From leisure to work: amateur musicians taking up instrumental or vocal teaching as a second career

This article aims to increase our understanding of how amateur musicians become teachers as a change of career, how they use their musical and life skills in their teaching, and how their teaching impacts on their musical identity. The questionnaire responses of 67 career-change instrumental and vocal teachers showed evidence of their strong identification with music teaching which was reinforced by positive past and current musical experiences. It was expressed in terms of personal and professional growth and fulfilment with concomitant increased self-confidence, self-esteem, happiness, pleasure and emotional support. The findings suggest that career-change instrumental and vocal teachers performing music as amateurs can make a strong contribution to the music teaching profession.