Whilst waiting for a pupil to arrive, I thought I'd check my email only to find they had played to a very well known conductor and it was suggested that they now need a 'Professional Pianist' rather than a mere singer who teaches the piano to teach them and I was to now 'forward the bill'

How would you react in this matter?

I will say that over the Twelve months I have taught this pupil he has made exceptional progress. The 'well known conductor' is also a member of the ISM so should know about Ts and Cs, and this also means I have his email address, postal address and phone number.

The only reason he did not do as well in a recent exam as expected was parental pressure and nerves.

Forward the bill and move on..
could say a lot more but I won't..

What a rude way of going about things We were in a similar situation to the people who sent you the email, in that my son was told to get a new teacher by a conservatoire teacher. However, we talked things through with his teacher, and he still has the occassional lesson with her, even though he now has lessons with the new teacher. We just paid his previous teacher per lesson and she had no terms and conditions, and neither does his new teacher.

Appalling. Forward a bill for your full notice period and then cease all contact. Put it all in a bubble and blow it away.

I remember being dumped in a letter that included the lovely phrase "we thought you could just run through the Grade 8 scales with {name of scabby child} during your notice period." HA! THINK AGAIN! My T & Cs firmly state that tuition during the notice period will be given at MY discretion.

They paid up and I exited left

Tough-Bag x

It's always sad when some pupils move on, but I guess we have to chin up and move on ourselves - you can't win them all. Generally, I don't think things like this should be tackled by e-mail; however, it is a sign of the times, and in some ways, I'd rather be told this way than not at all.

We all have to make informed choices about our teachers. As we develop, our experience grows; this pupil has had the opinion of another professional, and so far as I can see, they can take that advice or leave it. The fact they've taken it is the choice they've made.

If you have a contract with the pupil, then you are, of course, within your rights to enforce any notice period you might have. I'm not sure that the fact the conductor is an ISM member is particularly relevant; I also don't think that the fact you have their address is particularly useful either. If you do contact them, what do you intend to say? So far as I can see, they've offered advice, and your pupil has chosen to take it.

So, whilst it's always sad when pupils move on, particularly when we think we've done a lot for them, I think you do have to move on. The situation may not have been handled in the way you'd have liked, but you can't reverse that now.

Awww..Seer Green you are soo diplomatic..
The rest of us just want to kick 'em in the shins

Well, I might want to do that too, but in the end, it doesn't do any good.

I agree - least said, soonest mended.

It happened to me, too. The person even refused to pay my notice period. I then found out they had moved and so couldn't enforce it. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth at my end.
Some time later they applied for membership of the ISM. I found out about it through someone else who had been asked to sign their application form. I then wrote and opposed the application on the grounds that they owed me money and were in breach of contract. They weren't successful at that time, but later did become a member. I hope now that one or more of their pupils has s*** on them. What goes around comes around. We just never get to know about it (more's the pity! )

Being a bit of a coward myself, I can sort of understand why people avoid confrontation by doing things like this by email, but I do think it is rude and unnecessary and they should have the decency to speak to you properly.

At least they have indicated that they are going to pay you, so I should send your bill in quickly, while they are still feeling guilty (presumably), take the money and forget it. No point in getting bitter and twisted. And definitely don?t make contact with the conductor chappie - it can only end badly. Perhaps he was the one who advised them that they should pay you in lieu of notice?

Is this usual fpr T&C? To say "you must pay me but I will decide whether you're getting anything for it"? To be honest, however badly you've been treated, that doesn't sound quite legal to me.

You have my sympathy. I've been dumped by SMS twice this year!

Sorry to hear about that jod. It is always hard to lose a pupil in whom one has invested but as Seer Green says, they are free to make the decision to either come or go. However, I don't think there is any excuse for going in an unpleasant manner. There are ways to do things and ways not to do them.

I was on the receiving end of a nasty situation earlier this summer. I did all I could to keep things polite and civilised in spite of the underlying unpleasantness and all I got for py pains was a nasty paragraph about me in a local magazine (and how careful they were to avoid actually being libellous!) and a vile email. but as others have said, in the end we just have to tell ourselves that some people simply do not know how to behave.

Sympathies to you, Jod - although at least they did say to 'forward the bill' !!!

And to you too Aquarelle - I hadn't realised it had got so bitter and personal (and I note that your post was at 5.20 a.m. !!! I do hope that was because the dog woke you up and not because nasty, worthless people are invading your beauty sleep).

The bit I would object to is referring to the fact that they need a professional pianist rather than a singer who teaches the piano. Why couldn't they just have said that they have an opportunity they would like to take up and thank you for helping your child on his/her journey without being so derogatory about it.

Although teachers nurture their pupils and build a relationship with them, I expect it is still a business arrangement by all parties and in this day and age termination by e-mail is something I could cope with as long as all the T & C's are met. It is probably good to remember all the success in one's practice rather than to concentrate on the one bad apple, which is not always easy.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with lessons being terminated by email, particularly if your terms and conditions state that you require notice in writing. These days I wouldn't particularly expect someone to get out their fountain pen and be popping off to the Post Office.

