Hi, Do people think it is OK to have a teacher when you are already teaching yourself? I have recently started teaching a few beginners (children and adults) piano. I reached grade 7 piano (I have grade 8 brass too) back 20 years ago and then stopped playing almost completely to concentrate on brass (and other non-musical career commitments) until 3/4 years ago. I am now enjoying playing piano more than I ever did as a child and feel that, through my own hard work in the last couple of years am now easily back to the standard I was 20 years ago - possibly better. However, I want to progress my technique and ability further and would love to have a teacher again - both for my personal benefit, and for the pupils. But I am concerned that it may be a bit of a stigma to be having lessons when you teach others. Anybody got any thoughts/advice on this?

Not only do I think it's OK, I think it's actually rather important. In my view it shows, apart from anything else, that you take your own music seriously.

Having someone who can act as a mentor, who can help you evaluate your own playing technique and develop it, who can be a source of advice when in difficulties, off whom you can bounce new ideas - all of these and more are invaluable for any teacher.

I don't have a problem with me (as a teacher) having lessons from someone else, I think it's generally a good thing.

However, I'm not having lessons myself at the moment, and am at a bit of a loss where I would find someone for my level... (Not being snobby or anything - but I am probably your average music teacher with a music degree, so I don't know where to find someone who isn't exactly the same!). Anyone got any ideas? I'd be looking for a London pro, I suppose, but they don't exactly advertise themselves.

to tell you of my recent experience - G8 and last piano lesson over 20 years ago, been teaching for 4 months. My playing always receives positive feedback, but there was something in the back of my mind. I took 2 pieces to a local teacher and it was painful - I couldn't control his piano ot my satisfaction and he found a few musical and technical points ofr me to work on. I've worked on these with the 2 pieces and am really pleased with the results - just steeling myself to ring up for more.
I imagine one would want someone quite a bit better than oneself rather than around the same level. The person I saw was a friend of a friend, so get networking.

I still have a teacher. She is the lady I studied with at Trinity College of Music. She has become a personal friend, and is also a mentor for my own teaching. She will be helping me in my preparation for FRSM when I finish my OU degree.
As I said on another thread - we charge good money for lessons, and our students deserve us to be keeping up/improving our skills. In fact ISM require you to partake in continual personal development to be on their Teachers' Register.
Don't forget that lessons (and travelling to them) are tax deductible.

Claire - have you tried contacting any conservatoire professors? You can get the names off the conservatoires' websites. I guess this would be the sort of standard you are looking for. But you need to be prepared to travel. I make a 250 mile round trip for my lessons.

I think it's incredibly important to be taught oneself, for a variety of reasons.

When you teach, you are 'giving out' all the time, and you need petrol put back in the tank...in terms of learning new repertoire, new techniques and ideas, and just in terms of general refreshment.

It is also excellent experience to be back in the role of learner - you see things from a totally different perspective and understand how it FEELS to be the student...it colours how you deal with your own students. It makes you realise how it feels when you can't do something - and you learn from the way your own teacher deals with your problems and shortcomings how to deal with the same sorts of problems with your own students.

I will never ever stop learning and I know that every lesson I have makes me into a better teacher.

gards,

I disagree that there should be a stigma involved in having lessons while teaching. I have several private piano, theory and violin pupils and still have regular weekly piano lessons myself. It means I always have new ideas to pass onto my pupils and my musical ability is,I hope, several steps ahead of my students' ! It's all a matter of personal development and keeping yourself at the top of your game.

denmark77

I still have regular lessons and my tutor has been excellent in giving advice in regards to my teaching. It was he who suggested I started teaching in the first place, otherwise I would have had doubts as to whether I was good enough to do so.

I'm glad to hear there is no stigma - yours and other people's replies are exactly what I wanted to hear! I have been chomping at the bit to have some lessons (after a 20-year gap), but this doubt about whether it's the right thing for a teacher to do was holding me back. In fact, I have just made a call to a local university music head, discussed my needs/aims and have booked my first lesson in. Thanks to everybody's advice - I now feel confident it is the right move. Although nervous, I am very excited about the prospect - and as someone pointed out, it's tax deductable too!!!!

