A music teacher can work in public or private schools or colleges, at stores, or even out of their own homes. A school teacher has a work environment similar to other teachers, with regular Monday through Friday hours, having holidays and summers off, but will need to invest extra time in rehearsals, especially before large performances.

An important difference between band or choir teachers and other teachers, especially at the elementary school level, is that the aforementioned teachers see a great variety of students every day. An elementary school music teacher will be exposed to many, and possibly all, of the students at the school, depending on how many teachers the school employs, but a grade-level teacher will only see his or her specific class of students most days. An instructor who is patient and enthusiastic will best be able to deal with the challenge of teaching many students.

Teachers who give private lessons out of their homes or at stores generally set their own hours and decide how many clients they are going to see, and give the lessons on a part-time basis. Some private teachers are also employed at schools on a full-time basis and teach privately for extra income. Some are advanced students at the college level, and still others are retired teachers looking to make extra income doing something they love.