Interviews Before Taking New Students?

Author: admin

10 Feb

I’ve only recently started doing interviews before accepting new students. I have one coming over this week, and wanted to throw out the questions: 1. Do you interview prospective students? and 2. What do you do or talk about in your interview? and 3. Do you do anything at the piano?

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2 Responses for "Interviews Before Taking New Students?"

Julie February 10th, 2009 at 9:13 pm 1
While I haven’t held any true interviews with prospective students, I do email or discuss on the phone before registering the student what the child knows so I get an idea of what I’d be dealing with. If quite young (5-6) I ask if the child knows his/her alphabet, can count to ten, write their letters and numbers, and can focus for 5-10 minutes at a time. I’ve also started to ask if there’s anything I should especially know about their child’s learning styles so that I might tailor the materials to the student or can teach most effectively for the student’s success. In the last year, I’ve acquired a handful of students with learning disabilities/struggles, and a couple of students with Asperger’s. It helps me to know if the child has any special learning needs so that I can maybe help the student’s music experience be a positive one, instead of me thinking “this kid will never get it!!” Once I found out one of my long-time students had Asperger’s, I researched it and am beginning to find ways to effectively teach him in a way he’s able to handle. We’re much happier.

Before long, I believe I will hold interviews with prospective students so that I am able to get insight (for young ones) how well they are able to focus for 5-10 minutes at a time, how well they are able to write (displays their fine motor skills), and whether they can imitate rhythm patterns, etc. For transfer students, I would hear a piece they know to determine their playing skills, see how well they can sight-read, ask about a few musical terms…things I already do, but once I’ve already registered them.

What is your own criteria in mind for your interviews?
Natalie Wickham February 10th, 2009 at 9:38 pm 2
Rebecca~

I always do interviews with new students, even if it is a sibling of a current student. Here’s a link to the forms I use: http://musicmattersblog.com/2006/07/10/student-interviews/. This is such a helpful way to get to know the student and plan an appropriate course of instruction for him/her!