Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Where do music teachers hang out?

Hi,

Do professional music/piano teachers ever have events where they get together and study their craft or just hang out? And if so are there official public events/conferences? For example, in other industries people have conferences to talk about the latest advances in their field and so on.

It seems as though the life of a music teacher is a solo occupation and the only time they would get together with others is to play together as a band. Is that about right?

Q1 - Of course we do.

Q2 - No. We sometimes have dinner together as well.

Thanks, I just edited my above question - if so are there official public events/conferences?

Yes, MTNA convention in March; most states have conventions, usually in June; MTAC has a huge conference; there's a pedagogy conference in Chicago alternate years; this is just the USA and there are dozens of smaller workshops all summer long. The European conf is in Norway this summer.

It depends on where you live.

In California we have MTAC and its numerous branches. But most branches are centered around large cities and suburbs. If you live out in the desert or farmland, then the teacher population gets more isolated as well.

My branch has meetings all the time. Some teachers want to meet outside official MTAC meetings and do our own stuff. We also go to concerts together.

Generally, when a new teacher starts up - or in a new location - we are advised to look up a local music group. Every community has them. It's just a matter of locating the people you can connect with, and who offer you something of value. Here in my community we have a local music club. We have regular performances - all types of instruments, voices, and ensembles. We interact with other community orgnizations. Piano teachers are regularly asked to accompany and some made a part of their living in that way. We support educational opportunities for youth and organize performances to help promote scholarships, etc. So, the piano may be primarily a solo instrument, but besides the teachers who accompany or join symphony/orchestra groups, their is a wealth of interaction to be found. Check your local music offerings in the newspaper and look into a bit. You'll be surprised at the musical talent in your own community.

Yes I enjoy going to the MTAC annual conventions most years (which someone else already mentioned).
I see groups of my colleagues at least once a month, sometime much more. Occasionally some of us dine together, but I find our teaching schedules make that difficult. Many piano teachers work until fairly late at night.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Interestingly enough, when I went through the LA Times paper Sunday and Monday editions, there really wasn't any mention of local music groups. Searching on meetup though I was able to find jazz music fan and classical music fan groups (mostly concert attendance, with some dedicated to performance). So it seems like that would be a good place to start....

Well, if you're in LA and you're a teacher (this is the teacher's forum so a reasonable possibility) the MTAC is very active. I don't know much about their branch activities, but check it out.
Also the MTAC convention is in LA this year... seems like I rememer the airport Hilton being mentioned...

That's another issue and a real problem. Most local newspapers these days have zero interest in publishing local "social" news, which teacher meetings, conferences, etc., would fall under. Do you have any idea of how many meetings and conferences occur in LA on any given day? Probably hundreds.

...Like all the piano teachers could get together and play that dopey "Grand Piano Band" from Alfred!

If you're on Facebook, there are also a few piano teaching groups that are quite active. Reddit has a piano section as well (which I'm not exactly a part of). Online teaching groups are interesting because you get to connect with people from all over the world.

Brucepiano, I'm new to this gig - on the spectrum of experience and age, I lie on the youthful, under five years of experience end. I have lots of friends who I know from university, who teach, we spend a bit of our lunch break in between classes talking about teaching and children... but where I go, unfortunately, teaching is seen as the field that underachieving, C level performers major in. I love teaching though, and I am currently doing my fourth year so I know that it would be silly to change the degree to a bachelor of music education (and graduate in three years) when the reality is I can graduate with a Bachelor of Music within a year. I have friends who enjoy teaching though, and I enjoy talking to them.

Practice rooms.

Reddit, I never thought of that, thanks Bluoh. Rebecca Piano, it's a shame about that. Teachers help create the next generation of musicians, so I don't understand that attitude. My former teacher knew tons about jazz and always made the lesson engaging. I learned quite a bit.

Bruce, it's an interesting topic you have raised. As others have said, there are indeed some piano teaching conventions/conferences on various continents that a teacher may or may not find of interest. I attend some regularly, seeking new ideas and camaraderie. (John v.d. Brook and I met up at one last year in California!)

But these events are not typically open to the public. I suppose you could attend one if you want to pay the money, though.

You are also correct in guessing that most piano teachers teach from home, and that this is an isolated occupation. We are delighted that Rebecca in Australia has staked her claim as a young studio teacher, despite our perhaps lowly status.

I'm not sure that "hang out" is the right term, but some really great teachers can be found right here in Piano World.

And as a bonus, many of us non-music teachers think very highly of music teachers and are interested in their thoughts about teaching and learning.

If malkin wants a discount on lessons, I'd say he or she is on the right track!

Lowly status? I kind of don't get the in joke... if anything I'd be the one with the lowly status - I have less experience. I keep thinking that more and more parents would want to go to that teacher who is old enough to be a parent, who has a lot more experience than me... I also find it difficult to relate to the people who I study along side with. They are too young to be cynical. They also seem to underestimate a lot of their students. They love to bitch and gripe about anything that has to do with teaching. If it's not about teaching it's about practice (and how it sucks up their social life).

I've always wondered though - have there been any piano teacher forum hangouts ... and by that I mean the members socialise in close proximity to each other (not in cyberworld).

There's no "in joke," Rebecca. Piano teaching is simply a profession of rather low status. We strive to change this, as best we can.