Having said that, there's no reason not to be courteous, and I would generally expect an email to be supplemented by some sort of face-to-face communication (and perhaps even a thank you!).

Fabulous reply.
I'm really sorry that this has happened to you Jod - it's not nice - but it seems from the replies on this thread that you are not alone in encountering rudeness.

morceau x

[quote][quote name='dolce@piano' date='Sep 20 2011, 07:02 AM' post='1091166']
Sympathies to you, Jod - although at least they did say to 'forward the bill' !!!

And to you too Aquarelle - I hadn't realised it had got so bitter and personal (and I note that your post was at 5.20 a.m. !!! I do hope that was because the dog woke you up and not because nasty, worthless people are invading your beauty sleep).

Thanks for the sympathy dolce@piano - no I was woken by a mosquito that has bitten me in 3 places (!) and the intolerable itching forced me to get up!! Some time or another I'll get round to telling the story but at the moment I'm too busy picking up the pieces.

Hope you are feeling better jod!

Taking up czerny's point about emails - I think it isn't quite right to equate emailing with the kind of communication that went on in the days of fountain pens. Penning a letter is not quick and slick like tapping out an email. When the means of communication is all too easy I think one has to be careful that it doesn't become rather off hand. We can use the convenience of modern technology and still retain good manners. But then I don't think I would terminate a teacher/ pupil or pupil /teacher relationship just in writing, anyway.
It seems to me to be rather too dismissive.

PS - sorry - forgot to click the quote correctly.

Thank you all for your replies.

I was pretty hacked off last night (as you can well imagine) I will forward the bill quickly with a professional and courteous sounding letter.

I will contact the ISM for their advice, but I can't see them saying anything else that you have not already advised.

It is a pity as this lad had made excellent progress with me last year and I did have the big picture in mind. I knew he had not developed any bad habits in that time, and can not see for the life in me what a professional pianist can do in the next year that I could not. Maybe when he reaches a level when I can not demonstrate the music he is learning then things would be different, but whilst I can teach him any repertoire or techniques he needed properly then I really do not see what the issues were.

It wasn't as if I was not doing my job properly, and I have been making sure my own CPD has been kept up-to-date.

From a lad who would only play a bit of the Theme music from James Bond, he leap-frogged Grade 2, got a solid pass in Grade 3, started playing the Kablvsky Children's Pieces, Clementi Sonatinas, and I had plans to start the Bach 2 part inventions, and Burgmuller op108 etudes. + scales in relevant keys, Practical Musicianship to support aural training and develop improvisation skills. However he has to have a 'professional pianist' rather than lessons from a 'complete musician'.

I agree, and I didn't mean to equate them exactly which is why I said I didn't think there was anything inherently wrong with emailing. I wouldn't be put out if I received a cancellation email which was polite and considered, and which gave sufficient notice, particularly if it were accompanied by a chat or perhaps a thank-you card.


While I don't think this situation has been handled well and it's not surprising you're upset, I don't think you should assume that this professional pianist isn't just as much of a complete musician as you are.

I think it would be very interesting, say, in a years time to see what standard this pupil is at (either surreptitiously or word of mouth).

The reason I say this, is that a somewhat similar situation happened to me a few years ago. The pupil basically went downhill fast, both technically and intuitively.

I don't like to wish ill on anybody, but I did feel somewhat exonerated that it was not my teaching that was at fault, but at the same time felt sorry for the pupil, as his parents were not nice people.

Best wishes

Dorabella x

Sorry to hear that jod, but I guess it happens. Just go on with life. New pupils will come and fill the space.

I can tell from my own recent experience that I was with a supergreat musician. She had studied with flute god Aurel Nicolet and had a lot of experience. I was very impressed what she could do and went there for a little over a year. The main thing I learned there was how to breath properly. Then she moved and could not continue lessons anymore.

Now, I am with a conservatory student in her last year. And what can I tell you: she is even BETTER then the experience professional (although it helps a lot to know now how to breath properly). Because she corrects things much more immediately audible. Things that make the piece talk, not the flute.

So, you see. I profited from both. But not necessarily the more from the greater professional!

We had a very famous person as a teacher and he was useless.

linda.ff - re your comment - this clause also exists in the contracts at all of the schools I work in. Basically it covers us for when things go sour which is rare. In over 20 years I've only had to use this twice.

Sorry if you don't like it, but what's OK in school is fine by me.

Bag.

On a better note: since receiving the email, I started a married couple last night, and have a new adult singing pupil ring me today who has a lesson on the 5th October

So This half term is already looking up!

Just got to sort out the Piano side of things. Whilst people are telephoning me asking for lessons it definitely is a case of one out let's fill the gap.