If music education is a priority in your view

[Anonymous]

If you class music education as a top 1-2 priority for you, what makes you stick with a child’s instrument teacher vs move on? Was it a certain age, after a set time, or would you move on if you might have stumbled upon other opportunities?

Currently struggling with this decision with DS7.

Pros:
-Current music school location is 5-10min away
-Teacher is gentle
-DS enjoys it (but honestly enjoys everything so would be fine to switch)
-If DS ever wants to switch to viola (more opportunities and less competitive), he will be well placed to learn

Cons:
-DS is learning violin but teacher’s background is viola
-teacher is gentle (doesn’t really push)
-Teacher isn’t known for performance and isn’t a “star”, though he does have a background in music ed

Other school
Pros:
-I know some professionals have come out of the school
-They have several superstars and people with decades of experience and musical “chops” on faculty
-I would insist on a violinist, not a violist
-cons: more expensive and further away

[Anonymous]

The kid is 7, he doesn’t require someone with good chops, he needs someone that can teach a 7 year old. It sounds like you already have that.

[Anonymous]

Depends on your goal. Your child is 7- is there a good reason to think your child *wants* to be a pro? I’m all for music instruction, and I’ve made it a priority… but whether the kids end up *professionals* will be up to them, not whether I chose teacher A or teacher B.

I would think the gentle aspect of the teacher would be a “pro.” Especially if the parent overseeing the practices is more type-A.I speak here from experience of being a type a parent. But also, i think most music teachers will be gentle with 7year olds… because they are 7…

So in sum, I’d go with option A (gentler and easier on family life option) until the kid is at least in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Pro and con is gentle da foook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on your goal. Your child is 7- is there a good reason to think your child *wants* to be a pro? I’m all for music instruction, and I’ve made it a priority… but whether the kids end up *professionals* will be up to them, not whether I chose teacher A or teacher B.

I would think the gentle aspect of the teacher would be a “pro.” Especially if the parent overseeing the practices is more type-A.I speak here from experience of being a type a parent. But also, i think most music teachers will be gentle with 7year olds… because they are 7…

So in sum, I’d go with option A (gentler and easier on family life option) until the kid is at least in middle school.

You’ve never met a Russian teacher EVER

[Anonymous]

Convenient location is important but I would rank violin teacher as equally or more important.

Don't take viola lessons from a violinist. Don't take violin lessons from a violist (btdt).

Find a violin teacher for your DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kid is 7, he doesn’t require someone with good chops, he needs someone that can teach a 7 year old. It sounds like you already have that.

The reason would be to really make sure he is getting the proper form and building good habits. And more intensity would not hurt imo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on your goal. Your child is 7- is there a good reason to think your child *wants* to be a pro? I’m all for music instruction, and I’ve made it a priority… but whether the kids end up *professionals* will be up to them, not whether I chose teacher A or teacher B.

I would think the gentle aspect of the teacher would be a “pro.” Especially if the parent overseeing the practices is more type-A.I speak here from experience of being a type a parent. But also, i think most music teachers will be gentle with 7year olds… because they are 7…

So in sum, I’d go with option A (gentler and easier on family life option) until the kid is at least in middle school.

It is not that I want DS to be a pro. But I am a stickler for form and proper habits. I did not have good form on a different instrument and injured myself. I also didn’t get pushed and had so so instruction. I regret it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Convenient location is important but I would rank violin teacher as equally or more important.

Don't take viola lessons from a violinist. Don't take violin lessons from a violist (btdt).

Find a violin teacher for your DC.

Can you say more about this?

[Anonymous]

Can he switch to viola?

[Anonymous]

Switch the teacher asap

[Anonymous]

I would switch to a violin teacher but would not value a teacher who "pushes" a child at age 7. You want someone who emphasizes proper form but if you find someone really tough/militant, it will simply make your child dislike music lessons.

I also think you need to re-evaluate what you are unhappy with regarding your own music education. The issues about sloppy form causing injury are important and it's why I would make sure your kid takes lessons from someone who know the instrument really well -- they will demonstrate and reinforce better form.

But the issue of not being pushed enough... do you know what separates someone who pursues an instrument (or anything) at a high level versus someone who is more of a hobbyist or gives up earlier? It's not having a teacher who pushes them. It's internal -- do they push themselves? You can not force that. I think at the end of the day, you were not passionate enough about music to push yourself harder at your instrument. That is okay. Really. Likely you had other interests, or wanted more balance in your life. That is normal. The world is full of people who know how to play the piano but never became brilliant pianists, and that's good because those people became other things.

Please do not impose whatever disappointment or regret you might have about your own music career on your kid. Let him decide if this is what he wants for himself. Either he'll decide that yes, he wants to pursue it seriously, in which case he will push himself to practice and will be the one asking you for more lessons or more strict lessons, or he will decide to be a bit more laid back and he'll learn to play but will never be great. Both are totally fine but the decision is his to make. It's his life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Convenient location is important but I would rank violin teacher as equally or more important.

Don't take viola lessons from a violinist. Don't take violin lessons from a violist (btdt).

Find a violin teacher for your DC.

Can you say more about this?

There is a conceit among violists that they play "better" than violinists, that their technique is more, etc. But actually their technique is different, and not suited/optimized for a violin.

I took lessons from a generalist and injured my should/rotator cuff. I switched to a specialist for the instrument and learned better technique after that.

There is a high incidence of injury among strings players. All players, beginners and advanced, children and adults, need the best technique to play injury-free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would switch to a violin teacher but would not value a teacher who "pushes" a child at age 7. You want someone who emphasizes proper form but if you find someone really tough/militant, it will simply make your child dislike music lessons.

I also think you need to re-evaluate what you are unhappy with regarding your own music education. The issues about sloppy form causing injury are important and it's why I would make sure your kid takes lessons from someone who know the instrument really well -- they will demonstrate and reinforce better form.

But the issue of not being pushed enough... do you know what separates someone who pursues an instrument (or anything) at a high level versus someone who is more of a hobbyist or gives up earlier? It's not having a teacher who pushes them. It's internal -- do they push themselves? You can not force that. I think at the end of the day, you were not passionate enough about music to push yourself harder at your instrument. That is okay. Really. Likely you had other interests, or wanted more balance in your life. That is normal. The world is full of people who know how to play the piano but never became brilliant pianists, and that's good because those people became other things.

Please do not impose whatever disappointment or regret you might have about your own music career on your kid. Let him decide if this is what he wants for himself. Either he'll decide that yes, he wants to pursue it seriously, in which case he will push himself to practice and will be the one asking you for more lessons or more strict lessons, or he will decide to be a bit more laid back and he'll learn to play but will never be great. Both are totally fine but the decision is his to make. It's his life.

DS does have internal drive and is often asking to do this piece or that piece. The teacher often says yes, but won’t initiate those pieces. I don’t feel like I want a pushy teacher, but I wonder if current teacher is TOO gentle / laidback. He is very soft spoken, and doesn’t seem personally driven either, so while he is very kind and agreeable, I wonder if kid needs more. I will say the teacher does have limits and says “no not yet” when it comes to pieces I know DS is not ready for.

[Anonymous]

Maybe find a violinist instead of violist to teach if you want your child learn violin? On the other hand, violin in very competitive since most choose violin, but viola is the opposite in orchestra so it’s always on demand.