“Which Certification Is Right for Me?”: Weighing in on 4 Key Me…

Serious about growing your music studio?

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You’re probably hoping to boost your credentials with an official education certificate.

You know: Something more than just a piece of paper that reads, “I’m really good at teaching, I swear.”

Good call. We’ve taken a deep dive on four of North America’s best-known music educator certifications to help you narrow down your choice(s), complete with a primer list of pros and cons to help you weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of each.

A quick note: As you read, remember to think about how you want your studio to look and feel––and what you want your students to take away from each lesson. Keep in mind the certificate that’s right for you will be the one that best aligns with your teaching style and objectives. (And no one else’s.)

Bows and batons at the ready? Here goes:

We’ll start with a name you probably already know well…

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While many non-musicians associate the Suzuki Method with mind-bending repetition (as in: “Did you do your scales today?”), a more appropriate term for this technique might be “intensive immersion.” Developed in the mid 1930s by Japanese violinist, conductor, and Teikoku Music School president, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998), the basic principle of the Suzuki Method is that music, like language, can be learned through a positive, hands-on approach, combining conventional lessons, regular practice, and recreational enjoyment––all in an everyday setting. Suzuki students are encouraged to enroll in a weekly schedule of both group and individual classes, and Suzuki parents are expected to serve as “active participants” in their children’s music education by accompanying kids to lessons, overseeing practice, and playing music around the house for fun.

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•Highly respected reputation. The Suzuki name carries international prestige. No one will question your commitment to your craft once you flash your Suzuki certification.

•Structured curricula. No lesson plans? No problem. Suzuki famously has a wealth of companion resources at its disposal (many available in digital format!).

•You won’t go it alone. Parental involvement and group lessons are built into the Suzuki curriculum. If you’re a fan of community and collaborative education, this method will inspire plenty of teambuilding (as opposed to relying solely on one-on-one instruction).

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•Audition required. Audition-phobes: You’ve been warned. If auditioning isn’t your strong suit and/or you’re looking to keep your music teaching career low key, this certification might not be your best bet. Audition requirements for Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) course enrollment can be comprehensive and stringent!

•Extensive courses. Full-on Suzuki certification can take many forms: from summer intensives to undergrad/graduate classes or online webinars. There’s no real one-and-done source for Suzuki training (which, according to SAA, can include up to 10 units), so fees will differ depending on where you live, the time of year, your instrumental focus, etc.

•Limited repertoire. Suzuki emphasizes classical standards and traditional folk songs, so if your bread and butter is usually more Beatles than Brahms, this method might not be your official go-to.

Founded in California in 1974, the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) is constructed around the writings, compositions, and philosophies of Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967), a Hungarian composer who specialized in ethnomusicology, linguistics, and music education (among other disciplines!). Unsurprisingly given Kodály’s fascination with the folk music of his homeland, the Kodály “Concept” champions the use of local, tribal, and/or nationalistic traditions in modern musical education systems. The overarching theory? “Music is for everyone,” and the journey to conventional Western musicianship can come in many different shapes and sizes.

The Kodály Concept covers five essential fields of study:

•basic musicianship

•music literacy (the idea that music is an ever-expanding “body of literature” that can be probed and researched, as well as generally appreciated)

•conducting

•choral ensemble skills

•pedagogy

•All-inclusive. We must admit, we’re loving that Kodály incorporates “alternate” forms of music outside the Western canon. This inclusive attitude might make the Kodály pedagogy more inviting to students who feel they don’t fit the traditional Western musicianship mold.

•Ongoing. Once certified, you’ll be eligible for further courses and can attend regular conferences and workshops designed to help “refresh,” hone, and perfect your skills.

•Available across the US. Several institutions throughout the country offer Kodály courses and/or credits. Sound too good to be true? Check out this exhaustive list of programs from the OAKE official website.

•You might need a bachelor’s degree. Certain Kodály certification programs (many of which occur over the summer) are offered as part of a post-graduate track or master’s degree. If you haven’t gotten a B.A. in music (which is totally okay, by the way! “Music is for everyone” after all!), it might make a Kodály certificate a little harder to come by.

•Extended commitment. You’ll need at least 225 hours of classes if you want to get OAKE/Kodály certified. (For added perspective: That’s four hours a day for 56 days straight).

•Fees vary. As with Suzuki, where you go for your Kodály bona fides will dictate how much you’ll have to pay.

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With roots in Canada and a literal royal patronage to its name, The Royal Conservatory and RCM development program represent a premiere musical adjudication practice throughout North America and beyond. RCM’s “rigorous, internationally renowned” standards focus on fields such as theory, rep, music history, ear-training, and sight-reading, and the organization hosts exams and awards across a wide spectrum of instruments––including voice. Behind the RCM’s mission is an ironclad commitment to inspiring personal and social growth through the power of music and the arts, and the conservatory’s website boasts its student and teacher alumni can expect to uncover lifelong skills, as well as a lasting love of music overall.

