Becoming A Music Teacher: 7 Online Music Courses To Take

Becoming A Music Teacher: 7 Online Music Courses To Take
Summary: Take online music courses to become a music teacher and you could be teaching private or group music lessons in as little as a year. The following 7 online courses are worth considering.

Online Music Courses For Becoming A Music Teacher

Apart from taking online music courses, you can also use online music lessons to enhance or augment your existing course load and become a more competitive teacher. Quality music courses are the most important prerequisite to becoming a music teacher, and many online options are now comparable to traditional brick-and-mortar music schools. The following 7 are worth considering.

1. Alison

Alison is not a music school; it's an online learning community that periodically offers online music courses. One such course covers music theory for beginners, effectively breaking music theory down into easily digested modules that address rudimentary concepts, such as octaves, triads, cadences, and augmented and diminished intervals.

An ear training module reinforces the other modules, employing audio to acquaint beginners with very sound of diminished intervals, inverted triads, and cadences. The course is free, self-guided, and requires roughly six hours to complete.

2. Udemy

Similar to Alison, Udemy is an online learning platform where you can take a variety of music courses, such as intro to piano, singing, composition, music theory, and reading music. At any given time, Udemy's free subjects number in the dozens and rotate seasonally.

Online music courses prices range from about $19 to $200, as of 2016. Udemy's curriculum extends beyond theory and sightsinging, touching upon subjects like music software, vocal technique, instruments, and production. Types of instructors range from private teachers who are seasoned musicians to credentialed instructors from academic backgrounds.

While instructors contribute and lead courses, self-guided learning is the norm on Udemy.

3. Wendy's Music

Wendy's Music offers comprehensive private online music classes, from fundamentals to advanced concepts. The teaching style and format adhere to Wendy's Method, and encompass key aspects of music teacher education, such as procedures and policies for teachers. Wendy's students also have access to a rich library of music resources.

Offered modules include Core Training and Specialist training, with all relevant training material available online after you complete registration and log in. Students progress at their own pace and liaise directly with the website or with Wendy.

4. Online Academy Of Irish Music

The Online Academy of Irish Music teaches beginner to advanced online music courses primarily in tin whistle, flute, and fiddle via instructional videos within an online interface. The academy also features one-to-one video training courses in harp, concertina, tenor banjo, piano and voice.

Aspiring piano teachers in search of unique world music literature may find the courses in Irish piano tunes and accompaniment enlightening. Some courses include related manuscripts and text that you can download or read on the website. The website corresponds to an actual music school based in West Co. Clare, Ireland. The academy's format is beginner-friendly, clear, and accessible.

5. Shankar Mahadevan Academy

Diversify your teaching repertoire and knowledge base with online lessons in Indian vocal music from the Shankar Mahadevan Academy. The SMA's courses consist of a mixture of self-guided and instructor-led, covering delightfully non-Western subjects like Hindustani vocal technique and instrumental Hindi songs.

The school also offers specialized prep for both students who seek to perfect technique and repertoire for competitions or music teachers who want to strengthen their ability to help students become competition-ready.

SMA's curriculum includes standalone classes and course packages geared toward established or soon-to-be music teachers, such as Teacher Training & Certification, which teaches self-employed music instructors SMA's original form of pedagogy.

6. BerkleeX

BerkleeX is the free online division of the Berklee College of Music. With its world-class reputation, competitive curriculum, and seasoned faculty, BerkleeX is a reliable, quality means to learn music theory online. The BerkleeX course roster changes seasonally, but typically includes an intro course to music theory, music business courses, entrepreneurship, and recording technology.

BerkleeX is not necessarily the best choice for individuals seeking a full curriculum to prepare them for teaching all basic subjects in music, but the school's PR value and long history of churning out sophisticated educators make it worth exploring and taking advantage of. You can't beat the free price tag either.

7. Dubspot

Dubspot is New York City's top school for DJs and electronic musicians, open to absolute beginners and polished professionals wanting to update and increase their skill level. Dubspot's online hub offers most of the courses it offers at its brick and mortar location on 5th Avenue, such as Music Foundation, Maschine, Reason, Logic Pro, and Kids Programs.

There are curriculum concentrations for DJs who wish to specialize in production. Dubspot employs a uniform method for rolling out each class, with content available on the first day, online instructor's office hours occurring between the second and sixth days and feedback from instructors and classmates on the seventh day.

Dubspot's online hub allows registrants to interact with music teachers online who both use and teach DJ skills and electronic music.