I've recently applied for a job with a nearby County Music Service, and have got an audition/interview in a couple of weeks time. I'd be interested to hear other people's experience of teaching with a CMS, as I haven't done it before, just taught privately. I'd have to give up a couple of days a week of my 'proper job' to do this, and would have a cut in my salary, so it'd be quite a big step if I took it (if I'm offered it!!)

Also any hints on the audition would be welcomed - it sounds like they want me to teach someone in front of the panel, which sounds quite odd! Any do's/don'ts?

It depends what the terms are for the post. The casual rate I was taken on with was much less than I charge privately... something around £22 / hour...but I had to teach six pupils in that hour to get that rate...otherwise it was proportional. It didn't work for me...I am a singing teacher and until last September CMS couldn't offer singing teaching during the school day. However if you are on a set salary it might be worth doing.
As far as the interview/audition... just teach a shortened version of your usual lessons...don't know what you teach...but make sure it has a clear structure...I covered breathing and warming up ....and taught them a song/round. It was fine.... and just play what you enjoy...I was ready with a few things and asked which they would like...and sang two different pieces.
Good luck...and I hope it works for you...let us know what happens

I've taught for our CMS for 6 years now. If you get a salaried position it is worthwhile financially, but if you are hourly paid then it is a poor deal financially - no travelling time paid etc. So some days I can be out of the house from 8.15 to 4.00 and actually only do about 4 hours paid work. This means that my annual pay is not much more than half of what a salaried teacher doing the same work would get. Obviously this is an advantage to the CMS as they don't have to spend so much on staff!

My audition was just that - I had to play 2 pieces and then discuss my teaching and playing experience with a panel of 3 people.

Good luck if you decide to go for it - It's a great job and you get to meet lots of nice kids.

I'm just resurrecting this thread because I am extremely cross at the way this CMS has now treated me! I had the interview for this job, and they offered it to me, either full-time or part-time, 'as much as I liked' was the impression I got. I said I'd have to go and think about it, so did so, and went back saying I could only manage 1 day per week right now, but could possibly increase that in the autumn. Well, obviously when they said 'as much as I liked', they obviously *meant* 'as long as it's a minimum of 0.5' or something, because they turned round and said 'ooh, that might be a bit of a problem to organise, we'll have to think about it and get back to you'.

That was four weeks ago, and despite me chasing them, they are now completely ignoring me!! If they've decided to give the job to someone else who can do it full-time, then that's fine - but they should have the courteousy to tell me that. I find their behaviour INCREDIBLY RUDE. I would officially complain to the boss, were it not for the fact that I might want/need more work from them in the future.

Everyone elses experiences of CMS are pretty much the same as mine. They interview you and then stick you on a list until they see fit to stoop low enough to offer some work. Quite frankly, for what they pay and the distances they expect you to travel, it's not really worth doing - I think it works out somewhere around the minimum wage by the time you've driven there and sat in traffic jams.

Then there's the risk you will be allocated pupils from someone else, who may have dubious or devil-may-care teaching methods.

CMS = bashing ones head on the wall.

Interestingly, KMS (I won't use the full name, but just look up music services around south west London area), didn't like my teaching style on the grounds that I touched a pupils finger (in the demo lesson). Never mind, they must have some great teachers working there anyway, so much so, that five of their eight Grade 1 violin students failed this term....

Wow, that's really clever - objecting to a violin teacher touching a pupil's finger.

The sooner all this ridiculous, risible paranoia about teachers touching children comes to an end the better in my view. It's virtually impossible to teach violin effectively without touching pupils; I've explained this to the Head of Music in one of the schools I teach in (not through the Music Service I'm pleased to add), and she agrees with me that it's fine as long as I just quickly ask them first. Actually the asking them first bit came from me, not the Head of Music - she just nodded in agreement but didn't even think that was essential.

At the Royal Academy of Dancing, all pupils (or parents/gaurdians for those under 18) have to sign a disclaimer stating they accept the fact that dancing is a physical subject and by nature will require occasional physical contact with the pupil by the teacher, to correct posture or limb position.

If this sort of disclaimer was introduced into CMS and even private schools instrumental teaching, it would make life so much easier for the tutors and also take away this dreadful taboo of 'absolutely no touching'.

I actually told KMS that if there was a perfect verbal explanation available to teach the violin, and one that every pupil would understand - bearing in mind not everyone learns in the same way - then we might as well produce a DVD and make music teaching services redundant altogether.

I spoke too soon (?? after 4 weeks!) anyway - they FINALLY got back to me yesterday and admitted that they'd actually messed up slightly anyway. It turns out the person who was leaving taught mostly general woodwind, so they needed someone to teach flute/clarinet/sax/oboe, not an oboe specialist. Why didn't they know this before?!?! I did find it surprising that they seemed to have so much call for oboe teachers in this fairly small geographical area. I could teach more general woodwind at a push but I don't really want to at the moment.

Agree with you completely about the physical contact - I would find it impossible to teach the oboe if I couldn't poke people's diaphragms occasionally to see if they're using it right. (Of course with asking first!) Maybe teachers should give a letter to the kid in their first week to their parents, and get the parents to sign that they agree?

My children's dance teacher sent a letter around saying 'It is sometimes necessary to touch a pupil in the course of a lesson due to the nature of dancing. If you object, please let me know'. That seems fair enough!

In our CMS we have always been told never to touch a pupil, if you need to adjust a finger or something then touch it with a pencil! (assault with a weapon now...)

When I started doing whole class teaching alongside the class teachers and TA's, I was amazed by how much contact they had with their pupils - holding hands while leading them in to the classroom, taking them by the shoulders to position them in a circle, patting them on the back if they did well, even sitting with upset children on their lap or leaning against them. This is no more or less than I would do with my own children, or would I be upset if my children came home and said that a teacher had done this to them. Obviously there is an age-related issue here - boys or girls of 15 may be more diffident about being touched than those of 8 - but with these young children who have a limited understanding of translating a verbal instruction into a physical action, surely it is so much easier and less frustrating for everyone just to say "I'll put your finger in the right place, is that OK" than faff about trying to explain how to do it.

One of my pupils came out of her very first exam, saw me waiting for her, and ran across to me with a big grin on her face and her arms open wide - what was I supposed to do? ignore her obvious need to share her joy and relief in a hug?

YOU touched a CHILD'S finger?

You should be shot!
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I bet thats what they were thinking.
In which case, they are idiots

(to Claire [i think])
That seems to be a lame excuse from the CMS, why not have a master of oboe playing, as opposed to people who won't be anywhere near as good as a specialist to do the job.
Of course! More money!

And