More Warning Bells, But NOT pupil Options

[diapason]

I have recently been approached by the parents of a young teenager who are hearing warning bells about the previous teacher.

The story so far. Young person dabbled around at the piano for some while, decided he wanted formal piano lessons and to take GCSE music at local grammar school.

Local teacher found, lessons commenced in November 2006. By February 2007 teacher wants him to take Grade 5. As weeks progress, the date of the exam is pushed ever further into the year, until a date was set for July 2007.
Young person and parents are feeling a little uneasy about this - all a bit hasty, perhaps.

They tracked me down and asked my opinion. I said that from November to July - Zero to Grade 5 is a bit of a steep incline - is he another Mozart??

I was asked to take him on, to which I agreed. At the first lesson, I asked to see the pieces he was preparing for Grade 5. One of them was produced and to my horror, every note had been lettered. I asked if the other two pieces had been given the same treatment, and his reply was that the other two pieces had not yet been chosen - FOR AN EXAM IN JULY ???? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)
I asked what would happen if I gave him a "clean" copy of the one and only piece, and he readily admitted that he would not be able to play it.
To not bore you with other horrific tales, I move swiftly to the scales.
Scales??? What scales??? The young person had been told that he did not need to play scales. For this board, scales are NOT an option.
Sight-reading -what's that? Aural tests (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

Then in self-defence he tells me that "the others in the group need the letters on the music as well"
It seems he is learning Grade 5 piano - in a group of 4 - and being charged £12 for 30mins.

Have I missed my way?? Do I lack the art of money-making??

[hero]

I am SO shocked to hear this... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) and it is not the boy's fault as such... this is terrible...

[Cyrilla]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[Hammerklavier]

I have recently been approached by the parents of a young teenager who are hearing warning bells about the previous teacher.

The story so far. Young person dabbled around at the piano for some while, decided he wanted formal piano lessons and to take GCSE music at local grammar school.

Local teacher found, lessons commenced in November 2006. By February 2007 teacher wants him to take Grade 5. As weeks progress, the date of the exam is pushed ever further into the year, until a date was set for July 2007.
Young person and parents are feeling a little uneasy about this - all a bit hasty, perhaps.

They tracked me down and asked my opinion. I said that from November to July - Zero to Grade 5 is a bit of a steep incline - is he another Mozart??

I was asked to take him on, to which I agreed. At the first lesson, I asked to see the pieces he was preparing for Grade 5. One of them was produced and to my horror, every note had been lettered. I asked if the other two pieces had been given the same treatment, and his reply was that the other two pieces had not yet been chosen - FOR AN EXAM IN JULY ???? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)
I asked what would happen if I gave him a "clean" copy of the one and only piece, and he readily admitted that he would not be able to play it.
To not bore you with other horrific tales, I move swiftly to the scales.
Scales??? What scales??? The young person had been told that he did not need to play scales. For this board, scales are NOT an option.
Sight-reading -what's that? Aural tests (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

Then in self-defence he tells me that "the others in the group need the letters on the music as well"
It seems he is learning Grade 5 piano - in a group of 4 - and being charged £12 for 30mins.

Have I missed my way?? Do I lack the art of money-making??

This is a true horror story. Thank goodness you came along!

Are you still working with this boy? Hopefully you are and are therefore rescuing him from a dreadful fate.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[maggiemay]

eeek!
sounds as though some incompetent thought he could make a quick buck.
Worse than my warning bells I think !

Hope you can rescue the situation for this boy, Diapason.

[skylark]

He/she is no better than the Rogue Traders you see on television (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I suppose you get them in every line of work, but it's both shocking and sad when it has such a devastating effect on a child's development. Thank goodness these parents have seen the light, and hopefully word will get round....

