You vs. your teacher

[Teddybear]

Hi everyone.

I'm angry. I'm furious. I had a lesson today.

My teacher is a great pianist and well-educated. I accept almost everything she tells me to do with gratitude, but not today. We started from the beginning of Schumann concerto. I've played this piece to her many times now, and suddenly she insists that the main theme is slooooow. It's so slow... "because it's espressivo".

I can't tell you how much this disturbed me. I always criticize pianists who play like expressive equals ludicrous slowness. I just can't take it. It sounds artificial. Usually I shut up because I trust her and her judgment, but now I told her I don't like it at all. She just told me she wants it that way, end of discussion.

Do you face situations like this often? How do you deal with it? I feel like a jerk and a prostitute if I try to imitate that terrible manouvre. Suddenly I lost all interest in playing, and the rest of the lesson was just pressing the keys.

What should I do? Suck it up? What's the right thing to do? I feel embarrassed playing the key phrase without expressing myself at all.

T

[m1469]

Teddybear,

In all honesty, my current answer to your thoughts is probably something I have developed over my years of study with my teachers, but I probably would not have said at the time. I would take what your teacher suggests as a challange to yourself to see if you can make yourself love it this way even if it was not your original plan.  The truth is, you will not be with that teacher or any teacher forever, and you will be free to do whatever you want at that point.  You will look back on your years as your teachers' student and you may have clear memories of what they suggested at such and such a time.  This may be very useful to you in ways you cannot foresee right now, and who knows, you may even agree with it later down the roadn as you gain more experience and understanding  . 

If you don't agree with your teacher, or you think your teacher is wrong, keep it to yourself (as in don't argue with your teacher).  Sure, ask questions to better understand, but don't argue.  Now, I suppose you are angry because you have a clear idea on how you think it should go instead of what your teacher says ?  If so, why go to a teacher at all if you are not receptive to the help and think you have it all figured out anyway ?  If not, then why not take the suggestion and do what you can with it ?  I would always try something a teacher suggests, and then one is always free to throw it out when nobody is looking.

As far as the right thing to do, I would say that is to leave your options open.  I don't think we ever set in stone how we are going to play a piece of music anyway -- especially with a piece like the Schumann concerto--- so just take this suggestion as an opportunity to try something new and grow beyond yourself a little.  Professional pianists, I suspect, have to develop that very skill anyway.

Besides, your teacher may change her mind next week, who knows.  And then what do you do ?  In the end, I think all of it stretches your ideas about what is taking place musically and your way may very well become several ways depending on the situation.  I would venture to say that this type of musician, who can change and evolve on the spot, is more hireable earlier on in one's career than the one who is set in his ways.  Wouldn't you agree ?

Save set in your ways for the times it really matters, when you are on your own  .


m1469

[rc]

Personally, I don't react very well to the "end of discussion" ultimatum. The first thing that popped into my head would be to walk out of the lesson (hell, the rest of your lesson was a waste anyhow). If I can't reason with someone I tend to see no point in talking to them at all (in the moment that is).

But you say she's a valuable teacher and this is just an exception, so no being a dink ...

Well, often I have immediate rejections to my teachers way of seeing things, only to try it out at home and find out it's not so bad, more often it's actually very good. If you're still completely opposed, I'd say there's no choice but to let her know "this is the way I'm playing it, end of discussion". They're your hands afterall...

...If it's an uncompromisable situation, maybe you ought to just let that piece go as far as the lessons are concerned and find something else to work on with your teacher.