The best one for you
Is the teacher a great player?
A good teacher is not necessarily a great player, and conversely a great player could be a lousy teacher. The important thing is not just that the teacher can communicate, but that they communicate with you. Some teachers may be good with children, others with adults. First impressions are often very important – hopefully you will know quickly if you get on with the teacher as a person.
This is an even more important consideration if you are looking for a teacher for your child as you may need to make the decision on behalf of your son or daughter.
Are they reliable?
Many teachers are also working professional musicians. That is obviously not a bad thing, but it does mean they may need to reschedule at short notice. If this is likely to happen, make sure the teacher has a reasonable attitude and also allows you some flexibility, and that you both know the ground rules for postponements.
Does the teacher encourage you to learn to teach yourself?
When I worked as a teacher, this was always one of my pet topics. I believe a good teacher will show you how to work things out for yourself, and teach you to become independent so that eventually they become redundant. Many teachers may find this a bit odd, that they are working at becoming obsolete, however this is far better for you than the teacher who just sees you as a source of income rather than a person with a talent to be nurtured.
Saxophone Teacher Connect
Our directory is moving to Teacher Connect , a new directory on CafeSaxophone to help students find teachers, and teachers find students. This is an international forum where you can find teachers locally, or who teach via Skype or Facetime.
