
When you think of some of your favorite musicians, you can rest assure in the knowledge that nearly ALL of them at one time or another took private music lessons.
You can also be sure that many of them taught private music lessons.
Some of these stars also taught full classes of students.
Here are ten who taught:
- Brian May from Queen
The Queen guitarist taught math in Brixton, UK, at Stockwell Manor School.
- Sting
The former frontman of the Police, and occasional lute-player, taught at St. Paul’s School in Cramlington, England.
- Sheryl Crow
The singer behind “If It Makes You Happy” was a music teacher in Fenton, Mississippi, at Kellison Elementary School.
- Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits
The guitarist and songwriter taught English at Loughton College – which is now called the Epping Forest Campus of New City College.
- Bryan Ferry from Roxy Music
The crooner who brought us “More Than This” once instructed students in art and ceramics at the Hammersmith School in London.
- Kris Kristofferson
This former U.S. Army captain and Rhodes scholar taught literature at West Point before becoming a successful country songwriter.
- Roberta Flack
Before the Fugees sang “Killing Me Softly,” it was a hit for Roberta Flack, who taught middle school music in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Howard University on a full academic scholarship.
- Todd Rundgren
Well into his music career, Rundgren took a position as an artist-in-residence at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. And yes, Rundgren did actually teach classes.
- Gene Simmons
The bassist and fire-breather from KISS, Gene Simmons, was once a sixth-grade teacher at P.S. 75 in New York City.
- Art Garfunkel
The sweeter-voiced half of Simon & Garfunkel was at one time a math teacher in Connecticut, at Litchfield Private School.