Music teacher

Music teachers teach people of all ages and abilities to read, play or sing music. They give lessons in a wide variety of settings, including schools, colleges, universities and conservatoires. Some music teachers teach privately, in their own homes or in those of their students.

Also known as:

Music instructor
Peripatetic music teacher

Work activities

Music teachers give music lessons to people of all ages and abilities. They teach them to read, understand and interpret music, as well as to play a musical instrument. Some music teachers teach people to sing. The music they teach might be from one particular style, such as classical or jazz, or it could be from a range of styles.

Music teachers give lessons in a wide variety of settings. Where they teach often influences the type of work they do. For example, music teachers who work in schools teach the practice, history, theory and appreciation of different types of music. They go to staff meetings and parents’ evenings, as well as keep registers and records of student progress. They might also supervise students on trips, such as to a theatre or concert, or get involved with school choirs, bands or orchestras.

Music teachers who give private lessons usually work from home or visit the student’s house. They teach students, usually one-to-one, to play an instrument or sing, and they might also enter them for graded music exams. Some private teachers act as peripatetic or visiting instrumental teachers in schools or music services. Private teachers run their own business, so they spend time marketing their services and building up new contacts. Music teachers also teach in colleges, universities, community centres, and music centres run by local authorities.

All music teachers:

Plan and organise lessons.
Explain and demonstrate different learning techniques.
Prepare students for exams or performances.
Set assignments and mark work.
Teach concepts such as rhythm and harmony.
Provide feedback and encouragement. They use textbooks, sheet music, CDs and sometimes computer software and websites to help with learning.

Personal qualities and skills

As a music teacher, you’ll need:

Knowledge of music theory and the ability to play an instrument or sing to a high standard.
The ability to encourage, motivate and inspire students.
Patience and understanding.
Excellent communication and organisation skills.
Observational and evaluation skills.

The ability to maintain discipline and work well under pressure.

Some music teachers will need the ability to deal with challenging behaviour in the classroom. Music technology software skills are increasingly important. Private music teachers need business and marketing skills.

Pay and opportunities

Teachers in the state education sector are paid on a scale according to their qualifications, experience and responsibilities. The highest salaries are available in inner London schools. The pay rates (per year) are approximate. Qualified teachers start on £30,000 and can progress up to £46,525 over time (2023-24 pay levels). Trainee teachers earn less than this, with training taking a number of years.

Qualified teachers may also be eligible for additional payments on top of their regular salary for specialist work for example as a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) or for other teaching and learning responsibilities.

In the private sector, salaries are generally higher, though they are sometimes linked to state sector pay scales.

Private music teachers usually charge a half-hourly or hourly rate. The Musicians’ Union (MU) recommends rates of £40.50 per hour for private tuition. However, fees vary widely depending on the experience of the teacher, whether they are teaching students individually or in groups, and the location.

Classroom teachers normally teach within a timetable from 8:30 am or 9 am to 3:30 pm or 4 pm, Monday to Friday. However, they usually need to work extra hours – marking work, preparing lessons and going to meetings. Private teachers decide their own hours, which can be in the daytime or evenings, and at weekends. Many private music teachers can set up their practice where they live; others visit students in their homes.

Employers include:

State and private schools
Colleges and universities
Arts organisations and music centres.

Music teachers can also work for local authority music services, visiting a number of schools to give lessons, or as visiting teachers in one or more schools.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies for classroom teachers are advertised by local authorities and in the local and national press, including the Guardian and the Times Educational Supplement (TES). There are also job boards, for example, eTeach and the Teaching Vacancies service. Private music teachers often advertise their services in local magazines and newspapers.

Entry routes and training

Entry routes vary, depending on where you teach music. If you teach music privately (and not in a school), it’s not essential to have a teaching qualification. However, most private teachers have a relevant music diploma or degree. To become a secondary school music teacher, you usually need to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through initial teacher training (ITT). To teach in a university or conservatoire, you’ll usually need specialist training to postgraduate and often doctorate level. Music degrees are widely available at universities, colleges and conservatoires. They cover performance, theory and composition. The balance of this varies, so check prospectuses carefully.

There are also the employment-based schemes, including School Direct and Teach First programmes, as well as the new teaching apprenticeship scheme. On these salaried routes, you will earn unqualified teacher salary, which in 2023 starts at £20,598.

Ongoing training involves keeping up to date with the requirements of the awarding bodies and their syllabuses in the various stage examinations. Music teachers may move into music board examining, performing, composing, directing choirs or orchestras, or accompanying at exams or recitals.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Working with children and young people who are under 18 is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

For entry to a degree in music, the usual minimum requirements are:

Two to three A-levels, including music.
GCSEs at grades 9-4 in your A level subjects.
A further two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4. However, course requirements vary, so please check prospectuses carefully. You’ll also have an audition, and many universities ask that you have a particular grade in playing an instrument.

If you want to teach in a primary school, or also at Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14) in England, you must have a GCSE (or recognised equivalent qualification) at grades 9-4 in a science subject.

To enter a PGCE in secondary school music, you’ll need a degree with at least 50% music content. Some universities accept related subjects such as music technology. For a primary education PGCE, you need any degree that is relevant to the primary National Curriculum.

Adult opportunities

To enter teacher training courses, you’ll usually need to have at least observed some classes in a mainstream primary or secondary school. For some courses, you’ll need paid or voluntary work experience in the classroom, or other relevant experience with children and young people. If you don’t have the qualifications you need to enter a degree course, you might be able to start one after completing a college or university Access course. You don’t usually need any qualifications to start an Access course, although you should check this with the course provider.

Related careers

Audio engineer
Lecturer
Music manager
Music therapist
Musical instrument technician
Musician
Primary teacher
Secondary teacher
Singer
Teacher