The qualities of a great music teacher.
“Those Who Can’t Do, Teach”
This maxim abounds in the performing arts world. I heard it often in college among my peers in music performance, usually with more than a tinge of elitism, and I even subscribed to it myself for a time. Was I right to do so? This question turns out to deserve some consideration. I will address it in regard to music, since this is the domain I know.
At first glance, there is some truth to the phrase, assuming what is meant by “doing” is performing or composing at a very high level. Most music teachers are not equipped for feats of virtuosity, their repertoires are comparatively small, and their knowledge of composition and theory is more or less limited. To confirm this, ask a local music teacher you know: are you a virtuoso? A genius composer? An acclaimed performing artist? Probably they will say no. Music is a vast, competitive domain, and most teachers are relegated, by questionable technique and spotty knowledge, to amateur status. One might go so far as to say that many music teachers are teaching even though they cannot “do,” in the sense of meeting some minimum standard of knowledge and performance.
On the other hand, one may encounter teachers who, while competent and well-schooled to varying degrees, admit to having failed to make a living just by playing concerts. These were not able to “do,” but only in the sense that they could not make a living solely by performing—unsurprisingly, since the money in that profession is drying up more every year. (In today’s time, economic exigencies compel even the most distinguished performers to teach in conservatories and universities.) But even historically, many celebrated composers or performers have devoted themselves largely, if not mostly, to teaching: such famous teachers include Heinrich Neuhaus, J.S. Bach and Frédéric Chopin. This fact shows “those who can’t do, teach” simply to be invalid. It would be about as insightful to say “those who can’t teach, do,” since not all performers make good teachers, a fact I can personally attest to from my lessons with certain skilled musicians. Yet no one would say this with a straight face.
This brings us to the crux of the issue, and the questions that really matter: what are qualities of a great music teacher? What is a teacher’s purpose? What skills must they possess to fulfill this purpose? And how are these related to the skills of a professional, performing musician? These questions deserve their own full-length treatment in a separate piece, but here I will do my best to briefly point the way to useful answers which help further illustrate why “those who can’t do, teach” corresponds poorly to reality.
A music teacher’s purpose depends on the pupil they are teaching. When working with a beginner, the teacher must instruct a pupil in the fundamentals of music theory, history, technique, and general musicality. When working with someone more advanced, the teacher may help them refine their artistic conception, overcome technical challenges, and deepen their musical knowledge. Needless to say, no one can transmit knowledge they do not already have; hence an advanced student demands a highly experienced and knowledgeable teacher, in comparison with a beginner. A general, though not exhaustive, list of the essential qualities of a great music teacher includes:
- A minimum standard of musical knowledge, artistry and instrumental technique, increasing with the level and seriousness of the pupils one expects to teach.
- Some amount of pedagogical knowledge, such as how to pace and structure lessons, how to manage a classroom (where applicable), and what repertoire or method books to use.
- A deep understanding of how to practice effectively, and an ability to recognize effective or ineffective practice habits in a pupil.
- An intellectual and granular, as opposed to a merely intuitive or instinctual, understanding of technique.
- Keen powers of perception which allow for astute diagnoses of technical problems.
- A pleasant personality that gets along with most students.
- A high degree of patience in dealing with other people.
- An ability to explain basic concepts very simply.
- An ability to explain one concept in many ways.
- An ability to inspire pupils to study and practice with enthusiasm.
- A genuine desire that the pupil should improve.
It is worth noting here that a teacher’s bad habits—from sloppy technique, to questionable artistic choices, to a generally negative attitude—will almost inevitably be passed on to a student. Encouragingly, though, it is possible to eradicate most bad habits without elevating oneself to the level of a great artist.
Now let us turn to the art of the high level performer, that we may compare it to that of the teacher. For the sake of brevity, I will confine myself to discussing music performance as opposed to composition. A performer’s purpose is very simply to delight audiences by faithfully reproducing a composition, or by improvising. To this end, they must have:
- A very high standard of musical knowledge, artistry and technique.
- A herculean work ethic impelling many hours of practice each day, starting in childhood.
- A deep understanding of how to practice effectively.
- An extensively trained and discerning ear.
- A mighty memory which can absorb things quickly and store hundreds of pieces of music reliably for many years.
- A high degree of psychophysical coordination and bodily vigor.
- A high degree of patience in tackling musical challenges.