Re: "Pytheamatuer:"["If this is what you think, then you should know that there are prizewinners at major international competitions who still struggle as a concert pianist. This should give you s sense of perspective and make you think twice before criticizing your teacher."]I proffer the following:1) By inference, in so many words in my past posts, including my video, that most piano teachers are liars and frauds. And, this practice has been going on for hundreds of years, and that includes teachers by the name of Chopin, and Czrerny.They took an enormous sum of peoples money, knowing full-well that the particular matriculant was an aristocrat non-serious student. With Czerny, if you could not afford the fee, then he would not teach you.With Chopin, it was 20 Francs a lesson (a single solid gold coin), which added up to a weekly sum of 700 Francs. This was over ten times the average weekly laborers wage of 50 Francs.2) Regarding the original thesis of the OP, or those who beg to differ, please show me a non-Taubamn/Golandsky and Thomas Mark student, who has significant technical skills without the usual "My Teacher" drama?And, for the record, Thomas Mark's pedagogical difference is that, unlike Taubman/Golandsky, one size doe s not fit all.
LouisWhat is the basis for ' student's hating their teachers'? and "one size fits all"? I am a returning student, and neither statement fits the relationship with my teacher and my lessons. They are 'far from 'one size fits all' as she will have me approach a problem many different ways until we find one that works...FOR ME My head sometimes explodes with so much to think about during the week. Far from a 'cookie cutter formula' other students have expressed similar sentiments. Maybe you should pose those generalizations as a poll on this forum. Your experience was negative, but don't dismiss everyone else. Too bad you have no experience as a happy student.
handling it with religious-like fanaticism,
liars and frauds?hmmmm.... and you are going to support this with more of your scientific ____?frustrated pianists... they are so angry.teach a few lessons Louis --- might do you good to see the other side of things.your experience is completely one-sided and you have absolutely no idea what it is like to be a piano teacher...how can you say it's wrong if you have never done it? how can you profess to know best how to do something you have never done?all your research is great but without practical experience... you are only postulating.
I have stated this before. My former coach, who was voted the best young student teacher in Texas, also specializes in teaching pedagogy.This guy who has a degree from Eastman under her royal highness, kept having me play the same piece lesson after lesson hoping I would quit. When I didn't, he dumped me.The great news from that is I ended up with Thomas Mark, who is the best piano teacher I have ever experienced. And, that is why I use the term "liars and frauds."So, when you have a man who has a doctorate in philosophy from Columbia very simply lay out the specific mechanics of just how to play the piano, that is when you realize that most of everything you were taught before was glorified BS.Oh, and I live in San Antonio with a populous of 1.25 million. When I asked my former coach how many teachers in this city actually know what they are doing, his response was himself and one other teacher.My late teacher Robert Weaver wouldn't have any thing to do with the local teacher's association, nor the Piano Guild of America. So, it may be an eleventh commandment related publicly stated opinion, but I can guarantee you mine is not unique to me.
Just today I finished (by private message) a week long process of setting up and adult beginner with one of the top Taubman teachers in the Boston area. The individual is an extremely bright college chemistry major who has never had a lesson.However, he has progressed through self-study to where he can start with this Taubman teacher. Further, next summer I have talked him into some coaching sessions with Thomas Mark, when the student is vacationing in Portland, OR.And (dcstudio), over the last two years, I have privately advised many others on similar issues by getting them from point A to point B, which their precious teachers have not been able to do.The only problem this student will have is getting used to not having to buy or study from method book number this or that, and also not having to start each practice session by playing stupid exercises, scales, and arpeggios everyday to warm up.I am a social activist philosopher, Ma'am, and I have been doing things just like this since 1966, when I was 16 years old. That is my experience!
Great! so we both agree you have no experience as a teacher.... thanks for clearing that up all I see is a man who still doesn't play very well after 50 years...and wants to blame everyone else but himself... that's the real issue here... Dr. R is just your scapegoat. You tried to be a performance major...after 10 years without lessons... and it's his fault you were dropped?? come on what did you expect.. so you advised these people and you are responsible for their success because you knew more than their teachers... wow..and they couldn't have done it without you?sounds pretty egotistical... sounds almost like a Messiah complex.. so now you are going to save everyone from bad teaching??? even though you have never taught a lesson.
So, we have 2 million nine year olds taking piano lessons, who will all quit in a few years, so that makes it okay. That is exactly what you have said.
Your words:"The reality is that teachers work in isolation. The industry also promotes certain things. If you can push kids through the grades super fast, then you'll attract one side of the industry, and you "make it" and get known for that. If you get kids to win competitions or get really high grades in exams, then you get a reputation in that niche. If you have the chops, and can grab students who have been well taught and have natural ability, rejecting the others, and "polish" the career pianists, .. .As I have said before, name me one academic or "Fine Art" discipline wherein they could exist within your said parameters.So, we have 2 million nine year olds taking piano lessons, who will all quit in a few years, so that makes it okay. That is exactly what you have said.
"all I see is a man who still doesn't play very well after 50 years...and wants to blame everyone else but himself'For the record, with Thomas Mark as my coach, I (at the age of 64) am playing better than I have in my life. And, that is with my recent horrible flare-up of psoriatic arthritis, which has turned my normal practice routine inside out.In the next year, I will be fleshing out my concerto repertoire with a practice coach. And, my solo repertoire (absent you paying my audio tech to record said proof) is somewhat scary because I have never played at this level before.Further as you stated: "So, we have 2 million nine year olds taking piano lessons, who will all quit in a few years, so that makes it okay. That is exactly what you have said."My analysis of your logic is: 1) If you drive an automobile then it does not matter whether it operates daily on a proper basis. 2) Accordingly, two million nine year olds quitting after a few years equates to parents paying 60 million dollars a year (U.S.), which effectuates the resultant of nothing!It is supposedly for so-called cultural education, whose goal is rarely accomplished. I have lived this reality!!