Sample lessons with multiple teachers at the same school

team_mom · 03-24-2008, 07:33 PM

S had a plan, worked out with his teacher, to go around and have sample lessons with one teacher per college or conservatory. S's teacher based those recommendations on people that he knows, or knows through reputation and thought would be a good match and strong teacher for S. At one of these schools that we will have to fly to, my D's best friend studies horn with a different teacher and strongly urges that S should have a lesson with her teacher, saying her teacher is a nicer and better, although not the principal at the orchestra as is the recommended teacher. D's friend is a horn performance major, although not as strong a player as S. Well, we all are aware that being principal may only be a matter of being available for the right audition at the right time, so that doesn't concern me at all. I do have some concern about traveling to a school to have sample lessons with two teachers. Can this be accomplished in a way that doesn't offend? Is that a risk not worth taking at this time?

I see no problem heading in after an acceptance, if offered, to take lessons with multiple teachers, but beforehand, I'm very confused as to whether this can be pulled off in one visit. And it will only be one visit before auditions.

Have people been able to accomplish this feat? Did that effect the offers received?

thanks for your input..
team_mom

musmom2 · 03-24-2008, 08:26 PM

I wondered about this too, as there are 2 teachers my daughter would potentially be interested in at one school. Difference is that she has already been accepted. Don't know what the correct etiquette is.

team_mom · 03-24-2008, 09:09 PM

Musmom,
That's an easy one! If you have an offer on the table, they expect you to make a decision based on looking at all the teachers you care to and then letting them know. If for some strange reason someone is offended, which they shouldn't be, that offer will not be retracted. You, or should I say your child, is in.

A few schools, such as Juilliard, may determine the studio before the offer goes out, but that is the rare exception. In those situations, if you don't accept the teacher, you may not get the offer either. That is the one acceptance situation where you really may have to be more careful about offending.

binx · 03-24-2008, 09:15 PM

My S attempted to meet two teachers at one school. He sent a single email to both of them, explained that both of them had been recommended to him, and he would be making a trip that direction and would very much like the opportunity to meet them and take a sample lesson.

As it turned out, he was able to actually get a lesson with only one of them. The other was going to be on the opposite coast during our time frame. But they both responded, and neither treated it like it was anything unusual. I think as long as you are open about it, no one cares. [That's the nice thing about horn players - they're all so nice

!]

At another school, he arranged a lesson with one teacher, who then took him around to meet one of the other teachers.

BassDad · 03-24-2008, 09:36 PM

Almost all of the schools to which my daughter applied had more than one teacher on her instrument. She had sample lessons with two teachers for a few different schools and there was no problem. She let each teacher know that she was doing this and there were no problems at all.

musmom2 · 03-25-2008, 05:52 AM

Thanks, that helps!

team_mom · 03-25-2008, 09:29 AM

And thanks Binx and Bassdad,

If you think it's OK, I know what S needs to do. Keep it open and keep it easy.
thanx

-Allmusic- · 03-25-2008, 02:43 PM

I think there are often mixed message about this. At one school, where a friend of my son's teacher teaches (in a different department), we were told that taking lessons with both of his top choices would "offend" one or the other.

We ended up not doing that and he only had a lesson with one, but I don't know that I think it was the best advice.