The NFA Blog

By: Mary CJ Byrne, NFA Pedagogy Committee

Of the many reasons to seek out a private flute teacher, one reason rises to the top:  your flute, your music, is important to you. Your flute teacher will become a friend and mentor, as well as join you on your deeply personal journey of music.

Start by collecting names of potential teachers

A quick online search may show many local teachers who maintain a social media presence or website. The NFA also maintains an online flute teacher directory. Look these teachers up! It’s a good way to get a good feel for a teacher’s style. 

Nothing beats a personal recommendation. A schoolteacher, choir director, parents’ group, your BFF, even a flute teacher whose schedule is overly-full — any of these could net a recommendation of an ideal teacher. 

Keep your ear to the ground. If you hear a student play beautifully, ask about the teacher. If you hear a professional play beautifully, ask about lessons. Keep in mind: brilliant professional teachers generally focus their efforts on their teaching and brilliant professional performers generally focus their efforts on their performance. It is not cause for concern if a teacher doesn’t play much in public, nor is an excellent performer guaranteed to be a good teacher. Get the conversation open and see how it feels to you.

Know yourself as a potential student

Do not sell yourself short! It’s hard when a conversation starts with “I don’t know if you would take a student like me…”  Put away that concern. Unless you know for sure otherwise, assume the invitation to lessons is open to you. 

Consider what you would like to get from flute lessons. Common goals are one-on-one help for trouble-spots, audition preparation, career development, a better band experience, because the band director insisted, enrichment, conservatory exams, or just to have fun. Each is a good starting point…“starting point” being the key! Over time, as you find each other’s working style and deeper interests, goals will evolve and refine. 

Be ready to express your own needs regarding lessons, and aim to be accepting of what a potential teacher has to offer. You are looking for a good fit, a perfect match, in all the many ways that can be defined. It will take conversation and time together. It may ultimately take saying no and seeking other options. You will discover quickly if your needs and the needs of a prospective teacher mesh, as long as you know yourself well and are willing to converse.

Consider what you need in a lesson location. Do you want something nearby, an accessible studio, a pet-free home studio, a secured conservatory studio, someone willing to come to your home, an online/distance option? Any of these, or something different, may be an overriding consideration. If a teacher cannot accommodate, however, you may have to say, “thank you” and move on.

Consider your preferred lesson time and day. If you can be flexible, you will have better success securing a spot in the busiest studios. Good teachers are often fully-booked well in advance. Be prepared to go on a waiting list for the next fall, accept a spot which suddenly opens, or start lessons in the summer. On the other hand, know that a teacher might bend the schedule for a promising student, or offer a non-standard time in their teaching schedule. I find scheduling is the most common deal-breaker with my own studio.

Consider your preferred length of lesson. Most teachers have 30-, 45-, and 60-minute slots. A hardworking half hour can be valuable. A longer lesson gives more one-on-one time. A shorter lesson is routine for younger, newer students. A longer lesson can be taxing on a novice student, yet an advanced student may not get through a week’s work even in an hour-long lesson. A prospective teacher can give good advice for your situation.

Consider your expectation for personal practice. Most teachers consider the lesson as coaching toward your independent work at home, not in-class instruction once a week. As a teacher, I ask for students to dedicate as much practice time every day as we spend together each week, minimum. If a practice commitment is a struggle for you, maybe lessons are not a good idea right now. However, be up-front! If you want a tutor for a single hour a week or a practice partner, say that. Many teachers have advanced students who can take on that role.

Consider price point. Teachers are working professionals. If a teacher’s fee is out of range, it is okay to ask if a shorter lesson time, an alternate-week schedule, or a smaller package of lessons is an option. Some teachers may book more lesson time while charging a lower fee. I do this routinely for my students, as my teacher also did for me. 

Engage a teacher in conversation. Share your hopes and dreams freely. Listen to the hopes and dreams of the teacher. A teacher may want more from you than you are prepared to give, such as a straight-A report card, extra performances, required auditions or examinations, or the purchase of an expensive instrument. If it’s not for you, you can say “thank you” and move to the next person on your list. Trust, also, that the teacher will let you know if they’re not a good match.

Make that opening call, send that hopeful email, get the conversation started

If in conversation you become convinced that the lines of communication are open and the teacher would say the same … If you are reassured that your goals and needs are heard and the teacher would say the same about you … If you get that fuzzy vibe that we are in this together and that you want to be in the midst of this teacher’s style of music-making … then go for it! Book a trial lesson and see what you think. 

After all, my task as teacher is to meet you where you are and help you grow in your music. Your music, not mine. Your music. When we are on that same page together, we have a perfect match.

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Mary Byrne is an active teacher, adjudicator, lecturer, recorded artist, and published author working from Victoria, BC, Canada.  She is known for her wide-ranging work as flutist and teacher of flute, instructor of pedagogy and musicology, and expert in all levels of repertoire for flute, including on-going work with NFA’s Pedagogy Committee and The Selected Flute Repertoire and Studies Guide.