hey there.

ive been playing the violin for 5 years now. My previous teacher was very lazy! He charged very high yet I have not received anything from him.

I would walk into my lesson, unpack and he would tell me to go through my scales. After about 3 he would tell me to play any of my AMEB pieces, while he would 'write my report' to the head teacher of the music centre. He does not give me any feedbacks and i know for sure that he was playing games because he would sit like hes at Hawaii of some sort. Of course my 6th grade exam was approaching and i had only one piece ready so in the end i had to cancel the exam (money lost).

It was a very bbad experience. I have now found a new teacher and will start my first lesson tomorrow but what happens if this teacher is not any better? How can i find a teacher that will help me with all their heart? it is also my HSC year and am VERY DESPERATE.




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i should also mention that he never leaves his laptop to come and help me.

I am a teacher (but not violin).I have over the years had quite a few students and students parents come to me and were surprised at the interest, the amount, and the degree of music and muscial concepts I work with them on.

You are the student and you are paying for the lessons. Feel free to tell your new teacher what you want to learn. Understand of course there are something you might not want to do, but you should have some say in some of your lesson.
You can have a meeting with your new teacher and explain that you were not satisfied with your last teacher (you don't need to say who it was) and say why you were not satisfied with the teacher.

Not all teachers are the best match for all students. What I do with my new students is I spend 2 - 3 hours on the first session. I inventory (or collect) what skills they have and what weaknesses they have. I explain what I think they want, I explain any techniques that might be controversial, and I aske them if they ahve anythign specific they want to learn and ask what they want to do with the instrument, how far do they want to go. I also give them 2 or 3 names and phone numbers of other teachers and I tell them if you want to try a couple lessons with someone else to feel free to do so. If they feel good about them they should study with who they want to.

I also have college age students who study with one person but also come to me 2 - 4 times a year for a little private master class.

See if your new teacher has a couple of other teachers S/He might recommend or find a couple on your own. If you start not liking your new teacher arrange a couple of lessons with another to see if you like them better (but don't stop with your regular lessons until you decide on a new one).

Check with your closest major symphony orchestra and see if you can take a couple of private master classes with one of the violin players there. There a lot of top quality musicians who like to work with students for 2 or 3 hours and just work on musicality ( you can do your scales with your primary teacher and work on some solo rep or common excerpts with your once a qaurter teacher/coach).

It's your money! Be open and think "outside the box" a little. Think of it as an investment. If your parents put money in an account which made no interest - it would be a poor investment. If they put their money someplace where it made more interest that would be a better investment. Talk to your parents about looking at your lesons as an investment and you want the teacher that YOU can learn the most from.

John

Hi John,
thanks for the reply. I also have a few questions to ask.

What do you mean by master classes? are they any different?

How do I know where to look for teachers? Is it better to approach a music school or an individual?

There are just soo many teachers out there that I'm scared I'm just wasting my time trying to find 'the one'. I know its a good idea to try out a couple of others but where can i start?

What do you mean by master classes?

The way he's using the term seems to be different from the way I've heard the term used before. Master classes are usually not private--and are in this way different. Either a teacher assembles much of his entire studio (all his students) for a class in which some students perform and the teacher critiques (sometimes joined by the other students) or a visiting teacher of renown critiques in turn the performances of members of another teacher's (usually of less renown) studio, with much of that entire studio present.

cathn,

Scotch is absolutely correct on the usual "master class" orientation. Let me try and explain a little more clearly.
I look at music lessons is x ways.
1) PRIVATE LESSONS - this is you and a teacher one on one.
2) MASTER CLASSES (as well described by scotch)- a group setting where an indivdual talks to the group about their instrument.S/he may have a couple students play and then actually give them a lesson in front of the group.
3)COACHING(best name I can coem up with and what I do) - Like a private lesson because it is still on one on one, but it is not weekly like a normal private lesson.

I have private students who study with me each week. I also have college students who study specific aspects in the summer, or on their winter break (coaching), and I have professional musicans who I work with for a short time to resolve issues that have come up with their playing (another form of coaching).

You would be surprised where you might find a teacher.
Many music stores will have teachers they recommend.
Music Schools - the independent music schools may have some good teachers. The nearest college or university may have recommendations (my professor at college also taught private lessons to non-college students).

Not knowing where you live here is what I suggest.

Step one - go to the phone book and find the phone number for the Musicians Union Local closest to your city. Call them and see if they have referrals for teachers. Get at least three names.

Step two - Go online to the Universities and Colleges nearest you and find the faculty for the music departments. Find four that have music departments. Most have email contacts for their faculty. Contact the professors that teachs your instrument and see if they teach lessons or have referrals of people who do. If there is no University near you still find the closest to you and contact them. If they are not in your area they still may have some good referrals. Keep in mind everyone that studies music at that school put down their private teachers name when they applied for admission. The professors will know who the good private teachers are.

Step three - Find the roster of the violin section of the nearest major symphony. See if they can be contacted through the symphony, or if they teach at a university, or can be contacted through the local musician union.

Step four - Is there a youth symphony or orchestra in your area? If so, call the youth symphony and ask for the names of the violin players teachers.

You will have lots of referrals by now. See if one persons' name keeps coming up.
There are many many teachers out there and unfortunately some are not good. Don't think about wasting time. Make the best choice you can. Ask the people you get referrals from about the personality of the teacher. Call the teachers and talk with them. Talk about them with your parents if your are young. Then pick one. When you go to the lessons observe the teacher. Is he or she sitting in a chair with legs crossed just listening? If so, call the next teacher in line. IF the teacher is listening to you, asking you questions, actually looking at your bowing and finger placement. Standing up and looking while you are playing it means they are really interested in what you are doing. Keep that one.

With referrals from the above resources I would predict you will find the teacher you like by your third attempt, if not by your first attempt. Like I said before if you get a teacher you don't like it was not a waste of time, it is an investment of time. You now know you don't like that teacher go on to the next one. If you continue to take lessons from a teacher you do not like, that will be a waste of time.

I hope this helps you feel more comfortable with the process. Getting all these referrals will be a bit time consuming, but it will give you a better chance at getting the correct teacher. And if the first teacher isn't the right one you don't have to search again - - - you have a good list of names already.

Thanks John and Scotch!

You have helped me a lot and have given me more hope. All i have to do now is continue with my search for other violin teachers while continuing lessons with my new teacher. Hope i can find someone really good and someone who CARES.

Thanks again.

My first teacher was so bad she put me off playing for ages. I now have a new teacher who is wonderful and I really enjoy learning again.

That's great to hear.. at least you're back on track..
I'm still deciding whether my new teacher is good or not. I've only had two lessons with her so it's hard to judge.

=(

I went through two! i think it happens to a couple of people!