performing is an important part of the learning experience–it’s like hearing all those lessons put into action.

I know one teacher who has built a studio that includes a performing group, and she has had them record a CD, which they use to promote the studio and to raise funds for special projects and trips.  This also gives her a chance to perform in the context of her student group shows.  Another teacher I know always performs during her student recitals, both as a challenge to herself, and as an example to her students and their families.

Performing is a great way to attract new students, and increases awareness in the community of what you do and who you are among potential students.  It also establishes relationships with venues and organizers, whether locally or elsewhere.  If you are an experienced teacher, you can arrange workshops to complement your performances when you play out of town.

Striking a balance between teaching and performing can require time and experimentation.  I’ve performed with one teacher who I felt was teaching too much and performing too little–as a result, he was lacking confidence in his playing and demanded excessive practice and rehearsal for fear of making mistakes.  Performing well takes practice, not just in preparation, but also practice in performing itself–you need a certain frequency of just being out there on stage, to feel confident about handling yourself, your material, and the audience–and to have fun doing it.

Of course, performing is in itself a very difficult career, requiring the building of not only repertoire and style, but also stature and effective publicity, while teaching can be more secure, like a day job, providing a steadier income.

Ultimately, performing and teaching are mutually beneficial, but as we all know, they are also different skills, both requiring practice and time.  A great performer may not be a great teacher, and vice versa.  But for the most part, wouldn’t you agree that the struggle to be good at both teaching and performing results in a higher quality teacher?

Please share with us some of your thoughts and experiences!  Add a comment below, and thanks on behalf of all of us!