Music Teachers: Who are they anyway?

Abstract

Being a music teacher requires a range of knowledge, skills and attributes of a kind that no other profession demands. Specifically, music teachers question whether they are primarily musicians or teachers, or whether they take on another coalesced persona. This persona is, in turn, related to the acquisition of musical and pedagogical skills, and to the timeframe for the development of these skills. In this paper, teachers discuss their backgrounds in music and education, their perceptions of themselves as musicians and teachers and their roles in the workplace. As they comment on who they are, they raise questions as to what needs to be “taught” in music teacher preparation courses, and where, when and how the required knowledge, skills and attributes are acquired.