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•Standardized accreditation. It never hurts to have a recognized international standard you can point to as part of your teaching style. RCM guidelines can also help take the guesswork out of lesson prep and recommend concrete goals (such as RCM-led competitions and exams) that you and your students can strive toward.

•Additional resources. Certified RCM teachers enjoy subscriptions to a library of syllabi, lesson plans, and informative webinars. Plus, RCM educators are automatically enrolled in a built-in network of 30,000+ fellow teachers whose brains can be thoroughly picked at RCM-approved courses and workshops.

•Membership affordability. Your path to RCM teacher certification can vary depending on your chosen field, but once you’re certified, a flat $249 will cover two years’ worth of membership dues, plus access to countless online resources like Medici.TV, the Berlin Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall platform, RCM-sponsored music history and ear-training courses, and more.

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•Complicated prerequisites. If you can follow RCM’s rubrics for teacher accreditation, please accept our congrats. A quick glance at this chart of RCM requirements for teacher certification in music theory, for example, reveals a labyrinth of professional hurdles you’ll have to clear, including a university degree (or its respective RCM equivalent). Certification also demands you have active students capable of passing RCM exams, so if you’re just starting out, RCM probably isn’t for you.

•Piano is a huge plus. Keyboard skills a little lackluster? (Aren’t everyone’s?) Too bad: Piano playing provides a handy shortcut to RCM certification. If you’ve had the prerequisite training, are able to pass the RCM Online Piano Teacher Course, and can submit two students for piano examination, you can nab your own certificate with seemingly less hassle. (Shout out to all you Zoom piano lesson people, by the way. We don’t know how you do it.)

•Potential “teach to the test” syndrome. While RCM remains committed to “adaptable” learning and doesn’t endorse a specific pedagogy, its system of examinations might force a “teach to the test” problem in which lessons become more about end results than about genuine learning. (By no means are we saying you’re 100% doomed to face this challenge if you become an RCM teacher; we just wanted you to be aware. Tests and competitions can be startingly effective tools, but they may not always be the tools you or your students need.)

Core concepts

The brainchild of Carl “Carmina Burana” Orff (1895-1982) and composer, writer, and educator Gunild Keetman (1904-1990), the Orff Schulwerk (German for “schoolwork”) pedagogy integrates play, movement, instruments, drama, voice, and speech as a means of stimulating child development. If “immersion” is the watchword for the Suzuki Method, the key term here is “activation.” Orff Schulwerk teachers typically encourage youngsters to actively explore their way toward the fundamentals of music as part of a broader path to personal, emotional, social, and creative growth. As such, its aim is not to churn out an army of “highly accomplished performers,” but more to kick off a love affair with learning.

•Quick(ish) turnaround time. An American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) certification requires just three course levels that clock in at around 60 hours each (well under the Kodály minimum of 225 hours total).

•Flexibility. Because Orff Schulwerk is less about performance than it is about process, you’ll never feel tied down to a definitive technique. In fact, Orff Schulwerk doesn’t even have a recommended method for learning to read musical notation. Got a strong opinion on fixed vs. moveable do? Do your own thing. Orff Schulwerk won’t judge.

•Interdisciplinary style. Orff Schulwerk gives teachers the freedom to experiment with a kaleidoscope of artforms while using music as a metaphoric home base. If drawing from other disciplines has always been your proverbial jam (or you’re a musical theatre geek, say, and you like mixing music and drama), Orff Schulwerk has you covered.

•Geared mostly toward early development. Though AOSA suggests the Orff Schulwerk system can be leveraged for students of all ages, its principles appear largely applicable to younger learners in group environments. If your student roster is mostly adults, an Orff Schulwerk certification might not be a number one priority.

•Not performance oriented. Some students are simply addicted to the spotlight. If your clientele places a premium on performance prep, Orff Schulwerk may not offer the kind of structured discipline or rigid system of practice that tends to appeal.

•Not just about music ed. Make no mistake: We think the interdisciplinary vibe is great. But if you eat, sleep, and breathe music, you might discover Orff Schulwerk is a little too un-musical for your taste.

We sincerely hope the above gives you some insight into the advantages (and possible disadvantages) these celebrated certifications can provide.

Some parting thoughts to consider:

· Time. How many hours can you commit to your certification? And will the certificate be worth the effort… and the wait?

· Budget. Education is never a waste, but it’s always a good idea to think about top-to-bottom costs (tuition fees, membership dues, one-off course prices, etc.) before you get going on an application.

· Style. We said it before, but it bears repeating: Try to find the certificate that meets your individual teaching needs best.

· Analog vs. Digital. Some methods might be more conducive to onsite lessons. So, if you’re hoping to teach piano, guitar, violin or any other instrument online, make sure your chosen pedagogy doesn’t require you always be in same room as your students.

That’s all from us for now! Best of luck in your search.

(Bows and batons down.)

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