Learning to play an instrument from scratch is a fascinating and potentially very rewarding undertaking. In my 12 years as a cello teacher, I have been in awe of the determination and dedication shown by some of my adult beginner students, some of whom had never touched a musical instrument until that point - well into their 40s and 50s. Seeing the progress they made and the joy they derived from being able to make music on their ideal instrument made me decide from early on in my career that I would always make time in my teaching schedule for adult learners.

I also learnt within a few years of establishing myself as a private teacher that my least reliable students - the ones who are most likely to miss lessons, arrive late, not find time to practice and give up fairly soon after starting - were none other than my adult beginners. There are many obvious reasons for this. The main factors tend to be a time and energy-intensive career and a demanding family life. Both are top priorities and can make it very difficult to commit to a regular time slot and consistent practice. Eager to accommodate my students' aspirations to learn and progress, I tried offering "ad hoc" lessons to my busiest students, being flexible with lesson times and working around their schedule instead of the other way round. To be blunt, it never worked. One of the keys to successful learning in music is consistency. I soon found that two or three weeks would pass when they would not be able to organise a lesson, which obviously meant they weren't finding time to practice either. In addition to this, it played havoc with my own schedule and I had to get firm: either they needed to make time for lessons and practice or accept that they had bitten off more than they could chew and call it a day.

I still have a number of adult beginners amongst my students and based on my earlier experience, I have a better success rate with them now. Just as any business will make a careful appraisal of its prospective clients before entering into a business relationship, I have learnt to do the same with my prospective students. Before arranging a consultation, there is much that can inform my decision to take them on or not in the earliest stages of contact - on the phone or via email. There is never any one factor that determines whether they will make a good student or not, rather a combination. Even so, it is by no means an exact science and ultimately you will be using your own discretion to make that call.

It is a good idea to ask the following questions before deciding to meet with them for a consultation: do they have an instrument yet? Is it rented or their own? What work, study and/ or family commitments do they have? How long have they wanted to take lessons and why? If you teach from home, how far away do they live from you?

Things to be wary of:

A wishy-washy answer to why they wish to learn: if playing the cello "sounds like fun" or "looks cool and I like the sound" is the motivation, they're probably going to loose interest pretty early on. People who have never studied a musical instrument before are not likely to be aware of just how much work has to go in before it starts to sound reasonably good and may get frustrated easily.

Illusions of grandeur. The reality is unless lessons begin at an early age along with hours of practice, there is a limit to how accomplished anyone can become on any musical instrument when starting later in life. As ever, there are exceptions to this rule but they are very few and far between. If your prospective student thinks he/ she is going to give Yo-Yo Ma a run for his money it is your duty to put it in the plainest terms to them that they will not. If they can accept the harsh truth, then they will probably make a dedicated if demanding student. If not, suggest that they audition for the next X_Factor and wish them a good day.

An excessive work schedule and/ or irregular working hours. They say busy people get more done, but with the best will in the world, working a 50 - 60 hour week does not allow for going to regular lessons and practicing at least 4 days a week. More often than not, people who fall into this category are considering music lessons as a means of getting away from their punishing schedule and finding "relaxation" time to do something creative. As much as I understand this motivation, they are likely to be highly strung individuals and will not find the early stages of learning to play at all relaxing and will probably get despondent earlier on. They would be better off taking up Yoga or Tai Chi than putting themselves through the difficult process of sounding dire and being a complete beginner.

Were they given a cello for their birthday? It may sound silly, but I've had a few students who at some time expressed how beautiful they thought the cello was, were given one by an over-enthusiastic spouse and felt obliged to learn how to play it. In all of these cases the instrument was purchased by someone who knew nothing about what to look for in a good student cello. They either got taken for a ride buying a "deluxe model" which has been appallingly set up and needs extensive work, or they got the "deal of a lifetime" on eBay and bought an instrument so beyond repair it amounts to rather expensive firewood. In either case you have an awkward situation to deal with: you either have to persuade them to spend even more of their hard-earned money on a cello they probably spent in the region of £600 - £1000 on, or you have to break the news to them that the instrument they bought is unplayable. Ultimately, you find yourself in a situation where you are dealing with a pushy "backseat" cellist and an embarrassed student who was never that serious about learning to play anyway. It does not bode well.

Good signs:

Done the research. Someone who has taken the time to do some research and understand the commitment they are about to make. Perhaps they have a friend who plays or they had music lessons at school. This is a great foundation and generally suggests that you'll have a student who has decided to set time aside and understands that he/ she will not be playing concertos overnight.

Don't be put off by someone who hasn't got an instrument yet. In most cases they have put off making that investment until they have the advice of a professional. Much like the "cello birthday present", I have had some awkward situations with students who rushed into buying a cello without expert advice and ended up with an unsuitable instrument which is very hard to resell and sometimes unusable. I had a 6'2" student who arrived at his first lesson with a 1/2 sized cello... you get the idea.

In conclusion:

You need to follow your gut. You may be contacted by someone who should ring all of the alarm bells based on the above points but you still feel compelled to take on. You'll know best and you won't always get it right - it's part of what makes our profession challenging and interesting. If you've never taught adult beginners, this article is not intended to put you off! Whatever the potential pitfalls are, a good adult student will challenge you in ways few young students can and can enrich your own experience and learning as a teacher. If your motivation for teaching the cello reaches beyond putting your students through every graded exam, I highly recommend it!