What do parents really look for when choosing music lessons for their children? Is it the cost, the convenience, the curriculum, or the qualifications of the music teacher?
I recently tried to fool artificial intelligence with a simple question: “What is the most important thing a parent looks for when choosing music lessons for their child?” I wanted to know what ChatGPT and Grok would say. You see, I already knew the answer. We had conducted parent surveys decades ago, in 1985 and again in 1998. But I was curious. Had parenting culture changed? Were today’s parents priorities different when choosing music lessons for their children?
I wasn’t expecting AI to give me the answer we had discovered all those years ago. But both surprised me. Because they got it right.
ChatGPT: “The quality of the music teacher.” Grok: “The quality (and fit) of the teacher.”
That was exactly what parents told us in 1985 and 1998. And it confirmed something we’ve believed at Childbloom for more than four decades: The quality of the teacher is the most important factor in a child’s music education.
Why the Music Teacher Matters More Than You Might Think
A good music teacher does much more than present notes, chords, rhythms, and technique. The right teacher inspires children to practice and learn more, encourages them through difficulties, counsels parents on how to handle home practice, and helps children develop a lasting interest in music.
A child may begin guitar lessons with enthusiasm, but whether that enthusiasm grows or disappears often depends on the teacher. That’s why, at Childbloom, we’ve always concentrated on finding, training, and retaining exceptional guitar teachers for children.
And we don’t leave that to chance.
What Does It Take to Become a Childbloom Guitar Instructor?
Before a Childbloom Instructor ever steps into a classroom, there are specific requirements that must be met.
1. Demonstrate the Right Guitar Skills
Every instructor must possess the technical guitar skills necessary to teach the Childbloom curriculum and demonstrate musicianship that inspires students. And yes, we have turned away applicants who didn’t have the appropriate skills.
But being able to play guitar well is not necessarily the same as being able to teach guitar to children well. We see that in the students we inherit from other teachers.
2. Provide Professional References That We Actually Check
Applicants must provide references who can recommend them. We don’t simply collect names and phone numbers. We contact those references and interact with them. If references don’t respond, the application process stops.
3. Pass a Background Check
Every instructor must pass a background check before teaching children. And yes, we have denied applications because of problems, or indications of potential problems, revealed during that process. The safety of our students is not negotiable.
4. Complete Childbloom Teacher Training and Certification
Every instructor must agree to be trained and certified by the Childbloom Company to teach our specialized children’s guitar curriculum. We don’t assume that someone who knows how to play guitar automatically knows how to teach it effectively to young children.
5. Observe Actual Childbloom Guitar Classes
Prospective instructors must observe Childbloom classes to see how the curriculum works with real students. Today, instructors can complete this observation through online resources at a training center. Seeing the teaching method in action is an important part of learning how to use it.
6. Pass Our Online Training Course With a Score Above 90%
Instructors must complete an online training course and achieve a score above 90%. We want teachers who understand the method, not merely those who have been exposed to it.
7. Study Child Development and Student Relationships
Our instructors attend lectures on child development and participate in discussions about curriculum use and relationships with students and parents. They receive regular communications regarding advances in pedagogy, new material, and innovative activities developed by our community of teachers.
Teaching a seven-year-old is not the same as teaching a teenager or an adult. Understanding how children learn is essential to teaching them successfully.
8. Understand the Educational Reasoning Behind the Curriculum
Childbloom instructors must understand not only how our guitar curriculum is organized, but why it is organized that way. Our teaching sequence is based on principles of child development and growth. That is why it works so well and why teachers entering our system are often surprised by its effectiveness. Teachers need to understand the reasoning behind the lessons so they can teach effectively rather than simply follow instructions.
The Qualities of a Great Children’s Guitar Teacher That Can’t Always Be Taught
Of course, qualifications and training aren’t everything. There are also the intangibles.
Is the teacher personable? Does the teacher have the right disposition to work with children? These qualities aren’t always easy to measure or teach. Some come naturally. Others develop through experience, mentoring, and continued training. But they matter enormously. A technically accomplished guitarist isn’t necessarily an effective children’s guitar teacher.
At Childbloom, we demand both.
How Do We Know Our Guitar Teachers Are Effective?
This is where Childbloom does something particularly important. We don’t simply assume our teachers are doing a good job. We track and quantify each instructor’s student retention rate.
Why? Because a teacher’s ability to keep students interested, motivated, and learning over time is an important indicator of teaching effectiveness. Our current instructors have demonstrated their ability to sustain student interest and motivation over the years. And when a teacher’s retention rate indicates a possible problem, we can investigate and work toward improvement.
Retention isn’t the only measure of good teaching, of course. But it provides valuable information about whether students and families are finding the lessons worthwhile. That’s much more meaningful than simply claiming that we have great teachers.
What Should Parents Look for When Choosing Guitar Lessons for Their Child?
Parents considering guitar lessons for children should ask more than whether the instructor can play guitar.
They should ask:
- Has the teacher been trained specifically to teach their age child?
- Does the teacher understand how children develop and what they are capable of at each age?
- Can the guitar curriculum accommodate that development? Does the teacher even have a curriculum and a vision for the child’s musical development?
- Has the instructor been screened and evaluated?
- Does the teacher know how to keep children interested and motivated? (At Childbloom, we have specific training chapters on musical and technical game theory.)
- Is there a system for monitoring teaching effectiveness?
These questions can tell parents much more about the potential quality of their child’s music lessons than price or convenience alone. (Though we are among the most affordable programs in the area.)
The Most Important Factor in Children’s Music Lessons Hasn’t Changed
Our parent surveys in 1985 and 1998 told us that teacher quality was the most important consideration when choosing music lessons for children. Decades later, when I asked two artificial intelligence systems the same question, they gave essentially the same answer. This was an interesting confirmation of a principle that has guided Childbloom for more than 40 years.
The teacher matters because your child matters.
That’s why we’ve devoted so much attention to selecting, training, certifying, and evaluating our guitar instructors. Because when parents choose music lessons for their children, they aren’t simply purchasing instruction. They’re trusting someone to help shape their child’s relationship with music for a lifetime.
And we believe that trust deserves to be earned.