Hi guys,

I'd like your thoughts please!
Where I live is relatively small and there is only one other piano teacher nearby. I have been contacted three times in the past two years and asked if I could take on pupils as the parents haven't been happy with the teacher. I have heard stories about his teaching but prefer not to get involved and so have just said I was full at that time and good luck. I just felt it wasnt right to take his business, however yesterday I was contacted again and having listened to the parent, it would seem her child is very musical (he also plays clarinet), and he is determined to continue with music, only just not with this teacher.
He has been playing for about 6 months, he is 9, and when I tried to gauge where he's at, I asked what scales he could play and he had no idea what a scale was! He hasnt been playing clarinet that long so hasnt come across scales there yet.
He has completely lost interest and enthusiasm with this teacher, he has been working through the John Schaum books and there has been no variation. He has managedto reach the blue book which is the third one in the series, which I think is pretty fast for the short time he's been learning. His mother finds the teacher totally unapproachable and she has no measure of how well her child is doing. There is never any feedback and the only contact she has is when he issues a bill for lessons and books that the boy needs. She has tried to ask but the answer is always the same, 'fine'. I know from past conversations he doesn't put pupils through exams and this is annoying the parent as she is spending a fortune.
I have decided to take this boy on and part of me feels like I'm poaching, but I don't want this child to miss out and give up!

I'm also looking for suggestions on pieces that would get his mojo back! I'm thinking Martha Mier, rags book, simplified versions of chopsticks and the entertainer etc, just to give him some pieces he would recognize! I'd welcome any other suggestions please.

Thanks all!

If a parent wants to change and move to you that is fine - normal market forces - just like any other kind of business and definitely not poaching. I wouldn't get bogged down in reasons why - it could be any issue with the teacher, or parent, or pupil, or any combination of these, or that they just don't suit each other.

With regard to repertoire, I'd revise easy fun stuff for a while just to make sure that the basics have been covered (maybe whizz through Me and My Piano just to check his knowledge and start on the Ying Ying Ng theory - well presented and fun). Good luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Some of the Hal Leonard books have easy arrangements of popular tunes (although perhaps a bit dated - things like Yellow Submarine or the Elephant Walk from the Jungle Book - which have gone down well with one of my 9 year olds).

There's also the Superhero piano book published by Faber that calls itself Pre-grade 1, but actually some of the pieces are quite a challenge, and that has Batman, James Bond etc in it as well as some more classical arrangements.

I agree with Norway - this parent is entitled to spend her money where she chooses, and she has come to you, not the other way round.

Absolutely. It's important to ensure that they've completely finished with the other teacher, though...it wouldn't come across as professional if you start teaching them while they're still disputing unpaid fees with the previous teacher, for instance.

I've had a couple of students come to me who weren't happy with previous teachers. To stay professional you just need to make sure you don't give your opinions too openly of what the other teacher has achieved/not achieved. And I have asked parents to be careful what they say. Other than that, don't worry and enjoy your students.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Poaching is when you approach someone else's students and offer them lessons or bad mouth their teacher. This is not poaching.

Don't give your opinion on the other teacher. If possible explain that the way you work is completely different (but equally valid) and so comparisons with the other teacher are impossible. Then hopefully the student won't feel stupid for not knowing stuff. Assume he knows nothing and he can "impress you" with the things he does know. If you start expecting him to be at a level then it will be demoralising to drop down.

I love the Superhero book but after 9 months of unsatisfactory lessons I'd be surprised if he's at that level yet.

Start low and move fast (if he's up to it!)

It's a free market and I would take them. Put yourself in that parents shoes -what would you do? You could lie to the next teacher and pretend that its schedule clash etc etc or you could tell the truth that you want a change.

Poaching implies that you went looking and this is untrue. The parent came looking. So it is not poaching at all.

It is difficult to know how much to say as a parent who is moving on to the old teacher. One tends to play down the real reasons in order not to hurt their feelings which is not conducive to self reflection and change for that teacher.

I couldn't agree more!

Another point to bear in mind, and that can be useful to explain to parents, is that even the best teachers encounter situations where personalities don't mix well. Any experienced teacher has both had incoming students suddenly start to make more progress and become more enthusiastic, and also will have seen ones depart for another teacher with the same result.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) with what others have said.
I wouldn't take not knowing what a scale is as any measure.
It can be much longer than 6 months before most of mine do any scales depending on progress and it's perfectly possible to be doing really well without having learned scales.
As for actual progress you'll find that out over the first couple of months if you take him on.
I've taken on a clarinet student who had worked most of the way through his tutor book making him apparently around grade 3 level. I know from his playing in our training band that he was nowhere near this and I wouldn't enter him for grade 1 (luckily they don't want exams). I'm covering things under the heading of consolidation.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Definitely don't get drawn in if parent starts bad mouthing previous teacher. I'm just moving on one family (I'm their 3rd teacher in 4 years) who told me that previous one was an alcoholic (they consistently don't turn up for lessons and have messed me about no end). I expect I'll soon become an "alcoholic" too, when they find their next teacher! Start afresh - positive - happy - forward looking - enthusiastic - and make up your own mind.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
I'd say that at least 50% of my pupils come saying they're unhappy with the previous teacher - it's just the nature of the business. I certainly don't see this as poaching.

Great!
I feel calmer now about the whole thing.
I'm loving the sound of the superhero book, I have never seen or heard of it before, but I've never had a boy pupil before so this is new for me!
I'll definitely have a look at that and the others mentioned. Any other suggestions would be great!

Thanks guys!

Yes thanks very much Susie for the Superhero suggestion - there's a Christmas one in the same series so I've just ordered both. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I don't ask who the previous teacher is (although at times I've been able to guess once I've seen a student play (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) )

I also don't judge the previous teacher based on what the parent/student says - time soon tells who was really to blame!

I take each one as a fresh start, see what they know and what they need and take it from there.

You are not poaching as it is their decision to change.

Your conscious is clear. If there were other teachers to choose from and you refused this pupil, no doubt the parent would have looked elsewhere, and so it might as well be you that benefits.