General Music Teacher

A general music teacher is a professional who teaches music skills, often within an elementary or middle school. This may include building rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and reading skills. Some teachers choose to have the students work in choir settings or with instruments such as recorder, ukulele, or piano.

A general music teacher may have less performance requirements than a band, orchestra, or choir director making their program more flexible. Some districts require that their teachers follow a specific music teaching method such as Kodaly, Orff, or Music Learning Theory and many teachers will get some level of training in one or more of these methods whether or not it is required by the district.

All teachers working at a public school are required to have a teaching license for their particular state and a minimum of a Bachelor's. Some may also be encouraged to have a Master’s. Depending on the district, the music teacher may also need additional experience or a certificate in a specific teaching method such as Kodaly, Orff, Suzuki, or Music Learning Theory. Private schools do not always have these requirements.