Instructor with no degree

Little Big Man · #1 07-31-2010, 10:30 PM

Would you take lessons from an instructor with no degree in music? An instructor I am looking at has played forever and a day, and communicates well, but has no formal training. I am so new to music, don't know if this is common?

bassmasta94 · #2 07-31-2010, 10:33 PM

I take lessons from a teacher who is a little over 60 and has been playing all his life. He has 4 albums of his own out. Two including my father on drums. The band is called Bop Tweed. He is a great teacher and I have learned so much from him.

**jmattbassplaya** · #3 07-31-2010, 10:38 PM

The thing about teaching is this, someone can have a degree and know everything there is to know about a subject and still be a horrible teacher. You can also have someone with no degree, but just a lot of personal experience, and have them be a phenomenal teacher. The best way to find out is just take a lesson or two from a guy you're interested in and see if you connect and if he teaches in a way you can easily follow. Whether or not he has a degree should be secondary, IMHO.

aaaa_ · #4 07-31-2010, 10:43 PM

You definitely can't judge a teacher based on whether or not they have a degree. I'm currently taking lessons from a 2nd-year college student (no degrees or anything) and he is fantastic. I've learned way more from him than I ever did from my violin teacher, who's had a doctorate degree in music for God knows how long. Best to just take lessons from the dude and see for yourself if he's good or not, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Billnc · #5 07-31-2010, 11:21 PM

I have studied under students of Dennis Sandole, and Charlie Banocos,that did not have a degree, Pat Martino, who did not have a degree, and jokingly told me he taught in conservatories via the backdoor. I have studied privately under college professors and had a few lessons under degreed teachers who were horrible, I've also maintained students who have a Masters degrees in music where I have no degree. Buyer beware. But if someone has a good reputation in the music community it may well be deserved.

MalcolmAmos · #6 08-01-2010, 05:54 AM

An instructor with a music degree and teaching certificate or a good ole boy that plays a mean bass -- in both cases I'd want to talk to some of their students.

Remember all the public school teachers you've had? Every one of them had a degree in the field they teach then on top of that had a teaching certificate. That should mean they know how to teach. I bet some were great teachers and others were not. Some just did not like kids, some were burned out and some were a pure joy to be around.

Talk to their students.

pedroims · #7 08-01-2010, 06:22 AM

try it, just be sure that he knows how to play bass and what the bass' role is, nothing worse than take lessons from somebody that has a degree and guizillions diplomas in music but actually have never had have a bass in his hands.

fullrangebass · #8 08-01-2010, 06:36 AM

I am involved into teaching as part of my qualifications, training and expertize in the field of my science (not in the music field though).

IME and IMHO (I am strictly talking about my own field of expertize), I have been taught many great things, as a student, by some people who had no specialization (but they had the basic degree in the field), and others who had a zillion diplomas offered me nothing. Looking back, teachers should offer direction, inspiration and assistance to their students, to allow them to become the best the students can become (that means even better than their teachers, if their potential allows them so). And holding some formal training diploma does not mean that one can efficiently transfer that knowledge. Data are different than information, which is different than knowledge which is vastly different to understanding and maturity (the ultimate target)

If your instructor does it for you, go ahead by all means. In the long run you can always change him

My .02

JimmyM · #9 08-01-2010, 09:27 AM

as long as they can teach you stuff like reading and jazz concepts, it doesn't matter.

bassandbeyond · #10 08-01-2010, 10:54 AM

+1 to all the above comments. Some of my best teachers (and some of the most accomplished players) didn't have degrees. But of course, don't hold it against anybody if they DO have an advanced degree.

It might depend somewhat on what specifically you want to study. For example, if you want to get deep into music theory, a formally trained teacher might in some cases be able to offer you a more systematic method of instruction, precise terminology, etc.

longfinger · #11 08-01-2010, 02:58 PM

University Degrees in Jazz Music is a young person thing. It's very common for people 45 and younger, but quite rare in people 60 and over. Jazz was not taught in Universities back then. A lot of old timers like that have been teaching at Universities for decades. Their old students can be profs.

So in in short, yes.

However, don't think that all old timers like that have no 'formal training'. Many do, from the band stand and from private lessons, they just don't have an accredited paper trail.

mulchor · #12 08-01-2010, 05:12 PM

Knowing how to play and knowing how to teach are very different things.

You can buy a degree from a lot of schools without even demonstrating you can read. Just need a FAFSA. So I wouldn't put too much stock into a degree.

On the other hand, you gotta ask if someone fancies himself an educator, why's he no demonstrated achievement in education? Everything else aside, that IS a sign of a faker (see the thread about F.U. for student complaints after suffering lessons from fake professors).

In any case, private music lessons are really cheap. Take for a month. If you haven't learned oodles, if there's not a clear course for your progression, stop and try somethin else.

OmnitzGarima · #13 08-01-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Big Man

Would you take lessons from an instructor with no degree in music? An instructor I am looking at has played forever and a day, and communicates well, but has no formal training. I am so new to music, don't know if this is common?

I would not base my decision on whether or not the person had a degree.