Do you have to go to college to be a piano teacher?

Question

Im only 13 years old and im learning how to play piano and by the time i move out and start a life as an adult, i'll be advanced in the piano. i really dont want to go to college and i know that piano teachers make quite a bit of money. Please explain why/why not i would have to go to college to be a piano teacher.

Answer 1

You don't have to have a college degree to be a piano teacher, but it'll help.  People who want to take music lessons are going to ask you about your qualifications.  Some people will be fine if you say you have many years of experience, but some people won't want to take lessons from you unless you have a college degree or some other type of formal training, like attending an academy for the arts like Juilliard.

P.S.:  Not all piano teachers make good money.  It depends on how much competition you have, how much you charge, and how many students you have.  I don't know many piano teachers that can make a living teaching piano -- most of them either teach part-time or their spouses work full-time.  Don't write off college yet -- college doesn't guarantee you a good job, but it opens doors that would otherwise be closed to you.  The good news is you still have time.  You may change your mind about college, then again you may not.  Just bear in mind you have to make enough to make a living, and the more you make the more comfortable your life will be, so do the research and figure out if being a piano teacher will bring in enough money for you.  If not, consider going to college.