teaching composition etc

Hi everyone. I will be graduating in july with a batchelor of music degree in composition.I didn't want to go down the full time teaching route or the pgce route, at least, not yet. I am planning to get a part time job of around 20-25 hours but wanted to subsidize the rest of my living through teaching both composition and piano. My question is if having a degree in composition but no formal teaching qualification is enough for me to actively advertise myself as a teacher of composition on a 1-1 basis? I have a real passion for teaching composition, and also would enjoy teaching piano (with an emphasis less on very strict classical grading and more on creativity and aesthetics)

I also have a passion for music appreciation and would love to teach group classes, to even non- musicians about different music and open their ears to the appreciation of different music.

I am quite anxious once I graduate that technically I do not have a set job lined up as it were, but am aiming to have several different things on the go.

Any advice would be great, particularly from people who have experience in this area. Basically, what I am asking is, what work is there for a newly graduated composer to make ends meet, but that does not move to far away from the music industry?

Look forward to your responses!

You're in the UK, aren't you? There are no regulations against you teaching privately 1-1 or class. I used to part-time, still do with a couple of adult students when I'm about in the UK and time allowing. You can enter your students for ABRSM, Trinity, etc, exams.

It's worth looking into this police check thing - CRB? in case you end up teaching younger people. I haven't bothered but I declined teaching anyone <14. I got in with a local music teacher and ended up with a stream of grade 5 theory students, in preparation for their grade 6 practicals. Now looking at the new Practical Musicianship syllabus.

I decided to keep music going as a semi-professional, unable to face fulltime teaching, seeking a more stable income elsewhere. Excellent idea to have several things on the go. Occasionally jobs come up with publishers and studios - you may end up doing jingles for ads but oh boy, the equipment you get to do that on! Just a question of keeping your eyes peeled, and nurturing the contacts you make. Any playing or production experience can go a long way.

Good luck,

Montpellier.

Hey thanks for that. I will check out the police check thing, and because I have nothing to hide and no criminal records, I am happy to provide them with anything that will make things easier. I, like you, enjoy teaching, and I have been told that I am very good at it and have just the right temperament, but don't want to get bogged down in the bureaucracy of full time education. I think teaching 1-1 would be great. What about teaching say, an evening class for music appreciation or something of that nature? Is that something that is possible considering my qualifications?

What was your working ratio between composition work and ordinary work to pay the bills? Also, when do you need to start declaring tax for this kind of work, is there a certain amount you must be earning from it, or a certain amount of students you teach etc?

Hmm, difficult to answer some questions. To be honest, I decided against a musical career even before getting my diploma but, like you, hoped to do something part time, unable to face classroom teaching for life. I'd hate to teach these days.

At the time, secondary school music was in flux - the old GCEs just abandoned. Unless one was a serial composer, BBC commissions and SPNM were out. The BBC would broadcast works performed by artists on their books. The commissions and professional performaces I got came with the help of people I knew.

Film music was morally! out. What little existed in the UK meant starting as an orchestrator, later moving on to composing then handing it out for orchestration...so unless an exceptional chance came up (they were diminishing by the day) one was to become a hack. (I'll avoid comment on my brush with film music!)

As I said, I taught privately hoping to do about 40% music. It would have worked out but left no time for leisure, music practice, composing, gigging, doing the shopping etc. At the peak I had around 15 students and made about

Thanks a lot, you have been really helpful and I plan to start looking into things now and finding out the legality of what I am doing, as well, of course, the financial implications.

Thanks loads though!