Piano teachers teaching singing, why? Options

[VerityG]

Before I start, I should point out that I mean piano teachers who have not studied singing, but think that after accompanying so many singers, they are fit to teacher singing.
I have only recently started teaching and I was wondering if any other singing teachers struggle with it? My old singing teacher said that she spends half her life correcting the mistakes taught by piano teachers teaching singing. In my own experience, I've been on here before talking about one of my young students, a 10yr old singer. She turned up to the first session, and sang exactly as I would expect a beginner to sing, her voice was completely raw. After the lesson, the mother told me that the girl had been taking singing lessons for a year and she had sung through the whole grade 2 book, could I please pick the songs for grade 2 and enter her for June. I was horrified that someone could have a year of lessons, yet sound so raw. There was no way I was putting her in for grade 2! With a bit of diplomacy I talked her out of it. At the next lesson, I quizzed the pupil and found out that it was her piano teacher who taught her and they had just sung four songs from the grade 1 book and then moved onto the grade 2 book. I'm so angry that this teacher led both mother and daughter to be believe that she was grade 2 standard when in fact she isn't even grade 1 standard! What a waste of a year's worth of lessons, thankfully the teacher did no damage, but she didn't do anything at all! What a waste of money. And I seriously worry about the teacher's methods in general when her only focus in the exams. The mother isn't musical and so she seems to have been led to believe that exams are all that music is about. It's such a shame for a girl of only 10. She's currently studying for grade 5 theory and her grade 6 piano.
Verity
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[miffy]

Best to move on from where you are now, fill in any gaps you feel are missing etc. Unless you know exact circumstances (or even if you do) it's best not to too verbal about a previous teacher and I assume this is her current piano teacher that she is still with? The girl sounds musical, so enjoy.
And look on the bright side, being taught singing by a piano teacher, she may even be able to read the music.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hides.gif)

Possibly only if the notes have numbers above them though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[violincjj]

Best to move on from where you are now, fill in any gaps you feel are missing etc. Unless you know exact circumstances (or even if you do) it's best not to too verbal about a previous teacher and I assume this is her current piano teacher that she is still with? The girl sounds musical, so enjoy.
And look on the bright side, being taught singing by a piano teacher, she may even be able to read the music.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hides.gif)

Possibly only if the notes have numbers above them though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Blimey, it's not as easy as it used to be to start a squabble on here is it?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)



It seems to me that singing teachers more than any other kind tend to disagree with their colleagues about methods. There are simply more ways of teaching and learning singing than there are of teaching and learing the piano, perhaps.

I don't think personally that there is anything at all wrong with being a 'song' teacher for young kids while also giving some very gentle hints about breathing and voice production, this can be done while 'doing no harm' and keeping the voice natural.

Maybe the piano teacher can do this! Or the violin teacher!

[Dugazon]

I don't think personally that there is anything at all wrong with being a 'song' teacher for young kids while also giving some very gentle hints about breathing and voice production, this can be done while 'doing no harm' and keeping the voice natural.

Of course everyone can teach musicianship through a bit of singing, but at no point should student or parent be made to believe this is the same as teaching singing (technique). Needless to say that parents themselves sometimes don't understand the difference (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

"Gentle hints about breathing and voice production" also imply actually being equipped to give these, and having sufficient knowledge about the voice. As soon as you teach voice production, you are not just teaching musicianship through singing anymore.

It's like the difference between teaching someone to "somehow" play a tune on the piano (can also be done without harm to the student), with no focus on posture, handshape and fingering, and actually teaching them to do it with proper technique. Both are okay, depending on goal (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

There are many people who can help a singer at any given point, not all of them teach technique (I coincidentally wrote a blog about this recently). It has to be clear though what's required, and student expectations and what the teacher can offer need to be matched. If the student wants to just sing a few songs and isn't bothered about technique, a song teacher is okay. If they want to learn singing technique, they need someone who can teach it. Quite simple really.

It's right though: If you get a student who's been taught bad (or no) technique, you should just try to undo it as best you can and not dwell on it, especially not in front of the student. You can't help but wonder sometimes though - and occasionally think you should also start teaching any instrument you ever laid hands on (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)