Visiting but NOT Taking a Lesson

Mezzo_sMama
Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:01:54 +0000

We started the “serious” visits in the fall of D’s junior year and I think you are making a really smart move by beginning now. All of the advice given above is excellent and there are good reasons for and against, taking a lesson at this early stage. D did take lessons at that time, but, music combined with academia can make for a nomadic life and there is no guarantee that the prof he takes a lesson with now will even be there next year! In fact, that is exactly what happened to my D; she really liked a teacher at the school which became her first choice and she kept up a correspondence with him all during the time leading up to the fall of her senior year, when he upped and left for a school far away. Luckily, she is in the studio of a wonderful teacher now and is pleased to finally be there, but, it was that visit while a junior that made that school stand firm in her mind. It’s great that you are in a position to be able to send your son back for lessons, if needed, so I say, go for it, look around at your leasure now, take a tour, talk to students, make sure to check out the practice rooms too, since he’ll be spending a lot of time there. Enjoy and let us know where you are visiting- some schools are still really fresh in our minds, either from visits or from making the trek to move our kids into dorms, and since this is such a friendly group, we’re always willing to share!