A Paerents View Point, Are we perfect? Options

[all ears]

pop the champagne if they remember to actually bring their instrument

What about boys who insist on carrying everything themselves, preventing parents from discovering till way too late that the instrument case (carefully locked, with the key in his pocket...) is EMPTY!!?

kmt63, I like teachers to be up front too. With several instrument teachers plus short-term teachers when we are in NZ, I agree that teachers can have surprisingly different expectations - even though it's easy for both parents or teachers to assume that their own preferences are "just common sense".

CD, strictly speaking you're charging for the lesson as a unit, not by the minute, so there's no reason why you shouldn't work out your optimum hourly rate and then figure out what 35 minutes would be worth and charge that for your lessons, so each lesson includes 30 minutes' teaching time, and a 5-minute share of the 10-minute swap-over time. That gives you time to update your records too!

[schubert]

This business of writing note names on - it really does not help children as they simply look at the note names and not the values or position on the stave. Sometimes if I am aware this is happening we use my book in the lesson, not theirs, to check what they can do, especially when sightreading a new piece.
If the pupil is old enough to understand how simple codes work and enjoy coded messages, I explain that music is a secret code understood only by clever people who want to play music, and after all there is no point in having a code then writing out the message for EVERYBODY to understand - I have found this works.We then write a few words in code in their practice record eg CAGE or CABBAGE then I ask them to write one or two of their own making for the next lesson.

[chocolatedog]

pop the champagne if they remember to actually bring their instrument

What about boys who insist on carrying everything themselves, preventing parents from discovering till way too late that the instrument case (carefully locked, with the key in his pocket...) is EMPTY!!?

kmt63, I like teachers to be up front too. With several instrument teachers plus short-term teachers when we are in NZ, I agree that teachers can have surprisingly different expectations - even though it's easy for both parents or teachers to assume that their own preferences are "just common sense".

CD, strictly speaking you're charging for the lesson as a unit, not by the minute, so there's no reason why you shouldn't work out your optimum hourly rate and then figure out what 35 minutes would be worth and charge that for your lessons, so each lesson includes 30 minutes' teaching time, and a 5-minute share of the 10-minute swap-over time. That gives you time to update your records too!

Unfortunately I can't do that yet as it's not time for my rates to go up, but I still reckon parents would feel they were paying for 35 minutes and only getting 30.

[stevensfo]

pop the champagne if they remember to actually bring their instrument

Our 12 yr old plays trumpet in the school's Big band and the orchestra (if it doesn't clash with a football match (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) )

Picture a Saturday morning in June, getting ready to take him to his concert. Typical 12 yr old, he makes sure he has everything: hair gel, mobile phone, mp3 player, comb etc.

Ten minutes from the house, a loud scream from the back seat. He's forgotten his trumpet! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

At least his brother doesn't have this problem. The piano won't fit in the boot!

Steve

[Watermelon sugar]

I suppose parents like to feel they control something. The various TV "watchdog"-style programmes suggest that adults have handed over the driving of their lives to so many outsiders and specialists in blind faith, they'll tend to grab at anything they understand.

Most adults buy their TVs, cars, have their homes maintained without ever knowing what's what, and they've been stripped of so many of parental powers so they're really only puppets to whoever grabs the strings - an authority or seller/hawker/TV ad that insists that some frippery is a must have! So sending a child to a music teacher with no appreciation of what that entails is hardly different except they feel they ought to know something about it.

Some parents/adults are more aware of what's going on but they seem increasingly in the minority. The best thing for everyone is to wise up to what they're buying before they buy it.

Ws

[SteveHopwood]

Unfortunately I can't do that yet as it's not time for my rates to go up, but I still reckon parents would feel they were paying for 35 minutes and only getting 30.

They would, for sure.

[diapason]

I have a pupil who studies both keyboard and piano with me. During his first lesson, at which his mother was present (and continues to be so) I was aware of something happening behind me - Mother was videoing the lesson - sans permission!!
I made some comment about "smile to camera" and continued not wanting to upset a new apple cart.
This practise has continued, yet not once has she asked if I mind.
Once, when she didn't attend the lesson, I asked the pupil what happened to the video. He told me that he had to watch them before each practise session and often they were copied and sent to relatives in Hong Kong
Eventually I asked Mum why she did it, and was told that the previous teacher ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) remains silent on that one) said it was a modern idea and saved keeping a notebook!!

I have recently successfully reverted the situation to a notebook, which I get the boy to write in while I dictate the notes often asking him what he thinks he NEEDS to make comments about. He seems happy about it and Ma hasn't complained.

Sorry if I've gone "off thread"

[Mrs KW]

pop the champagne if they remember to actually bring their instrument

Our 12 yr old plays trumpet in the school's Big band and the orchestra (if it doesn't clash with a football match (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) )

Picture a Saturday morning in June, getting ready to take him to his concert. Typical 12 yr old, he makes sure he has everything: hair gel, mobile phone, mp3 player, comb etc.

Ten minutes from the house, a loud scream from the back seat. He's forgotten his trumpet! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

At least his brother doesn't have this problem. The piano won't fit in the boot!

Steve

I am the long-suffering mother of a tuba player. One benefit of such a ludicrously proportioned instrument is that it doesn't accidentally get left anywhere. You can't help but know where the thing is at all times! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[zoda]

When my daughter also started to play the harp

Sorry to go off topic, but I'm not sure if PMs are getting notified at the moment.

