Here are some questions, in no particular order, that you may want to ask of a prospective piano teacher in an interview. This list isn't intended to be inclusive, but it should give you a very good starting point and help reduce misunderstanding later. A "negative" answer to one or two questions should not disqualify any teacher; if you start to get a number of such answers, it is probably time to ask yourself if this teacher is really right for your child.

What are the teacher's expectations of the child's commitment to learning piano in terms of practice times, competitions and recital participation, and time spent in lessons? One example of potential source of friction is the teacher expects all students to participate in competitions whereas your goal is simple to provide some cultural enrichment for your child or yourself.

What are the teacher's degrees and experience in piano teaching? Degrees don't guarantee a good piano teacher, but they do suggest an experienced teacher who has been exposed to a wide range of musical knowledge and teaching methods.

What professional organizations does the teacher belong to and to what extent does the teacher participate in their activities? Participation in musical or teaching organizations is suggestive of the level of commitment of the teacher.

Does the teacher ever perform on the piano? This is another indicator of commitment, as well as a suggestion of the teacher's own skills as a pianist. Poor pianists generally don't perform themselves.

Does the teacher require the student or parents to buy all their own music? This is important because music purchase can amount to a significant amount of money if the child is not committed to their lessons. Some teachers will loan at least some of the initial training books and music, saving you a lot of money.

What kinds of music does the teacher give instruction upon? If all you want your child to do is plunk out a few tunes, you probably don't want to have a teacher who emphasizes classical training, even though the classics are still probably the best vehicle for really learning piano.

Does the teacher teach theory and technique or do they simply teach the playing of individual pieces in the absence of a musical framework? Teaching individual pieces may get quicker initial results, but there is them little or no learning to carry on to the next piece. In the moderately long run, a teacher who emphasizes fundamentals will give a better result.

How many students does the teacher have and do they teach all the lessons personally? Some teachers teach upwards of 100 students privately. With this many students, it's difficult to give much individual attention to any one student. There is not set number of students to watch out for because individual teaching styles vary and some teachers only teach part-time, but you should investigate more carefully if a full-time teacher says he or she teaches more than perhaps 60 - 70 students.

Is teaching piano a primary or secondary activity for the teacher? You'll generally get a greater level of involvement from a teacher who teaches as their sole or primary source of income.

What are all the fee requirements necessary to start a student with the teacher? You may be surprised with a number of "activity fees." Deposits, contest fees, costs for a metronome, etc. All of these fees may be well-justified and many may be one-time-only fees, but you'll want to know about them in advance. If the teacher uses computer teaching tools or provides other teaching materials for the student to take home to supplement the private lesson, you'll want to know if there is an extra charge for these.

Does the teacher have a written studio brochure and studio policy that you can take home and read? These documents are probably the best sources of information about how the teacher sees his or her teaching and how he or she conducts the "mechanics" of running the studio. Be cautious if the teacher can't show you these. Lack of such documents doesn't imply dishonesty, but does create the possibility for misunderstanding down the road.

Does the teacher use any computer-aided instructional tools and, if so, do they charge extra for access to them? Computer tools can be very valuable in "leveraging" the private lesson and giving extra practice. Some teachers include these as a part of the service and some charge extra for it.

What "method" does the teacher use, if any? There are many good teaching methods, but none of them is right all the time for every student. A good teacher may well use the bet parts of several methods and the best teachers will individually tailor their teaching to you or your child. Be cautious about any teacher who seems to "proselytize" about any established or, worse yet, new "method".

Does the teacher require the student to have a keyboard or acoustic piano in the home to practice upon? Some teachers require an acoustic piano up front or a digital keyboard with the feel of an acoustic piano action.

Is the parent allowed or encouraged to attend lessons? While it's not something we would recommend, some teachers forbid parents from being present at lessons. Other teachers encourage it. In any event, you'll want to know in advance.

Is there an opportunity for you to observe, at no obligation, the interaction between the prospective student and the teacher? Effective teaching is such a personal thing that you'll want to know from the start if you or your child will "get along" with the personality and idiosyncrasies of the teacher. The converse is equally true.

Does the teacher just teach the lessons or are they committed to helping their students acquire an overall appreciation for music and the arts generally? Most of us will never become professional musicians, so it's important that the teacher be able to provide the keys to cultural enrichment as well as lessons. This can take the form of going to concerts, a computer teaching lab with music appreciation software, a library of books and recordings available to the student, and so forth.