We turn far more people down and turn more people away than we ever invite to be a part of the TIA team of faculty. In fact, I get resumes all the time, most of which are unfortunately from people just not even remotely fit for TIA. Why am I writing about this? Because our values and mission are not just something we say or something we claim to be about—they are essential to who we are and what we do, thy are the why behind TIA and they shape everything we do. Every lesson, every class, every email, every text, every phone call, and every conversation.
One of the reasons I believe that TIA continues to grow and flourish is because we have been respectful and committed to our mission and values, and we will not stray from them. That is something you, the community, can count on. There are many great musicians that can play beautifully, technically well, and we love them and are appreciate of their discipline and commitment to the craft! But being an excellent musician does not make someone also an excellent teacher.
Just as music is an art and a discipline, so is teaching. At TIA, all our faculty are committed to teaching as an art, teaching in a personally communicative and effective way, teaching in a way that engages, is fun, and an experience that our students appreciate, enjoy, and look forward to each week!
But our faculty are also serious, committed, and highly capable musicians that know and are proficient in the fundamentals (all their scales, chords, rudiments, and technical skills on their instruments), and, they can read music—this means not just lead sheets or chords, but they can read melodic notation, chords, they can interpret rhythms, they can do it well—and they can teach it!
I realize this is a tall order, finding people with all of three of these. But that is who we are, and it is what you and your children deserve—the TIA experience. In the last two weeks I have had to turn down more than a few candidates, which is upsetting, but we’ve got to keep sight of the mission. What good is building if you are building the wrong thing?
Our mission is to train students of all ages to create music with excellence and to see its greatest value not in the music itself, but in how it can serve others. As a non-profit, we also exist to provide music education to everyone, and strive to make it accessible to those most in need of community, hope, and freedom from poverty, addictions, and pain.
By the way, all TIA faculty (including student and associate faculty) go through a lengthy process involving a multiple stage interview process that usually takes place over a few weeks, including a team interview with multiple TIA team members, an audition, and careful reference checks and discussions. You are worth it.