Suzukimom - my daughter's at a stage of choosing an instrument for her junior strings project lessons. She had never heard a harp before and has now become mad keen on it after one demonstration from a harpist. Until this point I had absolutely no knowledge about harps, but googling around a bit there seem to be a lot of questions which I wonder if you can help with, so we can assess how realistic an option this is;

- If you want to play classical music do you tend to start on a lever harp with a view to playing a pedal harp later? If so, how far can you get on the lever harp (eg gradewise) before you would first consider changing? If you do subsequently change to a pedal harp does that mean all those silky skills learnt operating the levers on the lever harp become worthless? Are pedal harp scales easy due to the ability to fix the right accidentals before you start the scale? Is a lever harp a difficult instrument to play in ensemble music, due to the greater difficulties in changing key as against a pedal harp? Is my research into pedal harps accurate in that they deteriorate in value, but new ones cost in the region of $US179,000 down to $US10,000 for the "Petite" range without 47 strings? Do harpists get an orchestral gig about once every 300 concerts? Are you supposed to lug your harp about with you, or have a harp in every port, a bit like with pianos?

sorry about that splurge, but if you (or anyone else) could help with any of it I'd be most grateful!

[kmt63]

Unfortunately I can't do that yet as it's not time for my rates to go up, but I still reckon parents would feel they were paying for 35 minutes and only getting 30.

They would, for sure.

I am really sorry if I have mis-lead anyone. My comment on the 25min lesson in a 30 min slot was really an observation only. I have no objection to being expected to pack up/breakdown in the lesson time providing I am told this is the case.

When I book a music lesson I see it has hiring the teacher I pay for his/her time if my child take 30mins out of the teachers time that is what i sould pay. But I should reasonably expect to get more teaching in the time than anything else LOL children allowing of course!

I have ben really luck and had very good teacher who are all professional while maintaining a good relationship with myself and the children its a difficult balance to strike but when you do it nice!

You sound like my sort of parent, kmt63.

Don't live anywhere near Gainsborough, do you?

Steve (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Unfortunatly not as you sound like my sort of teacher. Being professional in terms of your music and your lessons and striking a good relationship with your students.

As dad all I really want to know is what is happening and if there are problems how I can help.

Being business like and kind hearted are not always mutually exclusive just normally percieved as such.

If I move your way I will look you up for some piano for my nippers!!

[sarah-flute]

- If you want to play classical music do you tend to start on a lever harp with a view to playing a pedal harp later? If so, how far can you get on the lever harp (eg gradewise) before you would first consider changing?

I don't know whether it's normal to do one or the other first, but I do know that level harp (clarsach) is now available to be examined right up to grade 8.

Due to the nature of key changes on the level harp, even at grade 8 you don't have to do melodic minors, and *as far as I'm aware* none of the scales would require a lever change right in the middle of a scale.

Is a lever harp a difficult instrument to play in ensemble music, due to the greater difficulties in changing key as against a pedal harp?

Depends to a certain extent on what the music is written for... pedal harps are able to play in any key, lever harps have more restrictions in that, and it's different changing key or similar in the middle of a piece... music written for it would not cause a problem as these things are taken into account - ie I have a copy of the Bach prelude in C which the Gounod Ave Maria goes with, and because it has been specifically arranged for lever harp all the lever changes are marked in.

Is my research into pedal harps accurate in that they deteriorate in value

Depends on how good the harp is... if you are very fortunate (like me) then your harp can actually rise in value considerably (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

A decent harp should hopefully improve with age a bit like a violin, as the soundboard settles and it mellows, especially if it is well looked after (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If you look in the almost top right hand corner of your screen in the pale blue toolbar, it should tell you whether you have any messages: the PMs are working, for me at least.

Sorry I'm not that knowledgable but if I can help any other way ask or PM or whatever. Talk to erard who is a knowledgable harpist, and I'm sure there are others round here too... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (have no brain and no other names spring to mind!)

[Kflute]

I started on a pedal harp, but I was a full size person when I began!!!!

[sarah-flute]

but I was a full size person when I began!!!!

Hehehe, whereas a small girl is maybe half-sized!

I think you can get pedal harps suitabler for littluns though.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

This post has been edited by sarah-flute: Nov 25 2005, 05:09 PM

[Season]

Quote :
"Due to the nature of key changes on the level harp, even at grade 8 you don't have to do melodic minors, and *as far as I'm aware* none of the scales would require a lever change right in the middle of a scale."

You do have to do melodic minors. Beginning at grade 5 you have melodic minor scales with one hand playing and the other hand flipping levers.

Usually you do start on a lever harp. If the aim is to eventually graduate to a pedal harp, you need to make sure that whatever lever harp you are buying/renting has full concert tension strings. (This is very important in order to build strength and facility from the beginning.) You can even begin with a lap harp (2 oct.) which is much less expensive to start with.

There is a fair amount of ensemble music out there for lever harps. If it is written for lever harp it is not any more difficult to play than pedal harp music played on a pedal harp.

If you do go out and buy a pedal harp, make SURE you have a knowledgeable harpist or harp technician look at it before committing to it. It is too easy to buy a bad harp and not know it. The harp should be able to hold its value at least. (If well played and taken care of.)

One question. Where do you live Zoda? I noticed you were using US money values, is that just because you are looking at US made harps or is that where you live?

[zoda]

Thanks, Sarah-Flute and Season, and to those who have PM'd me about harps - I'm beginning to get a clearer picture of what the issues are and how to think things through. I think the plan at the moment is to explore a little more about the practicalities - cost, how long it takes to tune a harp has been mentioned, and various other factors, and if JSP think we can find a way through all this, to give real thought to going with our daughter's preference. Season - I live in Chester. You are right, the websites are in $US and I couldn't be bothered to find the conversion. Also US$179,000 for a new harp just sounded like a nice round sum to quote (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)