all marks good except one really bad: what to do?

violindad
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:44:52 +0000

Every good school of music has at least a few teachers that travel to perform. While I can’t speak specifically to all of the piano faculty at McGill, I would venture that McGill’s studio faculty are gone less on average than faculty at some of the other major conservatories.

The important thing with this issue is NOT to compare schools (because the variability within any school is huge), but to get upfront information about the particular teachers that you want to study with. Some are gone a lot and some are almost never gone. Many fine teachers do not have teaching assistants because they are so rarely gone. Ask students of various teachers how often their teachers are gone. I think that this is also a fair question to pose to an admissions office person: some may not be able to answer it because they just do not know, but others could give you a reasonable response.

As well, some TA’s are very, very good teachers in their own right. Some wise students have claimed that their primary teacher had the fame, connections and performing chops, but their TA actually was able to teach them. So do not avoid a teacher just because they are gone a lot: this might actually be a good thing!

My son is just starting at McGill this fall, but of the students that he knows already there, no one has complained about teacher absenteeism. Most of his acquaintances there are string players.

The absentee teacher issue is an important one that many applicants to top schools are unaware of. I don’t see it as a major problem, as long as you know what you are getting into (i.e. no surprises and a good TA).