I was recently asked to be part of a string quartet for an event at uni. It was to be a fairly standard and, if I may say so, boring piece : Canon in D. So cliche. But anyways, I went expecting a fairly standard rehearsal where we could just meet up once or twice before the performance, sort out whatever issues we have with getting all four parts together and that would be it. But when I got there, I found a cellist (the one who invited me) who couldn't seem to play in time (and that's an especially big problem for Canon in D), and two other violinists who just aren't at a level where they can easily play the piece. I actually felt pretty sorry for the two violinists. They've only been playing for a relatively short while and the cellist who got all of us together and picked the piece didn't seem to get it that she was just making them play something they couldn't realistically learn in such a short period of time. In the few days leading up to the rehearsal, where discussion on where and when it would be and stuff, I'd also found her demeanor to be somewhat unpleasant - the sort who wasn't into explaining anything properly. Just short clipped answers.
What bothered me most was when I asked the two volinists how long they'd been playing and they told me two years, the cellist pipes in that well so has she and now she's already got her Grade 5 and is teaching! While the fact that she learned much faster than the other two is pretty impressive, the thought that dominated was OMFG this girl is TEACHING?!
I just couldn't get over the fact that this somewhat unpleasant person with little ability or patience to help slightly weaker peers, who couldn't recognise when a piece was not of a level appropriate to their abilities and frankly, limited ability herself, was teaching! The worst part was when she found out I was teaching too, she basically said "Ooh can I take lessons from you? Now my boss wants me to take the Grade 8 exam." Wth?
So here's the thing. For anyone who's looking for a teacher, and especially parents who are looking for one for their young child, it's always important to take not of a few things:
First of all make sure your teacher is qualified! This may not necessarily mean paper qualifications although that's the easiest way to judge if your teacher is qualified. It would be best if he/she has a degree, although in some places that's pretty hard to come by. In that case a diploma such as the ATCL would also be good. Extensive experience performing or teaching may also be useful. Also make sure that the teacher is pleasant and is willing to explain or repeat stuff when your child can't get it the first time around.
I can't stress how often people neglect to consider these two very simple things when choosing a teacher. Most just go to the first teacher they find. And it's alarming how many people so readily send their kids to under-qualified teachers like this girl. You don't want to do this because as I already saw during our rehearsal, such limited musical ability and knowledge, coupled with an inability to recognize when others are struggling with a piece that just isn't the right level for them, means that you've got a teacher who doesn't know how to decide what repertoire to work on with the student and doesn't see what the problems faced by the student are. You'll want a teacher who knows how to correct mistakes instead of just blindly having the student repeat something until they hopefully stumble across the correct way to play.
Another worrying thing is how some parents also think that they can just settle for any teacher when their child starts learning to play a violin, and then plan to move to a better teacher if the child shows potential. While this makes sense in some ways, it's still important to find a teacher who is sufficiently capable of bringing out whatever potential your child has in the first place. Or at least, a teacher who isn't going to allow your child to develop bad playing habits that will be hard to undo later on. Unpleasant teachers may also just make your child hate the instrument or even music altogether.
Agh can't stand unethical people who teach even though they're not good enough to do so!
No comments:
Post a Comment