Ask Althea: Private music teaching advice column (no.1)

Greetings – and a warm welcome to this new column for private music teachers! My name is Althea Talbot-Howard, and I am a London-based professional musician. My principal role is now that of a composer; but for over 25 years I worked as a solo oboist, orchestral guest principal, and teacher.

I started composing in 2014, writing pedagogical music for my pupils to perform at the Southend Musical Festival each November. By 2017 I felt that I knew enough to start composing adult recital music too, and in July 2021, ABRSM published nine of my pedagogical compositions and arrangements as part of the new Woodwind syllabus. You are welcome to refer to my website www.althea-composer.com, my YouTube channel or ABRSM's YouTube channel, for further information. The arrangements are of music by the historical Black composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, which I know will be of interest to many people.

In these columns I plan to cover issues relating both to teaching as an art and as a business; and to cater for teachers both young and more mature. How to make the transition from music college to financial independence as a performing and teaching professional is up for discussion: but so are issues and problems that beset older, independent teachers, such as how best to handle parents who stubbornly refuse to respect one's Terms & Conditions. Believe me, that is one of the earliest topics on my list!

I have taught for 30 years now, in a variety of different contexts, but always with a primary focus on one-to-one teaching. My very first pupil was a not-too-bad recorder player – the daughter of my landlady in north London. I taught her in exchange for part of my rent – and I also remember someone else coming along for some oboe lessons during that year (1992). In 1993, I worked for a very old family friend, conducting choirs and taking recorder groups ranging from child beginners to competent adult amateurs. During this time, I was in a holding pattern, coping with scarcity of work (owing to the early ‘90s recession) while waiting for the start of my recital career on the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme. Concerts were booked for 1994 onwards.

Nineteen-ninety-four was also the year that I was invited to teach at a respected private music school in Hertfordshire. I started off with Mondays after school but was soon given a second day. The calibre of the pupils was generally very good. I worked for this family enterprise for over 10 years, gaining valuable experience in a range of different areas that equipped me eventually to run my own practice, virtually full-time.

Thinking back to the early days has made me realise how important word-of-mouth was in getting me started. I taught my landlady's daughter. I worked for an old family friend whose choir I had sung in as a child. A colleague who had been at Cambridge with me recommended me for the Hertfordshire position. It's astonishing how much work came through the connections I did have, even though I never felt I had very many.

Therefore, one of my first columns will focus on generating word-of-mouth recommendations. Word-of-mouth can feel quite mysterious: a gift that one either has or doesn't have, not something one can control. But actually, we can control it; and I look forward to sharing my experience in opening up new networks with all of you, because networks are vital to success in the music business.

Establishing one's expertise will be the topic of my next column, however. This is important for teachers at all stages – be they young beginners, who need to impress high-achieving parents; or older teachers struggling to be respected by parents who don't understand how highly-qualified their child's teacher is and are taking the teacher for granted.

So, there is much to discuss!

I'd just like to say how grateful I am to the editor of Music Teacher for her invitation to contribute to this magazine. She and I hope that you will tell friends and colleagues about this new venture, and that you will also treat it as an ‘agony’ column, when required! If you have an intractable or recurring problem, ask Althea, and I will do my very best to give you helpful advice.

I am looking forward to connecting again next time, and if you have any questions – or even the first agony problem – please get in touch with me.

Goodbye for now!

Althea