Music Academy or Special Teacher? What's best?

If you are looking for an assembly, recital, a level program and an atmosphere with other students, an academy has a lot to offer. If you care about advanced at your best with flexible and unmoved times, a particular teacher usually fits better. No choice is better at abstract: it depends on who's learning and for what.

Between them there's a third way: particular classes with teachers that someone's already evaluated before they get to your place. Here we compare them with honesty, including what they don't give you.

To sum up

An academy provides architecture, facilities, assembly and musical life with other students and, in exchange, calls for regular and regular assignments and schedules.
A particular teacher offers complete care, his or her own rhythm and comfort but his or her quality depends completely on his or her person.
The best risk for an independent teacher is that nobody's been monitoring how she's been teaching before she starts with you.
A network of teachers evaluated combines care from the particular class with a previous filter of music, pedagogy and human quality.
They can be combined: particular classes for technique and a choir, a band or an orchestra to play with others.

Academy, individual teacher or teachers network: key differences

Three ways to take music classes
Aspecto	Academia	Special independent teacher	Network of teachers evaluated
Where's the class?	At the headquarters of the academy.	At your place, at the teacher's or online.	At your place or online.
Who chose his teacher	The academy with its own criteria.	You, most of the time by recommendation.	The network's been evaluating this earlier and you have been choosing between profiles.
Programa	There's usually a clear level and a clear plan.	It depends on the teacher: can be very personal or very improvised.	Custom plan with weekly monitoring.
Play with others	Assembly, gangs, choirs, recitals.	A little or nothing, except that the teacher will organize them.	Special classes or in small groups and does not replace an ensemble.
Horarios	Fixed, according to schedule.	Reliable, according to his teacher.	Flexible, depending on the availability of each teacher.
Traslados	You're going to headquarters.	Just as they agree.	Don't move.
If something doesn't work	That's how you talk about co-ordination.	That's what you figure with his teacher.	You have something to talk with as well as his teacher.

When an academy best suits

A good academy is far more than a place with salons. It's worth it if you're looking for:

Play with others regularly: children's orchestras, gangs, chorus or popular music assemblies.
A structure by levelwith clear targets and periodic samples or recital.
Tools that you have at homeas an acoustic drum or piano, to be used at headquarters.
To get out of the house to concentrateSome children and adolescents have their own place, far from screens and toys.
A social environment with students his age who share the same interest.

What we have to review before we sign up for: how they choose their teachers, whether the student will have the same teacher or rotate as available, how many students have per instrument class and how much real time it takes to go and come back to town at that hour.

When an individual teacher should be

You want to move at your own pacewithout waiting for the group to reach you or to feel pressured by him.
You have a concrete goal.: an audition, an event repertoire, a specific genre or an instrument after years.
Your schedule doesn't admit to moves.something common with adults and families with several children.
You better learn without an audienceespecially at first, when wrong in front of others inhibits.

His weak point is his dependence on a single person. If his or her teacher has no method, his or her later cancellation or his knowledge of his or her age, there's no one but to notice. And if his or her class stops, his or her search starts from scratch. That's why the right questions are best to be asked before choosing a teacher..

The third option: an evaluated teachers network

Between an academy's structure and the independence of a particular teacher and his and her family have an intermediate model: at home and online with his and her own and his first class.

That's how it works. A medio tono: every teacher is evaluated in music, pedagogy and human quality before you start and you choose from among the profiles of [teachers directory]](/profes)with virtual or home classes in and around Bogotá.

What you gain

The care and flexibility of the particular class.
A previous filter: you do not depend only on a recommendation from someone known.
More profiles, tools and styles to compare before deciding.
A week-to-week monitoring with clear targets.

What doesn't give you

A headquarters to go to and have no living rooms with tools to practice.
The experience of playing every week in an orchestra or a band and to that end an ensemble should be added.

If you want to get a better understanding of the approach, [who we are]](/nosotros) We count how we work.

How to decide by your priority

What choice usually works best according to what you're after
If your priority's...	It usually works better.
To play as a group, an orchestra or a band	Academy, or particular classes plus a separate assembly.
Fast advance in technique	Special classes.
A little boy that starts	A small group or particular class at home musical initiation according to his temperament.
Prepare a university admission	Special classes focused on instrument, theory, reading and dictation.
Don't move	A particular teacher at home or online.
To know that someone evaluated his teacher	A serious academy or a network of teachers evaluated.

Whatever the choice, the first class says a great deal. Watch if the teacher hears before rectifying, if his homework's clear and if his student wants to come back.

Don't have to choose just one

Many students combine formats. Some combinations that work well:

Special classes of piano or guitar for the technique, and the choir or band of the school to play with others.
Academy for assembly and a particular teacher to prepare a demanding repertoire or an audition.
Special class during the year and a workshop or music camp on vacation.

If you lean for particular classes, the next step is to decide if they will be [at home or virtual]](/blog/clases-de-musica-a-domicilio-o-virtuales)and even if you better [an individual class or a small group class]](/blog/clases-de-musica-individuales-o-grupales).

Frequently asked questions

Is a particular teacher more expensive than an academy?

It depends on what each option includes and the format, duration and frequency of the classes. When comparing, look at what you get in each case: individual time with teacher, assemblies, moves and monitoring. To get to know concrete options of particular classes, write us through WhatsApp.

Is an academy better for children?

Some children have a better place at home with a teacher that suits his or her best. If his or her child gets motivated to be with others, his or her academy adds up and if his or her group disperes, his or her class can work better.

How do I know if a particular teacher's good?

Watch first class: if you listen before you correct, explain clearly and leave a practice plan. Ask about your training and your experience with your age as well as help.

Do you serve an academy's certificate to get into music?

To get into a music race what counts is the admissions test, which usually includes audition, theory, reading and interview. A certificate shows your course but the specific preparation for the test is what makes a difference.