Hi everyone – I’m Alex and I run Bruce Music. We provide guitar lessons to students of all ages and abilities, anywhere in London and the surrounding areas. I want to share some thoughts with you about the importance of teaching to a guitarist’s career in music, suggest ways of getting guitar teaching work, and talk about how teaching means you never stop learning!
For professional guitarists, teaching can be an essential, enjoyable and rewarding part of a successful portfolio career. Whether it’s something you do through the Winter’s festival/function off-season, one thing of many you do in your life as a jam-packed working musician, or your primary passion and focus, teaching has a vital role to play for the modern professional guitarist.
Why Teach Guitar?
It’s Well Paid
Teaching guitar is a fantastic way to earn a decent hourly rate both during your studies and after you’ve graduated. With an hourly rate usually £25 and above, with good time management you can often generate a week’s worth of income with 3-4 days work, leaving you plenty of time for your originals band, function band, or whatever it may be.
It Offers Job Security
Another reason is to ensure you’ve got regular work coming in. Something like one day a week’s teaching can be a great safety net for those of you more involved in the performance world. An anchor from which you can head off to festivals, cruise ships and beyond!
There’s Great Job Satisfaction
The rewards aren’t only financial though. Great satisfaction comes from seeing your students develop their skills, pass exams, start bands and play gigs. The role of an educator is an important and privileged one and so the resulting job satisfaction is high.
Advance Your Own Musicianship
You’ll notice your own ability, versatility and confidence rocket when you start teaching. The nature of the job means you have to be adaptable, versatile and quick. You have to be able to do anything and everything at any given time. If there are gaps in your knowledge, teaching will uncover them, and that’s when you step in and make up the ground! Teaching and learning are interrelated processes – each one informs and improves the other.
Networking
Teaching children in London, you’ll meet many Mums and Dads who are publishers, venue owners, lawyers, and so on – all people who are very often only too happy to offer you some help with elements of your music career, especially if their child likes you and is making good progress on the guitar!
How To Teach Guitar?
Many of my friendly team of London Guitar Teachers are BIMM graduates. It’s clear to see how good a job BIMM has done of preparing them for life as a musician, as they’re all extremely popular with their students, who are making great progress and earning excellent grade exam results.
So, I’d like to invite any BIMM graduate or student to contact me via email at [email protected] to discuss teaching guitar with my company, Bruce Music. If I haven’t got any vacancies at that point in time, I’ll be very happy to point you in the direction of other opportunities instead.
Thanks for reading guys, and I wish you good luck with your studies and beyond!
