violin/orchestra

[PrincessFiona]

I need help making a decision. Here is the background.

Aidan (age 10) is taking violin with a really awesome teacher. She runs her own orchestra as well. He has progressed by leaps and bounds.

Zoe and I started taking violin with a suzuki instructor in town. She and her husband run the violin store. She is nice and I like her, but the suzuki training had us playing twinkle twinkle little star only .... the. only. song. for an entire year. There is no reading of music yet, etc and there is only playing on two (of four) strings. I finally quit. I just couldn't go to see her every week and play the exact same song while she commented on how I held my hand/elbow etc each time. She is extremely picky. I felt like I was never making any progress. It turned out to be stressful and not fun.

Zoe is finally playing 3 songs but doesn't know note names etc. It has been agonizing getting her to this point.

I feel like switching her to Aidan's teacher, where she could immediately start in a beginner's orchestra and have private lessons.

I feel guilty though. I like Zoe's teacher.

I don't want to make the wrong decision and I also don't want to hurt someone.

Any thoughts?


Kris

[diggitydot]

violin/orchestra

Switch! Don't hesitate. Do it today. A year with zero progress for a beginner is ridiculous. That is the time when they're learning the most and should see the BIGGEST differences.

Liking a private tutor is great, but if the student isn't learning anything, you're wasting both time and money. The private lessons aren't doing anything there. After a year, Z should ABSOLUTELY know her notes.

[Pollyanna]

Switch! Don't hesitate. Do it today. A year with zero progress for a beginner is ridiculous. That is the time when they're learning the most and should see the BIGGEST differences.

Liking a private tutor is great, but if the student isn't learning anything, you're wasting both time and money. The private lessons aren't doing anything there. After a year, Z should ABSOLUTELY know her notes.

Exactly this!!!

[MAPPLEBUM]

Yea this teacher sounds sub par. For an adult student especially she needs to be able to recognize the trees from the forest. To keep you engaged and help you reach YOUR own musical goals, not to inflict tedium on someone who's most likely learning the violin for fun. An entire year???! Sounds lazy. I started an adult student your age a year or so ago and after 6 months she was plowing through her curriculum and playing easy fiddle tunes in addition to that. There's nothing wrong with switching teachers, even if you like them personally. The only time I've ever heard of students spending a long time (but I daresay never a year) on a piece is when they're too young to read. Doesn't know the note names? This woman is failing at her job.

[PrincessFiona]

I was hoping that you would pop into this thread, Mapplebum.
I'm relieved reading your post.

When things reached a point where I quit, I had to start thinking that this was the reason Zoe seemed to not be engaged. She would 'practice' during the week by doing a twinkle one time as fast as she could and telling me she was bored. It turned into a power struggle. Thing is ... I figured she was bored.

I'm stuck with how to tell the teacher. I'm a huge wimp. This is what I've done. Zoe needed a larger violin and I went ahead and bought it because the teacher works out of the only real strings shop in town. It's a husband/wife thing. I then cancelled all lessons for August saying that we aren't going to be in town. We are going to the cabin for a week, I was trying to give myself some space.

I have not scheduled any Fall lessons and was just thinking that I would simply not call back to schedule Fall stuff. Is that terrible form? I just hate so much to hurt her feelings.

Kris

[diggitydot]

That's actually a pretty common way for stuff like this to happen.

Don't sweat it so much. It's a really normal part of lessons. Students come and go.

[MAPPLEBUM]

I know exactly what feeling you're talking about. I don't take it personally when students drop but then I also wouldn't consider spending more than a couple weeks on Twinkle. She might not get the hint immediately which could be excruciating for you. She might continue to call and text for the next couple months. Students do stop lessons and take breaks so often it's hard to know if they're no longer interested or have just gotten busy and need a reminder. I don't take it personally, and whether or not I should consider it a reflection of my skill, I just don't go there in my thoughts. However it seems like people who are bad at what they do are notorious for taking things personally. As if deep down they know they suck but can't admit it to themselves, so they blame someone else. If I were you I'd call after the store has closed and leave a message. That way you've not left her in the lurch, have held up your level of professionalism, but also got out of it without having to talk to anyone if she calls you again just don't call her back and she'll move on.

[PrincessFiona]

I could email her, but that seems so 13 year old girlish of me.

[diggitydot]

I wouldn't bother unless she calls/emails. Even then, "taking a break" is a legit response.

[MAPPLEBUM]

I could email her, but that seems so 13 year old girlish of me.

I don't see anything wrong with that. I know I personally never know if someone is quitting or just got busy for awhile. I have a student who was a twice monthly-ish for a couple months and either I assumed or they did lead me to believe she'd be taking summer lessons. Since I try to do all of my private lessons at once I probably sent her a text 3 or 4 weeks in a row about scheduling this summer, with always "sorry we're out of town" or "can't that evening". Until I finally gave up. I still have no clue if they want to quit, but figure when the semester starts she could possibly contact me. None of it matters to me except the more consistent students I have the more $$ I make. AND I started scheduling other students during her time so I don't have to wait Remember, if you have a time slot in the middle of her teaching day she may be reserving that block for when you return. If the lessons are clustered around several students it can be pretty annoying sitting around for 30-60 minutes every week.

[oceanchild]

Suzuki is particular (and I think weird). It's definitely not for everyone, and that shouldn't surprise the instructor at all. Just be nice about it if she asks. "We like you, but we're looking for a different method."