I still have a mentor and teach myself, and one thing you do realise very early on is you have a 'teaching mode' when you notice all the little details and a 'playing mode' where I for one notice not nearly enough. It is incredibly useful to have someone, even of a similar level to you (my mentor though is higher) to look at what you are doing with a different perspective.

The problem I now have is my mentor is now my duet partner, then we both go into player mode. We ended up giving my 11 year old G5 daughter a copy of the music to listen to us with and she came out with some very good suggestions and observations.




be careful on the tax deductable thing, I had an accountant who said it was, then I asked one of my students mum's who is a tax inspector and she said it isn't - the lessons aren't vital to your job, you can claim for courses like the CT abrsm and the exam fees for teaching diploma but not the lessons.

My lovely teacher sent me an M&S token last week. I don't need her to cram notes, but I would not be without her. I may not need weekly lessons anymore, but I really value the time I spend with her.

However do remember that other musicians can mentor you too. Trust and value their opinions, particularly if you have a trusted accompanist. Personally I don't want one who says "darling you were wonderful." I want one who will say, "you went a bit shrill there," or, "that was a bit sharp" or, "what happened to your diction?" I can then draw on my experience amd put it right.

I rely on a proof reader to correct important documents, so why not trust the ears of someone you trust.

Oh I don't know - as long as they start of with 'darling you were wonderful' and then move onto all the criticism I like to have both

I disagree, and have it in writing from the ISM in their leaflet on tax deductible items. You cannot claim the cost of tuition for a new skill, but you can claim it for developing an existing skill. So for me it's singing and piano - to improve my accompanying skills in lessons. All the teachers I know, piano as well as singing claim them back.
Same sort of thing - my daughter qualified as a driving instructor this year. She spoke to Inland Revenue today, and whilst she cannot claim for her initial training costs, she can claim for lessons she has had since qualification - to prepare for the check test, for instance, when instructors are inspected.

I think it's absolutely fine!!

What better way to help understand your own pupils, than to put yourself in their position!

I go for lessons usually once or twice a month as I want to go much further with my playing. Find a teacher who inspires you and can recommend new and exciting repertoire, and the sky's the limit! Your own increased motivation and eagerness will usually rub off on your pupils.

Go for it!!!

I think it's fine too. It can only do you good.

That's summed it up in a nutshell I think.

While I was at Uni my cello teacher, who played in the BBC Philharmonic and also taught at the Royal Northern, had lessons whenever he could. They weren't regular but he always said there's more for everyone to learn.

Yes. Absolutely. It's a 'good thing' to be taught, as well as teach.

Think that covers it in a nutshell!

This thread, and the not-brilliant way I played at a concert last night, has now decided me - I'm going to get a teacher for myself organised. (Surprisingly, my Other Half, who I thought would say we can't afford it, actually supported me when I told him!)

Thanks for everybody's thoughts and advice. I have booked a lesson already!!!!
I just hope that I have not left it too late to improve my piano playing. I got grade 7 (scrape) aged 16, then stopped playing for about 7/8 years, than played just a little on and off for several years, and have only recently (about 2 years) played regularly and seriously again. I am dreading that by abandoning it for so long, my technique will be stuck at grade 6/scrape grade 7 forever!!!!!!
If anyone has any inspiring stories of managing to still improve, despite not playing for years and approaching middle age - that would be a real tonic!

Go for it and take the lessons! I was really surprised to hear that come of my colleagues on the CT course 3 years ago still took lessons... however... on completion of the course one of the first things I did was to arrange some lessons with my mentor, and it didn't take long to realise what a positive step this was! I am now so so glad that I did do this. My playing has been really invigorated, and I would never have considered half the things I have done since had I not taken the plunge. Good luck

I just found a teacher too - I'm a bit scared now!

Well done Claire21. Approaching the teacher's the hard bit. It gets easier after that.