The guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world and as such there countless people of all ages who wish to learn how to play it. One of the great things about teaching the guitar is there are a number of options as to where and how one can instruct students. Last month I outlined a number of situations one could teach in and this month I’ll get a bit more in-depth starting with the field of education.
Probably the most coveted teaching position for guitarists is at a university or college. Why? Well, for a tenured professor the pay is pretty decent, it has job security, accompanying pension and health benefits (here in the US), one works with high level students teaching lessons and guitar related classes such as pedagogy, history, coaching ensembles as well as conducting weekly masterclasses. However, in reality there are few tenure track positions in guitar available and when a position is open there is a large amount of competition. A full-time tenure track position at a college or university usually requires a minimum of a master’s degree, but a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) is almost always preferred. Additionally, some job postings may ask that candidates not only teach classical guitar, but jazz as well – you’re not teaching rock ‘n’ roll as a full-time university professor.
Although, getting a tenure track position at a college is extremely difficult, adjunct positions are more frequently posted. Adjunct faculty are those who are: part-time, paid on an hourly basis, may teach private and/or group lessons and work with music majors and non-majors alike. Furthermore, it is quite possible being adjunct faculty that one may teach popular styles of music as non-majors may register for individual lessons.
An area of growing need for skilled guitar teachers is in the public schools as more and more school districts are adding guitar programs alongside orchestra, band and choir. I say “skilled” because the guitar is a specialized instrument and many music educators are not prepared to teach it. Generally, music educators are from a vocal, orchestra or band background with little (if any) experience with guitar. Public education is a good career track which offers a salaried position, pension and benefit program. Moreover, teaching in the public schools may not always require a degree in education as many school districts offer a process called lateral entry. Lateral entry is an "alternate route to teaching for qualified individuals outside of the public education system. Lateral entry allows qualified individuals to obtain a teaching position and begin teaching right away, while obtaining a professional educator's license as they teach.”
Have I missed anything? Please feel free to comment!
