Martha McKie
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12446 Mesa Verde Trail
Jacksonville, FL 32223 (map) - (904) 288-9150
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Gentle & Knowledgeable Piano Teacher
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Martha McKie • Jacksonville, FL • $55 per hour
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I offer 30-minute weekly lessons for students of any age. I have more than 20 years of experience. I have a bachelor's degree in music performance and music education.
I love it when my students and their parents tell me how sweet and gentle I am with my students. I really mean to be an ambassador of music for everyone.
My students have the opportunity to participate in 4 public studio recitals every year. My students have the opportunity to participate in the National Federation of Music Clubs festival, state competitions and other sponsored events. My students have the opportunity to participate in the Florida State Music Teachers Association's student day and other sponsored events.
Question and answer
Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Prefer to select teachers with college degrees. Performance degrees combined with Education degrees have advantages. It's good to have a teacher who practices and plays, but who also is acquainted with educational theory.
Also, no matter what the credentials of the candidates, it is best to meet with them and, especially in the case of children, look for a good natural rapport between the student and the prospective teacher.
Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?
A. It is important to remember that anyone can say that they teach private music classes. A good way to start is to look for education and credentials. If the student in question is not learning to play, give 6 months of time or so, but then try another teacher. If you have to change teachers more than twice, consider that more help at home would be more effective, or, also, that there is no desire on the part of the student to learn.
Change instruments, if you have noticed a desire in the student, but little result from lessons.
Though teachers vary in ability, I personally think that rapport between the student and teacher is a very powerful motivator. When a teacher-student combination isn't "working", resist the impulse to blame incompetence or laziness or lack of talent. Some individuals are far more flexible than others, but with a student who needs a very specific fit, it is great if the right teacher can be found for the student.
Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
A. Will the student have the same teacher to work with for every lesson. (Good answers are: "Yes!", "There is one other substitute teacher that may fill in once or twice in a year.", "There are (no more than 3) teachers to alternate with the student who will take up each lesson where the last lesson left off." I think that the one teacher-one student format works very well, but I can definitely see a strength in a student meeting with more than one consultant that is well beyond the concerns about teacher absences or schedule adjustments.
