Viohazard's current violin teacher just e-mailed with the 4th change of time for this weekend's lesson. At least there is actually a lesson planned this weekend...Viohazard probably had around 10 lessons in the year since he took his G. 8 last June, although the current mood appears to be more active.

I suppose it's not impossible to adapt to these changes of schedule in most cases, but it gets a bit wearing. To tell the truth, I get the impression that the teacher thinks this is how great teachers work, magnaminously squeezing a lesson into their hectic professional life.

Grump grump!

Oh dear, how annoying! I have to say I know some people who work like that...they don't show their pupils much respect but charge a flippin fortune!

Not really cricket in my book.

In this case, it's not a case of maestro teaching the select few in odd hours, it's a guy whose weekend teaching of Viohazard and maybe one or two others is the last outpost of his dwindling involvement with music.

He gave Viohazard a real shot in the arm when Viohazard started taking lessons from him 4 years ago, and a lot of that was because he taught Viohazard as he had just recently been taught at university himself. That was the good side. The bad side seems to be that he feels this ad hoc planning is how grown ups teach?! With Viohazard entering senior high school, weekends are busy enough without extra confusion.

Ah well. Gotta take the rough with the smooth, I suppose.

Sympathies - that's exactly the reason why I mainly concentrate on teaching these days and have cut down on performing considerably.
I always find that I cannot do both to an extent that I am pleased with either side. There are people out there who manage to do so, but I always find that one or the other suffers (mind you I am a bit of a perfectionist ). So these days, it is mainly teaching with occasional performing on a smallish scale ...

There might be other reasons for these shifts in schedule of course ...

Highly organized guitar teacher teaches 3 weeks and performs for the remaining 1-2 weeks of the month...

Maybe it is time for another change of teacher then? Is Viohazard still getting enough of a 'shot' from the lessons to make the hassle worth while?

This is definitely not the way grown-ups teach. He is basically saying that he will give you a lesson at his convenience unless he gets a better offer. Not much of a basis for a rewarding teacher-pupil relationship IMO.

Groan...went to the rescheduled lesson, no teacher...no reply to e-mail...on returning home and going through all mails, it looks as if the final "change" was in fact a re-sent earlier e-mail that somehow arrived at both our e-mail addresses 12 hours after the 3rd re-schedule e-mail. Since he'd referred to "tomorrow" rather than the specific date, both Viohazard and I thought it was a new time. This has happened before, and I've asked him to say "Saturday" or "Sunday", but the habit didn't last, sadly.

At present, the question is whether just to lie low and see how matters work out, or whether to make a formal request for better organization, even if a change of teacher is imminent.

I think you should say something. He doesn't seem to realise that this is totally inconvenient for you and your son. I would like to think that if you mentioned the problem he might cop on and sort himself out. Maybe he just doesn't realise what he is at! The fact that these problems are on-going says to me that you should complain.

Definitely sounds like an idea to find a new teacher though.

What I would also recommend: Don't arrange lessons by e-mail, and ask him to do the same. No one can be expected to check their e-mail account every 30 min., and I found myself that appointments that are made this way have the tendency to go wrong - too many crossed wires ...

Phone or at least text ...

Things like texting and SMS have disappeared from Japanese mobile phones! I think like most Japanese he probably gets home from work too late to phone - and to be honest, at least I have a record with e-mails, despite problems.

I'd be happier if he would at least give a suggested time for the next lesson at the end of each lesson, but asking him to do that just results in more changes than usual, so it seems wisest to let him take the initiative.

Viohazard went off to lesson at Time # 3 this morning, and teacher was full of giggles about how Viohazard had accidentally come at the wrong time the day before (he'd heard from the venue's owner)...Viohazard didn't have the heart to suggest that he try not to send vaguely worded multiple e-mails!

No plan to change teachers just yet - his teacher finally understood that Viohazard was serious about missing ensemble work (hasn't played with another string player in the 4 years he's been learning from this teacher), and they are to spend a few weeks playing the Bach double violin concerto together. Viohazard was really looking forward to it, and enjoyed his lesson, though hoping that the teacher won't forget that they are halfway through a Brahms sonata...

Oh, the Bach Double is gorgeous (though sadly not the way I play it ) - I hope he will have a really good time playing that!

Thanks Sarah - as his teacher pointed out, most people play the Bach double so early that they only learn 1 movement and miss out on all the fun. I don't think Viohazard has even played the 1st movement with another violinist before.

That was the music we were buying when I spotted a flute fair at the music store!

Yay for Bach leading to flute fairs - excellent combination!

I was lucky enough to play in the chamber orchestra at school when a couple of (much more capable!) violinists played the Double, we did the whole thing and it was FANTASTIC!

Did end up playing the 2nd movement with Janexxx at a forum concert a couple of years back - was fun, though more for us than the listeners I fear

Gorgeous, wonderful piece. I'm sure he will love it and playing with others is one of my very favourite things to do musically!

I can't remember when he actually learned the first movement of the Bach Double....but I'm positive it didn't sound the way it has been sounding this week after they had their first session playing together.


It....uh, they.....I mean, this is SWUNG BACH! And I mean heavily swung! The teacher's only actual playing over the past few years has been "quartet lite", so I'm guessing that he doesn't realize what he and Bach are getting up to !

Bobby McFerrin eat your heart out