Attitudes of String Teachers and Performers Toward Preparation for and Teaching of Private Lessons

The present study was designed to examine attitudes toward private lesson teaching of a cross-section of string instrument instructors ( N = 1,617). The participant pool was drawn from the membership of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Results were similar in many ways to responses in previous studies also involving music faculty and music students. These groups indicated that they liked teaching, liked the challenges of teaching musicians, and believed preparation for teaching is important. Depending on the age of their students, they also enjoyed talking about pedagogical issues with students. Engaging the membership of organizations such as ASTA will be necessary if the profession is to find additional ways to provide educational opportunities for musicians interested in teaching.