5 Skills Music Teachers Should Develop in 2024
In this post, I would like to share a list of skills I recommend music teachers learn to stay competitive in 2024.
Your goal should not be to become an expert.
Instead, just learn the basics so that you have a foundation to build upon.
These skills will come in handy to you, especially if you have ambitions to one day run your own digital music teaching business – teaching music over the internet.
#1 – How To Use Technology to Enhance the Learning Process
When I started teaching music back in 2007., there were already exciting software tools that you could use to make the online lesson experience more enjoyable for the students.
But it wasn’t something you would necessarily incorporate into in-person lessons, because computers were not mobile enough, there were no tablets yet… you could do it, sure, but it wasn’t practical.
Fast forward to 2024.
Everything is portable, and you have a super-powerful computer, audio interface, video camera, and audio player- you name it – in your pocket!
Suppose you’re of an older generation, or you just don’t feel comfortable with technology and never bothered to learn – don’t worry.
You can still catch up and become ‘that person.’
And that’s what you should do!
Learn how to use music apps on your phone, music tools/software on your computer…
Learn how to create and play music backing tracks…
How to record the learning sessions and use recordings for progress tracking and analysis.
Play music clips on a portable projector in a music class.
Learn how to send students additional practice materials as homework, like PDFs, audio tracks, and links to valuable resources online.
Learn how to use technology, and don’t fear it – it can change your life.
#2 – How to Record Your Playing in Audio and/or Video
Regardless of whether you only teach in-person lessons in your music studio or you teach music online as well, learning how to record yourself is valuable skill that can open new doors for you.
This skill is a must-have if you ever dream of making money online.
You need to learn how to record music.
You need to learn how to record video.
Again, this doesn’t mean you must become an audio engineer or filmmaker. Instead, just take it slow and learn the fundamentals.
First, you should learn to record your music performance in high-quality audio format on a computer or mobile device.
The gear you’ll use is irrelevant, but you need to be able to capture sound and do it with decent quality.
In this process, you’ll learn about different options regarding audio interfaces, microphones, how to hook it all up, and which DAW software to use.
The next step will be to learn how to shoot decent-quality video at home.
The good news is that the latest iPhones produce AMAZING videos and are super easy. You just point and shoot.
Of course, you can get a dedicated camera for even better quality.
Learn what gear is out there, like cameras, accessories like tripods, video backdrops, remote control, video light kits, etc.
Your goal should be to learn how to shoot a good-looking video of your music lesson or performance.
#3 – How to Transcribe Music & Write Music Notation On The Computer
I’ve met many musicians doing gigs online here and there, making extra money that way, and one thing I noticed is:
Some of them needed to learn how to create music notation in digital form, like a PDF, for example.
They could read music but didn’t know how to do notation on the computer.
This lack of skill in music transcription / producing sheet music meant that they either:
Didn’t get the paid gig/contract at all.
Or
They didn’t earn as much as they could have if they had that skill.
If you can, learn to use software like Sibelius, Finale, Guitar Pro…
Did you know some musicians earn full-time income from their homes, explicitly transcribing music and writing notation for other clients?
Even if you don’t plan to set up an income stream like that, learning how to do it will be helpful to you if you decide to create your own instructional content, lessons, and music courses.
Simply because when the time comes, it will be easier to do it independently and then look into hiring someone down the line to take over.
#4 – How to Build a Simple Website
Think of a website as a starting point for your future online business venture.
I know that if you’re not that tech-savvy, then this idea seems impossible.
But I’ve got good news for you.
Today, you don’t need to know how to write a single line of code to create a beautiful-looking website.
Look for tutorials online, and start building your first website.
Learning this stuff is easiest if you’re building something along the way.
Google when you get stuck.
When building your first website, you should know how these websites look, what pages you need to create, and everything.
Also, if you plan to start an online music lesson business, the website should support the features you need.
So, if you’re looking for a new hobby and skill to develop – this is the one that can help you create opportunities for yourself in the future.
#5 – How to Use Social Media
I know musicians who are completely disconnected from social media.
In a way, I envy them, but that’s beside the point.
Suppose you are planning to start building an audience online in 2024. In that case, you should be comfortable using social media.
This is because if you end up in a situation where you want to start an online business, where you teach music and earn an income from it online, chances are – you will use social media channels in some capacity for audience building.
So, the first thing should be to create accounts on social media channels you like if you haven’t got one already.
Your goal should be to observe and learn.
Follow other music teachers, learn how the platform works, and what content is posted there…
You can try different networks to see which feels right for you and attract your audience.
Popular networks for music teachers still are:
- Meta (Facebook)
- YouTube
- TikTok
Music teachers can attract a following on these networks with the content they post.
Finally, to bust a popular myth, you don’t need to be popular on social media to have a successful online music teaching business.
So I’m not saying that you must use social media for audience building, nor do I believe that it should be your #1 focus in terms of a source of traffic. Still, the exposure there can be pretty valuable in the long run when running an online business, and having a healthy profile helps.
Having that in mind, it’s helpful to get on social media in 2024 and acquire that skill.
Conclusion
If you’re a music teacher, being able to “digitalize” yourself and offer services online can be rewarding.
But to get there, you must invest in learning specific skills and get in the habit of learning new things beyond your zone of comfort.
There are many more items I would like to add to this list, but the above 5 are a good starting point.
If you start learning now, you’ll be giving yourself leverage in the future, which is quite helpful if you want to become a digital entrepreneur or just make money on the side using the internet.
If you’d like to create a new income stream that’s online based, with your music teacher skills, I’ve got something that might interest you – my Play, Click, Succeed course.
This course is the perfect solution to help you make that first step towards creating a new income stream online by leveraging your music teaching skills.
The course provides you with lessons and guidance on how to create a digital business startup plan, for your future venture.
So, if you want to learn more and enroll in this course, just click on the link provided below:
Click here to learn more and enroll>>
Don’t miss this opportunity to turn your skills into a profitable business!
Hope the tips in this post are helpful to you.
All the best,
Bogdan
Founder, MusicTeachingBiz.com
P.S. If you wish to get helpful insights for music teachers & tips on how you can make more from your teaching by going digital, I’d like to invite you to get on my newsletter.
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