Henry Fagg, Director of The Tutor Pages, gives advice to Music Teachers on music organisations who can help.
As a music teacher in the UK, there are a number of organisations you can join to help you in your chosen career. There are numerous specialist organisations (such as the Association of Teachers of Singing, the Dalcroze Society, EPTA and ESTA), but this article looks at UK organisations with a more general appeal.
Music Mark
Music Mark describes itself as ‘the UK Association for Music Education’, and their individual membership package includes access to training, conferences and CPD activities, as well as a termly magazine and a monthly e-newsletter.
MMA
The MMA is billed as the national association for Music Teaching Professionals. As well as its annual conference, termly magazine and Yearbook, it produces the only comprehensive Guide to UK music scholarships and music departments.
Musicians’ Union
The Musicians’ Union has over 30,000 members in all sectors of the music business. It has a wide range of benefits, including free legal assistance, exclusive insurance schemes, seminars, workshops and help with DBS certificates (which self-employed teachers often struggle to obtain on their own).
ISM
The ISM is the Incorporated Society of Musicians and is ‘the UK’s professional body for musicians’. It offers many benefits including a 24-hour legal helpline, standard contracts, free public liability insurance and professional development programmes. The ISM also helps with obtaining DBS certificates, and gives musicians an online profile to help with promotion.
The Tutor Pages
The Tutor Pages is an online hub for the UK’s private tuition industry with thousands of articles on academic, music and language topics. The website is particularly popular with music teachers who can advertise their services. Membership benefits include a Guide to becoming a private tutor in the UK, a teaching profile well-optimized for search engines, and the ability to upload testimonials, include a personal website and Youtube videos.
Music Teacher Magazine
Music Teacher Magazine is described as ‘the essential meeting point and resource for music education practitioners’. Suitable for classroom music teachers as well as private and peripatetic music teachers, each issue contains practical teaching ideas, reviews, news, comment and debate as well as jobs and professional development opportunities.
Henry has long been a fan of Musicroom.com and we are pleased to be associated with him and the Tutor Pages.Â