How the Fretted Instrument Workshop in Amherst, MA Set Me on the Path to Music Education

In 1985, I was given an opportunity that would change the course of my life forever. I was asked to teach mandolin and later fiddle at the Fretted Instrument Workshop, a store on the 2nd floor above Hastings in the center of Amherst, MA that catered to acoustic stringed instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, and fiddle.

At first, I was hesitant. I had never taught music before, and the thought of standing in front of a classroom of students was daunting. But something inside me urged me to take the chance, and I'm so grateful that I did.

Teaching at the Fretted Instrument Workshop was a transformative experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to share my love of music with others and to connect with a community of musicians who shared that passion. I was able to hone my teaching skills, learn new techniques, and develop my own unique style.

The store itself was a wonderful place to teach. It had a warm and inviting atmosphere that made everyone feel welcome. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the students were enthusiastic and eager to learn. It was a supportive environment that gave me the confidence to offer my teaching skills to students in other communities.

The Fretted Instrument Workshop was more than just a store. It was a hub for musicians and music lovers alike. It was a place where people could come together and share their love of music, learn from each other, and grow as musicians.

Looking back, I realize that teaching at the Fretted Instrument Workshop was the starting point for my music education journey. It gave me the skills and confidence to pursue my passion for teaching and to help others discover the joy of music.

Today, as a music educator, I continue to draw on the lessons I learned at the Fretted Instrument Workshop. I strive to create a supportive and encouraging environment for my students, one that fosters creativity and self-expression. I encourage them to take risks, to try new things, and to always believe in themselves.

If you're someone who is passionate about music and interested in teaching, I urge you to take that first step. Find a community of musicians who share your passion, and immerse yourself in that world. You never know where it might lead you.

The Fretted Instrument Workshop in Amherst, MA was my starting point, but there are many other communities and resources out there that can help you on your journey. Don't be afraid to take a chance and see where it takes you.   🎵🎸🎶

Happy New Year!

 This is neither here, nor there, but I have been struggling to find a job.  Literally hundreds of resumes sent out, awesome cover letters written...apparently nobody wants to hire a 59 year old.  I've applied to 15 jobs at UMass Amherst, 7 at Hampshire College, 3 at Mount Holyoke College, as well as a myriad of smattering other jobs at the other colleges and community schools.  Nobody is hiring.  I suspect I knew this would happen in 2009 when our son was born and we decided to split responsibilities...me to stay home and raise him and my partner to get a decent job with health care.  It made sense then because as a musician and music teacher, I could stay home and teach at night.  This was a sort of "between" time, when people my age and up had more cash and were more motivated.  Times have changed.  

You can't blame it all on the pandemic.

There's infinitely more flexibility now due to the fact that most people have access to the internet and can take remote lessons.  The challenge is that the generations (mine and before) that grew up with a healthy appreciation for learning to play a musical instrument are in the same boat as me, meaning, they are not able to hire a private teacher.  Many of them are attempting to go their own way by using YouTube videos and apps.  I don't know how successful that is for them.  I do get a few that cross over from apps once they realize that feedback and motivation are critical aspects of private lessons that they can't get with an app or a video.

I'm lucky I suppose, that I can offer a wide variety of musical instruments, styles, and have experience teaching all age groups.  But finding students is much harder now than it has ever been.

In years past, I found most of my students by word of mouth.  The fact that everybody is either online now, or has hunkered down offline and out of the community (many of my former 70+ students fit this description), renders word of mouth that much more difficult.  Other sources of students such as Craigslist (which has moved to a paid model) are dead-ends now.  Facebook/Social media was a decentralized source of eager students 10 years ago, but that also has changed as more and more people migrate to platforms like TikTok, SnapChat, Telegram, Discord, Pinterest, Instagram and many others, splintering what was a fat pipeline into thousands of tiny pipettes if at all.  

What's a musician to do?  Schools are not hiring.  In fact, my son's school music teacher left in August for whatever reason to find more permanent work in Chicopee where music teachers double as substitute teachers and staff now.  Less music, more PPE.  The Pandemic has rendered live music a dead end as well.  Concerts, gigs and other live music events was once a pure source of eager students.  But the fact that there are few live music events any more, makes this an impossible source.  How do I know this?  One of the most prolific musician/teachers I know recently organized an online "concert" and posted it to his Facebook page.  It was a good event, very positive.  But just how many people watched it?  How many students were motivated by it to sign up for lessons?  I would be surprised if it were more than 1 or 2.

So where does this put the rest of us?  Looking for outside work.  And coming up short.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

 This is neither here, nor there, but I have been struggling to find a job.  Literally hundreds of resumes sent out, awesome cover letters written...apparently nobody wants to hire a 59 year old.  I've applied to 15 jobs at UMass Amherst, 7 at Hampshire College, 3 at Mount Holyoke College, as well as a myriad of smattering other jobs at the other colleges and community schools.  Nobody is hiring.  I suspect I knew this would happen in 2009 when our son was born and we decided to split responsibilities...me to stay home and raise him and my partner to get a decent job with health care.  It made sense then because as a musician and music teacher, I could stay home and teach at night.  This was a sort of "between" time, when people my age and up had more cash and were more motivated.  Times have changed.  

You can't blame it all on the pandemic.

There's infinitely more flexibility now due to the fact that most people have access to the internet and can take remote lessons.  The challenge is that the generations (mine and before) that grew up with a healthy appreciation for learning to play a musical instrument are in the same boat as me, meaning, they are not able to hire a private teacher.  Many of them are attempting to go their own way by using YouTube videos and apps.  I don't know how successful that is for them.  I do get a few that cross over from apps once they realize that feedback and motivation are critical aspects of private lessons that they can't get with an app or a video.

I'm lucky I suppose, that I can offer a wide variety of musical instruments, styles, and have experience teaching all age groups.  But finding students is much harder now than it has ever been.

In years past, I found most of my students by word of mouth.  The fact that everybody is either online now, or has hunkered down offline and out of the community (many of my former 70+ students fit this description), renders word of mouth that much more difficult.  Other sources of students such as Craigslist (which has moved to a paid model) are dead-ends now.  Facebook/Social media was a decentralized source of eager students 10 years ago, but that also has changed as more and more people migrate to platforms like TikTok, SnapChat, Telegram, Discord, Pinterest, Instagram and many others, splintering what was a fat pipeline into thousands of tiny pipettes if at all.  

What's a musician to do?  Schools are not hiring.  In fact, my son's school music teacher left in August for whatever reason to find more permanent work in Chicopee where music teachers double as substitute teachers and staff now.  Less music, more PPE.  The Pandemic has rendered live music a dead end as well.  Concerts, gigs and other live music events was once a pure source of eager students.  But the fact that there are few live music events any more, makes this an impossible source.  How do I know this?  One of the most prolific musician/teachers I know recently organized an online "concert" and posted it to his Facebook page.  It was a good event, very positive.  But just how many people watched it?  How many students were motivated by it to sign up for lessons?  I would be surprised if it were more than 1 or 2.

So where does this put the rest of us?  Looking for outside work.  And coming up short.

Happy New Year!