Interview Questions for Music Teacher

The best questions about interviewing a music teacher demand concrete examples of what the person already did: how did he plan a period, how did he defringe a student that did not advance, how did he give bad news to a family. To organize them by criterion (musical and pedagogy domain, human quality, group management, professionalism and secure environments) and first defines what response counts as solid.

Here's a question bench to adapt to your academy or school, with what you have to listen to at every answer, the warning signs and a simple scale to qualify. The interview doesn't replace an audition or a class: it complements them.

To sum up

He wants questions about actual situations ("tell me once...") to questions about intentions ("what would you do if...?").
Gather the questions by criterion and do them, in the same order, to all candidates.
Before interviewing, write about what answer would be weak, solid and outstanding at every question.
He hears concrete examples, reflection about his mistakes and his focus on his student, and lacks generic responses or that always blame others.
Don't ask personal questions with no relation to his office as a civil status, plans to have children, religion or political opinions.

How to structure an interview

A structured interview uses the same questions, in the same order and with an earlier defined rating scale. Thus, you can compare candidates with justice and reduce the weight of sympathy or security while talking. For a teacher of music, 45 to 60 minutes usually reach, ideally with two interviewers: someone from the co-ordination and a musician who knows the family of the instrument.

Opening: It presents the institution, office and stage of the process.
Trajectory: That the candidate will have to count, in a few minutes, where he has taught, to whom and in what format.
Questions by criterion: The central block with re-questions.
Questions from the candidate: What she's asking says about her interest and how she understands work.
Closure: next steps and dates.

Reg to get to what's concrete

A good answer has situation, action and result. If the candidate remains as a matter of fact, he asks: "What did you do exactly?," "What happened after?," "What would you do differently today?" The hypothetical questions serve as a person's haven't been with that situation but give them context: age, number of students and format.

Questions about Music Domain and Pedagogics

Music and pedagogy: what to ask and what to listen to
Pregunta	What to look for in the answer	Warning sign
What repertoire do you use with an absolute beginner and why?	Pieces chosen because they solve a technical problem and they motivate a clear progression.	A list of unexplained works for what they serve, or repertoire far above level.
Tell me about a student who did not get a technique or a passage.	Cause diagnosis, strategy change (ear, image, movement, divide problem) and monitoring.	"I told him to practice more" as his only strategy.
How do you plan a period for a student or a group?	Mates by period, sequence, moments of assessment and space to adjust.	"I'll watch every class," with no written goal.
When and how do you introduce musical reading?	A argued and adapted posture to his age and his goal.	Doubts with no nuance, in one sense or another.
What do you do if a student wants to play music that you don't dame?	Opening, using the student's interest as an engine and reasonable limits.	I miss the student's likes.

The level of music itself can be found at the hearing, and not at the interview. Here, you evaluate how his teaching thinks. To see how his practice will be put into practice, use a class with an attrition with a rudder.

Questions about human quality and family relations

Human quality: what to ask and what to listen to
Pregunta	What to look for in the answer	Warning sign
Tell me about a student you had a hard time connecting with. What did you do?	Curiosity about the student, patience and concrete adjustments.	Tags ("was impossible") and no reflection of his own.
How do you tell a family his child doesn't advance as they hoped?	Honesty, concrete examples, a proposal for a plan and a respectful tone.	Evasive, promise that you cannot fulfill or blame the family.
How do you run a student that gets frustrated with ease?	A specific and friendly backstop, one thing at a time, recognition of progress.	Hard or sarcastic correction, or "That's how I learned."
Tell me about a review you received about your teaching.	He accepts her, explain what's changed and what's been learned.	That's bad. That's bad.

Questions about group management (schools and assemblies)

If the office includes groups, this block weighs as much as the pedagogical. For an academy with individual classes, you can reduce it to one or two questions.

"What's the first five minutes of your class with a group of 30?" He looks for a clear entry routine, brief instructions and all busy quickly.
"Tell me about a class where the group got out of your hands. What did you change after?" He looks for an identification of the cause (transitions, instructions, instrument-sharing) and a concrete change.
"How do you distribute and collect tools without losing class?" He looks for thought logistics, roles for students and standards known to them all.
"How do you get the faster and the slower to participate in the same essay?" Search for arrangements by level, different roles or monitors.
"How do you prepare a presentation without just rehearsing his last month?" Search back planning and matching repertoire.

Questions about professionalism and secure environments

Professionalism and secure environments: what to ask and what to listen to
Pregunta	What to look for in the answer	Warning sign
How do you record your student's progress?	A concrete record (notebook, plate, recordings) that you use to plan.	Nothing written about it, "I have it on my head."
What do you do if you get a concert on a class day?	I notify with time, with a proposal to re-propose and respect for the rules of the institution.	Canceling at last minute looks normal.
How do you communicate with out-of-class underage students?	Institutional or family channels included.	Private chats with minors or personal networking contact.
How do you manage a child's posture?	Prioritizes demonstration and if you have to play, explain and ask permission.	He's never thought about it.
What would you do if a student told you something about his safety?	Listen, she doesn't promise to keep a secret and she's following the institutional path.	He'll figure it out his own way or let him through.

These questions do not replace legal checks. Before linking someone who will work with minors, check [what to check before hiring in Colombia]](/blog/verificaciones-antes-de-contratar-profesores-colombia).

How to list the answers and what to do with asking

Suggested scale to select each response
Puntaje	What does that mean?
1	Vaguely or only hypothetical response with no examples.
2	A general example with little reflection or unclear actions.
3	A concrete example with clear actions and a result.
4	A concrete example, with reflection about what was learned and how it was applied later.

Each interviewer qualifies for his or her own and scores textual phrases before commenting with his or her other.
Minimum set: for example, no 1 in secure environments.
Save scores and notes: they serve you to decide and to compare with the audition and sample class.

Questions that you mustn't ask

Civil status, children or plans to have them, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, political opinions or origin: they say nothing about how they teach and they can be discriminatory. If you need to know something useful, ask them directly and for all alike, for example: "Do you have available Saturday morning?"

If your team doesn't have time or musical criterion to interview, A medio tono [Evaluation of candidates]](/academias/evaluacion-de-candidatos) with structured interview, audition and class shows, or complete selectionYour institution decides and contracts directly to whoever you choose. Know [services for academies and schools]](/academias).

Frequently asked questions

How many questions should an interview with a music teacher have?

Between eight and twelve main questions with their re-questions are usually suitable for an interview from 45 to 60 minutes. It's better to get deeper into few well-chosen questions than to go through a long list without coming up with concrete examples.

Is it better to interview in person or by video call?

The interview works well with video call and saves time at first stage. To audition and especially to class show a office with groups, it's best to do so in person.

Do I have to send the questions to the candidate before the interview?

You can share the criteria that you will evaluate, and this makes the process more transparent. The exact questions are best reserved, to listen to genuine and nonprepared answers.

Who's supposed to be at the interview?

Ideally two people: someone from the academic co-ordination, who knows the office and culture of the institution, and a musician who can appreciate the pedagogical criterion of the instrument. Human talent can join to discuss conditions and links.

Interview Questions for Music Teacher: What To Ask and What To Hear