Mildly annoyed with piano teacher

[Nestof3]

Ben is at lesson right now, and he is playing his recital songs which will be for his very informal monthly recital at the piano teacher's home.

 

While she was preparing some paperwork, he played a song from

Banko Kazooie that he figured out by ear. He asked if he could play another song in addition to his other two.

 

She told him it depended on what the song was -- that if it were a video game song, she'd rather not. Then, she proceeded to tell him that he does far tougher songs in lesson.

 

That may be true, but I wish she could have at least encouraged him in his personal endeavor. I mean, Nathan never attempts anything beyond his lesson.

 

She mellowed out; perhaps she's having a bad day. He told her he had another one too, and when he played it, she asked for the formal title (Gruntilda's Lair). It seems she will let him play it.

 

From my standpoint, he has put much effort into learning these on top of his lesson dongs.

 

I noticed her tone has mellowed considerably. Thanks for listening to me blab.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm glad that she mellowed out.:001_smile: I'm glad that Ben's been motivated to learn those songs!

[Dmmetler]

One of the most valuable things I've done with my beginning woodwind students is to go to a music store and buy beginning repertoire with them, including at least one book chosen by the student of songs they want to play. I see such songs as the equivalent of "fun" books for beginning readers-young musicians simply need to spend a lot of time PLAYING. And if learning to play the theme from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone makes a child willing to put in the practice needed to be able to cross the break on clarinet smoothly, then it's served a valuable purpose.

 

Oh, and I will also add-I have NO trouble letting students pick some of their recital music from their "fun" songs-the only requirement I have is that they need to use something that is at their current grade level-ie, if you're working on grade 4, you can't choose a grade 2 "fun" piece for performance that you can sight read!

Edited April 27, 2011 by dmmetler

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

To me, ANYTHING that you take the effort to figure out by ear= good job! :hurray:

[*********]

To me, ANYTHING that you take the effort to figure out by ear= good job! :hurray:

 

This! I think it's a great talent to figure out how to play songs by ear; I love it when Zee does it on the keyboard. Maybe she's having a bad day; I don't care if it's a video game song or Bach, if he learned to play it by ear, that's neat!

[tex-mex]

I'm glad that she mellowed out.:001_smile: I'm glad that Ben's been motivated to learn those songs!

:iagree: Reminds me of my FIL's story of how he tried taking piano lessons as a young boy. His mother was a trained classical pianist and had a baby grand piano in the front room. She forbade him from playing it due to the fact he'd pound so hard on the keys, it would need frequent tuning. He'd sneak into the school's gymnasium after school and the custodian would let him play the piano for hours. He had self-taught himself how to play the piano by ear as a young child. He could hear a song and replicate it immediately without mistakes.

 

But he could not read notes. So, in high school in the 1950's, he complied with mother's directions and began formal piano training. It bored him to tears. The piano teacher was a strict German lady who had NO sense of humor. (My FIL was a clown. ;)) There would be times he would ask to play a piece that was not part of her recital and she would say no. Finally, he wore her down and she agreed to let him play a song... turned out to be an old ragtime tune. She kicked him out of her class. LOL :lol:

 

FIL ended up forming his own band in High School. Then a new band in college. After college, he wrote a song (one-hit wonder) that earned him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. FIL still cannot read notes. Plays by ear. So, I encourage the OP's son to have fun with music.

[farouk]

I see what you mean. I guess, too, there will always be a difference between the reaction of a friend to someone's improvising, and the reaction of someone who is the music teacher.

[Nestof3]

I see what you mean. I guess, too, there will always be a difference between the reaction of a friend to someone's improvising, and the reaction of someone who is the music teacher.

 

You're right -- she really is a great teacher. Sometimes I'm just too sensitive as a parent.

[Storm Bay]

She could have just been stressed out. I love it when my students learn things by ear, but so far no one has ever asked to play one at a recital. Once I had one of my students play her own composition, though, because she did such a fabulous job of a regular assignment I give my students. I have them compose things to help learning concepts, and this one was one given in a method book. I moved and don't know what happened with her, but I hope she continued with music (she was in a group class I taught in a school & was very talented.)

 

I have had some students, though, who spend all their time doing their own thing and virtually none one what I've assigned which stresses me out, because what's the point of taking lessons? I'm trying to teach them the things they're not figuring out on their own.

 

I also have a friend who was totally turned off music lessons at about age 8 after a year of piano lessons with a teacher who turned him off. Thankfully he saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan (he is a fair bit older than I am), took up the guitar and later the cello, because he is a professional free lance cellist & has a Ph.D. in composition. It's hard because you need to find a teacher who works will with your child but who also knows what they're doing or who is under the guidance of someone who does (everyone has to start teaching somewhere and shouldn't have to get a B.F.A. to teach beginners, but they need to know some pedagogy.)