 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: J-MB
Date: 2018-04-14 18:01
Hi all!
I’ve been presented the opportunity to study with the local college professor who holds the symphony principal chair around my area, and I’m so stoked about it. But I’m afraid to leave my current teacher because she has taken me so far and made me a lot better, I want to be the best I can be and study with the best teacher I’m able to afford, I did think about doing lessons with both but I think we wouldn’t be able to afford my current teacher and the college professor, I have had a trial lesson with her and I really do like her style of teaching, but I don’t know if leaving my current teacher would be the best option.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2018-04-14 18:31
Did the lesson with the college prof improve your playing quickly? Did her suggestions make sense to you as you practiced after the trial lesson? Did she have musical and technical ideas that make sense to you? Do you like her playing?
Those are the questions to ask yourself.
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Author: J-MB
Date: 2018-04-14 18:35
I like her playing and her tips did make me improve, I felt like I actually wanted to practice after the lesson and wanted to get better. So yes to all of those.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2018-04-14 19:43
Some fairly random thoughts:
Sometimes if you've been studying with the same teacher for a number of years, a change in point-of-view or even just teaching style may be helpful. When you hear the same things a lot over time as a student you start to unconsciously filter the repetitive information out. The same points made by a different person in different words can freshen the process even if both teachers are equally effective and skilled.
After a number of years with the same teacher you may have gotten all she can give you (another side of my first point above). Is the college prof/symphony principal a clearly stronger player than your current teacher? If so, she may have an arsenal of different solutions to try for your more persistent problems areas.
Because a person is a college prof or a principal chair in an orchestra (you don't, understandably, identify the teacher by saying which college or orchestra) doesn't automatically make him or her a good teacher. And because a single lesson produces some quick insights, there's no guarantee that over a long haul that teacher will be patient and continue to have constructive input for solving problems that aren't so quick-and-easy to solve.
Does the prospective teacher have a reputation - good or bad - in your area among other musicians or other clarinetists as a personality or as a teacher? Sometimes school music teachers have heard from each other about how great or lacking someone in a prominent position is as a teacher. Can you discuss this with your school band director?
It probably wouldn't be a problem if the symphony is a relatively local one, but sometimes a major symphony's rehearsal and travel schedule makes scheduling lessons difficult, and this teacher's college students will have scheduling priority before outside private students. This may be worth checking if you're someone who needs regular contact with your teacher to keep your motivation to practice high.
Are you aiming toward a clarinet major in college? If so, is the college where this teacher works one of your possible choices? She might, clearly, be influential in accepting you into the college and possibly recommending you for scholarship aid when the time comes. That has some practical worth.
Do you know your current teacher well enough to have a thought about whether she will consider this an opportunity for you or a rejection of her? If you think her attitude toward a change will be positive, it may make this decision easier because you can discuss it with her instead of feeling like you're sneaking away.
Keep in mind that your musicianship and technical development on the clarinet really depend less on who your teacher is or what he or she knows and far more on your own attitudes and approach to learning. Obviously, your dedication to practicing and to thinking through problems as you run into them are important - no teacher can teach much to a student who isn't conscientious (you sound as if you are dedicated - at least enough to take this opportunity seriously). A teacher doesn't teach so much as a student learns with the teacher's help. Your curiosity about musical and technical problems that *you* identify is at least as important as the teacher's skill in helping to find solutions.
I've had students in their junior or senior years of high school move to conservatory prep programs like those at Julliard or Curtis, and I didn't feel deserted or rejected because I knew there are strong advantages in those programs that I couldn't provide. They were strong students whom I'd taught long enough to have said about all I could to them. In each case we actually kept in touch and sometimes even talked about the things the new teacher was saying. If you change teachers, that would be the ideal outcome.
Good luck, whichever way you decide.
Karl
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-04-14 22:34
Teachers sell a product and you are the customer. It isn't personal and any previous teacher who is angry about you leaving is best to leave. Your current teacher may be pleased that you have advanced enough to move up the ladder. After all his/her teaching gave you a good product!
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Author: Cappuccino
Date: 2018-04-14 23:39
What does your current teacher think?
You should study with the best person possible.
Alexander May
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFZta2RG4iM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh8O5DC4Tqs
"Looking at art, you're looking at the result of a philosophy." - John Emmett
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Author: Cappuccino
Date: 2018-04-14 23:41
And the teachers with the most connections as well.
They have to be very critical, but also have very good connections.
Alexander May
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFZta2RG4iM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh8O5DC4Tqs
"Looking at art, you're looking at the result of a philosophy." - John Emmett
Post Edited (2018-04-14 23:43)
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Author: J-MB
Date: 2018-04-15 07:58
I haven’t talked to my current teacher yet. And true! I just hope it doesn’t upset her that I plan to be studying with someone else
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2018-04-15 17:18
It's probably best to discuss it with your present teacher out of respect. First explain to her why you would like to advance to a "Professional player- teacher" for your future advancement thanking her for helping you get to the level you are at now. You could suggest alternating weeks, taking a lesson once a month with the new teacher for a period of time to see how it works out or going cold turkey. You have to remember that any fairly experienced teacher will make some suggestions to a new student that will be impressive at first. I've been a professional player teacher all my life and I know how easy it is to offer "new" insights to a students playing at the first lesson or two and impress the student. The end game is to be able to continue with new insights and or philosophy for a sustained period. With that said, it's never a bad idea to seek new ideas. Good luck.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2018-04-16 17:32
This is always a tricky kind of decision, and there are lots of things to consider. I agree with Ed that you should discuss it with your present teacher, but of course you're the one who's completely responsible for the decision and who will live with the consequences. Being a principal in a professional orchestra, and even being a prof, isn't a guarantee that someone is a great teacher, but at the same time, there are perspectives people get from being in those positions that you'll need if you want to eventually play at that level. Having taught quite a bit at one time, I guess I disagree with Ken: it can be very personal, depending on how the teacher student relationship develops. The one time I had a regular teacher and wanted to take periodic lessons with a top pro, I discussed it with him and he encouraged me to do that. I encouraged my own students to move on to situations where they'd be challenged more and get exposed to a higher level of playing and competition. Good teachers always want their students to develop artistic independence and, if possible, become better players than the teacher. Nothing lasts forever, and nothing stands still.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2018-04-17 06:09
Sometimes the top principal players can't teach. Yes they are very gifted.
For example people say I have a really good sound and want to study with me. But I can't teach, I tried and failed at the college level. I felt horrible about this, leaving the 2 colleges.
So be careful. Not all great players can teach. Often your best instructors are found at good music schools. I had a few really good instructors, Bob Marcellus, Iggie Gennusa, but the best one was Fred Ormand. I think half of the symphony players probably studied with Fred at one point. Yes he was that good. Still is!
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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