| Cross posted above with FlutemomLiz, so I'll adress her teacher question, too.
My S had a great horn teacher, but changed piano teachers a couple times. Once, the teacher just became unreliable. Once, the teacher moved. But the final switch came at my insistence. My S was quite put out with me because he really liked the guy. But I noticed that, where my S used to LOVE piano, he had become quite humble, acknowledging that he wasn't very good, refusing to play for folks, etc. His teacher was quite negative. S got very little praise, and a lot of criticism. S believed what teacher told him and took it to heart. Teacher wasn't interested in S's compositions - mildly tolerant, but critical of everything S produced. Teacher chose other kids for master classes. Ridiculed S's chances at colleges.
I also noticed that the teacher was trying to change S's style. Wanted him to sit still when he played, where S is a mover. Wasn't open to different interpretations. Was extremely protective of his piano - unreasonable for a student playing at this level. (Things like, did you wash your hands? If I let you play my grand, will you be careful?)
I saw and heard all this as I sat outside the lesson room. Perhaps because I am also a pianist, and knew what my kid could do, it colored my opinion. I put up with it for a couple years. Finally, I pulled him out against his will without having a new teacher to go to. (Which was necessary, because the teacher's group here will not allow one teacher to take a student who is a current student of another teacher.) Then I began calling teachers -- I called probably half a dozen before finding the right match. She was extremely well regarded, taught theory at a local Univ., has published her own compositions, has a wicked sense of humor, and absolutely loves my S and is one of his biggest cheerleaders. She was able to teach him a ton of theory, made jokes about the fact that horn and composition were higher priorities than piano, and championed his applications to top schools.
One of the few times in my life that S has admitted after the fact that I was right!
Progress, personality, and reputation are all things to be considered. I also personally believe in most cases that changing teachers, or having supplemental teachers (camps, etc) can be healthy. |