If you’re bored of the regular day-to-day grind and want something more interesting, going self-employed is always a good bet. It’s risky, of course. But, that risk comes with so much reward. You don’t have to deal with a boss, a uniform, or set structure. You can choose how your day moves and what you do. The biggest problem, though, is finding something to build a business from.
Most people have some musical talent. Whether you’re a pianist, or you just like to write lyrics. These are talents that you can use to build a solid career. You just need a bit of education, and some pointers along the way.
- Choose What To Teach
The first step that you’ll need to make is choosing what you would like to teach. If you play an instrument and you think you’d be able to teach it, that is your best bet. If you don’t know how to play an instrument to teaching standards, then you’ll have to look at other ideas. For the optimistic, you can try to learn an instrument. Although, mastering an instrument to a professional standard will usually take months or even years. Otherwise, you can look at other areas of music. If you’re a good writer, you can teach budding lyricists. Or, if you prefer book learning, teaching music theory and history is a good option. Just make sure that it’s something you love, or at least enjoy enough not to get bored of it.
- Choose How To Teach It
Once you’ve decided what you’re going to teach, you can decide how you want to teach it. For instrumental teachers, you have several options. You can go it alone and teach people privately, or you can work for schools and other organizations on a freelance basis. Teaching privately is riskier, but you’ll have more flexibility. If you choose to work for a school, you’ll have to work to their schedule, but you’ll have more security. Ultimately, where you do the job probably won’t change the rate of pay; as you’ll be the one who sets it. You have similar options if you’re teaching for other areas of music. But, you’ll be slightly more restricted when it comes to finding people to teach privately.
Within schools, you may also have the option to teach either one on one or in larger groups. You’ll probably find it easier to start off small; at least until you find your feet. But, teaching an entire class can be a very rewarding experience.
- Getting Qualified
Getting qualified in the area of music can involve many routes. The easiest way to go is by using a professional teaching course to get you going. Companies have been set up so that you can take a course that tests your ability to play, and also teach you how to teach. They also offer other courses, with different ways to make money out of music. Resources similar to the music therapy degree page here will help you to find a course that’s right for you.
