The business of running a guitar school has weirdly fascinated me for many years. Truly, how successful I’ve been I owe to the idea that teaching guitar has to be ego-less. In other words, just because I’m the authority in the situation (the teacher) doesn’t negate from the fact that the person I’m working with (the student) is the most important person in the room.
I’ve been surprised when I’ve heard other guitar teachers talk about their students, their income from teaching, their livelihood. This type of thinking is indicative of a teacher who hasn’t really given up the dream of being a rock and roll star, and is teaching to make a little money on the side. This type of thinking also makes it seem like this teacher doesn’t care about the students in the first place!
The most surprising thing that I noticed when I began teaching was how invested I got in practically everyone’s progress. I found a large income when I focused on providing the students an excellent story, one where they transformed themselves and became the guitarist they always knew they were. Not only was it profitable, but it was incredibly satisfying.
I teach less now than I did two or three years ago because I began to limit how many people I was working with in the first place. Good people are out there and finding them is important. With good people in my life, it’s easier to live and breathe. It’s easier to go about my life and create the life I want to live. Moreover, I found out that working with and reaching out to great people for lessons is far more satisfying anyways than just simply working with anyone, no matter what.
I’m reminded of that thought today as I’m working on parts of my life that I’d like to take to the next level: Good people first. This would be my recommendation to all new guitar teachers: Find the good people and serve them well.
May I have the opportunity to serve and guide all the good people of the world who want to learn guitar.
