Here's a dirty little secret: a lot of instrument teachers don't play the instrument they're teaching, like the saxophone, professionally: they CAN play the saxophone, but their main instrument is something completely different. An instructor that really plays, say, the trumpet, but can also kinda-sorta play the saxophone, won't help a student as much as an instructor who's a real sax player.
In college, the instructor-to-be concentrates on his instrument (which, of course, can be voice) and will take a few classes on brasswinds, woodwinds, piano, percussion and/or stringed instruments. This really isn't to prepare the instructor-to-be to teach lessons on these instruments, it's to teach him the ranges of the instruments and to give him a feel for how particular instruments sound and react - and, possibly, how difficult they are to play.
Another way of looking at it would be, Would you rather be taught by someone who has played the instrument several hours a day, every day for the past 15+ years, reads stuff about the instrument and has made it part of his life or do you want to be taught by someone who knows the fundamentals of the instrument, based on the fact he had a few semesters of training in college?
In addition to all this, you could go up to a saxophone player and say, I need to get a horn and a good setup for a beginner. What do you suggest? and he'll help you get it.
There are a lot of folks that think they can teach themselves. A lot of instruments are easy to play badly. It's difficult to play any extremely well. Remember this, as well: it's much harder to unlearn bad playing habits than it is to learn good ones.
In college, the instructor-to-be concentrates on his instrument (which, of course, can be voice) and will take a few classes on brasswinds, woodwinds, piano, percussion and/or stringed instruments. This really isn't to prepare the instructor-to-be to teach lessons on these instruments, it's to teach him the ranges of the instruments and to give him a feel for how particular instruments sound and react - and, possibly, how difficult they are to play.
Another way of looking at it would be, Would you rather be taught by someone who has played the instrument several hours a day, every day for the past 15+ years, reads stuff about the instrument and has made it part of his life or do you want to be taught by someone who knows the fundamentals of the instrument, based on the fact he had a few semesters of training in college?
In addition to all this, you could go up to a saxophone player and say, I need to get a horn and a good setup for a beginner. What do you suggest? and he'll help you get it.
There are a lot of folks that think they can teach themselves. A lot of instruments are easy to play badly. It's difficult to play any extremely well. Remember this, as well: it's much harder to unlearn bad playing habits than it is to learn good ones.