[helly burnet]

I'm afraid it's shocking , but sadly this ort of thing does happen by the occasional unscrupulous individual. Sadly, it is difficult to enforce any quality control. An examiner for the AB I know said she had one notorious brass teacher who would only teach pieces - anything else they managed was a bonus. Scales ? No chance. She said she knew she was in for a bad week of exceptionally low marks when this teacher's pupils came in. Then, in contrast, she'd have a week at Chethams with stunning results. Whether the AB can take action or not when they see a teacher's results coming in consistently low, I don't know.

[skylark]

Whether the AB can take action or not when they see a teacher's results coming in consistently low, I don't know.

I've put a suggestion on the Chief Examiners thread - it would be good if the AB could do something.

Perhaps also good teachers could be more forthright in addressing the issue? If all good teachers had web sites and if all those web sites promoted (either directly or indirectly) what parents and students should be looking for in a good teacher, then bad teachers would find it more difficult to make a living out of trusting and unsuspecting pupils. This teacher's pupils probably think that his/her practices are the norm because they don't know any different....

[pianodub]

bad teachers would find it more difficult to make a living out of trusting and unsuspecting pupils.

That's the unfortunate thing isn't it? For most people finding a private teacher is a total leap of faith, one which can sometimes go very wrong. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Good luck Diapason...hope he flourishes now with your help.

[nic]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

This makes me so mad!

Hopefully once the parents of your new student see the results he is getting with you, they will mention something to the other parents and word will get around.

[sarah-flute]

To not bore you with other horrific tales, I move swiftly to the scales.
Scales??? What scales??? The young person had been told that he did not need to play scales.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

It seems he is learning Grade 5 piano - in a group of 4 - and being charged £12 for 30mins.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[bevpiano]

This is so appalling. It's amazing people are prepared to pay so much for so little, but they obviously don't realise. I know I've had prospective parents say my fee is so much more than they pay for dancing lessons, when the child is in a group of 20 or 30 at dance class. Some parents have so little idea about music lessons, they can be taken in by somebody so unscrupulous. The trouble is, some people will be taken in because they're "on grade 5, already" & not realise they're not doing it properly. Eventually, people must realise, I suppose, when the whole class fails badly. What an ordeal the exam would be, too, as the pupils start to realise they haven't learnt any of the things they're being asked. I've had new pupils on occasion who have been very ill-prepared for an exam by a previous teacher, but never anything as bad as this.

I heard at an ABRSM seminar once that the Board can & occasionally does ban teachers from entering in a few cases when they've consistently entered candidates who are very well below the pass standard. I think it was Clara Taylor who said, but I'm not absolutely sure - it was some years ago.

[SueHM]

I heard at an ABRSM seminar once that the Board can & occasionally does ban teachers from entering in a few cases when they've consistently entered candidates who are very well below the pass standard. I think it was Clara Taylor who said, but I'm not absolutely sure - it was some years ago.

I think I've heard that too. Presumably word will eventually get round about this teacher. Unfortunately, I don't think here is much you can do yourself.

Sorry, slightly off topic, but I can't understand the lack of interest that some parents take in their children's progress. The requirements for exams are all clearly printed in the exam booklets with the pieces - don't they read this and realise that something is wrong?

[flute fanatic]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

diapson: I usually hear this sort of thing happen in secondary school music departments i.e. GCSE work, but i'm shocked to hear this. Haven't the parents detected anything bad? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[dacapo]

Sorry, slightly off topic, but I can't understand the lack of interest that some parents take in their children's progress. The requirements for exams are all clearly printed in the exam booklets with the pieces - don't they read this and realise that something is wrong?

I assume you mean the exam syllabus. Parents with no musical background often don't realise that there is information freely available that they could look at and find out exactly what's required (even without Web access). Most of them probably don't read up on the school curriculum to check up on what and how their children are being taught. I've always felt that I have a specially heavy responsibility towards pupils who are first generation musicians in their families, and towards their parents. It's a new world and a new language for them. As an accompanist I often find myself explaining in detail to the parents of exam candidates what they have committed themselves and their children to. Some teachers are extremely bad at even making it clear what the exam entry fee covers, so the need to pay an accompanist comes as an unwelcome shock, often only a few weeks before the exam.