I know there have been a number of threads about people feeling that maybe they should change teachers because of various problems. I would be interested to hear from pupils, parents and teachers about what happens when someone has to change teachers because of outside circumstances (such as moving house).

The reason I ask is to help me make a decision about my daughter. The local secondary school she will go to in September 2008 (so we still have time to think about it) has a class with a music option. The children in this class spend two afternoons a week at the local music school where they have a 30 minute (or 45 minute depending on their level) individual instrumental lesson, take part in (depending on age and level) a full orchestra, wind band/string orchestra, jazz band, chamber music ensembles, choir and have classes in music theory, history of music (for the older ones) and aural/practical musicianship. If they play a second instrument then they have lessons in the other instrument outside school time.

My problem is that the music school is owned and run by the town and that secondary education is run by the departement (the French equvialent of a county). The instrumental teachers in the town music school and the county music service are sometimes (but not always) the same so that if my daughter goes into this class she will have to change teachers and we are trying to decide which instrument to choose.

By the time she goes to secondary school she will have been learning the cello for five years and the trombone for two and she likes both her teachers. The school's policy is to favour an orchestral instrument over the piano and then to try and balance the instruments they already have (so for instance they are not over keen on flute players). I know that they would like some extra cellos and they currently have no trombones so, although I don't know if this would be a positive or a negative point as they would have to recruit a teacher just for her, I am assuming that she will be given a choice of instrument.

The final choice will, of course, be hers but any ideas on what we should be thinking about will be gratefully received.

What a wonderful opportunity for your daughter!

I recently changed my teacher because my previous teacher moved abroad. I had loved her teaching, and there was a lot more that I could have learned from her had she still been in England. The change has not been a happy one for me, and will cause me to think twice about changing teachers in the future.

However, there is so much more on offer here than just a lesson, so I think I might be inclined to change so that she has all the other advantages.

I have had some negative experiences with teachers for my daughter who is 12. I still don't feel I have found one who has a genuine interest in how their pupil progresses apart from just passing their exam and getting their money. There are many good teachers out there who have a real interest in their job and who making money is not the only motive for their work, but i have'nt yet found that person. My daughter is currently doing her grade 5 in piano, and did well in her previous exams getting distinctions in them all, except grade 2 (merit.) I help her with the pieces and sight reading but other things like ear tests and scales and theory i'm not very good at so i feel she needs a qualified teacher . But i would advice you to try and get reccomendations from students. I currently pay £25 per half hour, but many teachers charge that for an hour. This particular teacher assured me that her pupils had the opportunity to play in a recital several times a year, this has not been the case and because she can't keep her word well i am looking for someone who can. Another of the teachers would carry her frequent bad mood into a lesson, which is just unproffesionalism, and creates a very negative atmosphere during the lesson. My advice to you, is definitely try and speak to someone who will recommend a teacher because of their own positive and rewarding experience with that person. Thats what i'll be doing next time for sure.

Just a crazy thought - is your daughter's trombone teacher looking for some more work? - perhaps she would like to teach at the music school? It sounds like a fantastic set up. That way she could keep both her current teachers.

I think you should discuss this with her current teachers. There is plenty of time, so they will not be losing her imminently. You may get some useful suggestions from them. There may be practical considerations from one of them which would mean a change of teacher anyway on moving schools. They may know the new teachers already. If your daughter gets on well with her current teachers they would probably be happy to take her back again if the new arrangements didn't work out.

My experiences with my daughter have generally been positive on changing teachers - she had a change of singing and drum teachers on moving to secondary school. The singing teacher knew her previous teacher quite well and simply picked up where she left off, a very satisfactory transfer. However the drum teacher spent a year completely starting from scratch with her technique, which was completely wrong apparently, so we were glad to have been 'rescued' (from a teacher who was lovely, but clearly not very good - hard to spot if your child naturally plays quite well as she has a good sense of rhythm and you don't play the instrument in question)!

The opportunities on offer at your daughter's new school with orchestra, choir, windband etc sound great - too good to miss.

I did think about this but her trombone teacher lives 100km away. He comes to the music school for a full day on Wednesdays (when she currently has her lesson) and I can't see him wanting to do a 200km round trip on another day to give one 30 minute lesson.

I haven't actually broached the subject with her teachers yet but I'm fairly sure that the trombone teacher will try and talk my daughter into staying with him as he has very few pupils and hasn't actually filled all his slots. (The trombone is not a popular instrument here). The cello teacher on the other hand would be able to replace her easily.

Another thing which is a bit delicate to ask about is that her cello teacher had a baby about two and a half years ago so my daughter had no lessons for about four months (while the school found a replacement) and then had a different teacher for the following year when the cello teacher took parental leave. Part of me thinks that if the cello teacher is going to have another baby it is likely to be in the not too distant future, in which case my daughter will end up with another teacher anyway.

I realy liked my piano teacher, but I had to change teachers becuase of moving house.

So did you find it hard and how long did it take to settle down with your new teacher?

I didn't find it too hard to settle in, because I knew her already.
I changed house from Japan to England(because of my brother's GCSEs), but before then, my family use to stay in england 4 months a year, so I had lesson for 1/2 months with her before going to Japan, and then leaving Japan to live in England


I found it hard to say a good bye to my old teacher though.

That would be a long commute

Is your daughter's cello teacher likely to know the teachers at the school, kerioboe? If the current teacher can give you some honest feedback on the school teachers that might help your decision.

How long do you have to decide? It does sound like a great opportunity.

I think it can be quite a healthy thing in general to change teachers after a few years. However good a teacher is, it can be benficial after 4-5 years to get a different perspective and point of view about your playing.

One issue is that it sounds as if you are unlikely to have much choice of teacher for whichever instrument is taught in the new school. If you know the cello teacher in the secondary school and she is good then fine, but otherwise you are rather taking pot luck with the teacher you get and it won't be easy to change within the school system.

My very first piano teacher, about 5-6ish years ago, I really loved, she was so kind.
Had to move when moved house. Unfortunately, next teacher was horrible. Too much emphasis on perfect action and technique, not enough on, well, loving + listening to music. Which is horrible, especially as I was only about 13 at the time. Trying to force a grade 3 student to roll fingers constantly constantly constantly is just plain mean...
Then switched to another (lovely) teacher after about a year of torture, who we found just opposite our house, so handy! Have had her to grade 8 (got 132 yay!). Will start diploma in September.

All in all, make sure you switch if you don't like your teacher! Especially if you get lumped with one due to outside circumstances...