New teacher ? need advice

[jamie_liszt]

Hello, Yesterday I played for a very talented Pianist in the Conservatorium. He was being very picky as I wanted him to be, he mentioned that I should work on my pedalling (sometimes I use to much), how I sit, How I move, He also mentioned my shoulders, he said they work to tense and stiff, but to me they feel loose, but he said they dont look it. He also mentioned I should work on technical work more like scales etc. and that i dont have enough tone and should play into the keys or press them harder (but this is hard because my current teacher tells me the opposite, and goes overboard and even this pianist agreed about her "play softer" approach).

 Well my situation is this: I have been learning piano since 6 or 7, so around 10 years. I have been with the same teacher ever since  and I have never thought about changing teachers. But suddenly im being faced with an opportunity, This pianist in the conservatorium, he is very talented and knows every piece, composer and pianist i throw at him (but my current teacher didnt even know horowitz until i shown her, doesnt even know cziffra, gilels, arrau) This guy is almost at retirement age and is leaving the conservatorium to teach at his home. My parents said to me it would be a VERY good opportunity to learn from him, my mother asked and he said he has alot of people asking to teach them, but he said he has vacancies (that will fill up quick). He said to me i will hate him because hes very strict, he said 1 hour lesson, in that lesson there will be no talking, chit chat, i will do scales, sight reading, exercises, repetoire, he says he will give me a piece and say learn it next week and if i dont i get a thrashing (joke i guess). Unlike my current teacher, our lesson ends up going for 1 hour and 10 minutes because we talk alot, she also has childeren (usually babysat upstairs, sometimes not).

If you read the above, i dont know what to do, stay with my current teacher or goto a more experienced person, i will improve if i goto him, but i am attached to my current teacher because ive been with her so long, we get along well and i dont want to upset her or make her angry lol. however my mother said i could do practical with this guy and theory with my current teacher, which is good but can you do it ?

if someone could give me advice that will help me it would be much appreciated. thanks.

[kreso]

Well, if you want to be a proffesional musician, pianist, you have to think what is better for your proffesional education; which teacher will help you to grove to become a pianist. I know that you like your teacher, but it's about you future-how will it be, it depends of your teacher, and you of course. I would suggest yu that you leave your current teacher and start to work with that pianist from Conservatorium. It will be very very hard, as you said, but I think that this is only chance that you become what you really want. I find that that pianist is very serious person, and this is very important, because you canot manage some technical problems or so just talking with your teacher. Your teach must have very big knowledge and expierence, because he/she must knows how to explain you some problems-I figure out that Conservatoruim teacher have all what is need.
this is my opinion, I hope that this will help a little bit. Just think what is better for you!
Good luck!

[zheer]

I think that you should move on and learn from this new guy, your current teacher has helped you a lot, so thank her buy her a box of chocolate and go. Anyway its a little strange that she does not know who Horowitz is or arrau is sheesh.

[cjp_piano]

You should definitely take the opportunity with the new teacher.  This doesn't mean you will cast off you old teacher.  Can't you still keep in contact?  Keep playing for her?  Maybe you could set up a few "trial" lessons with the new teacher first?  Ease into it?

You said you know you will improve with the new teacher.  There's no discussion then, right? If you KNOW you will improve!!

I had a similar situation when I went to graduate school for piano.  The new  teacher was going to be very strict, very different from my old teacher, etc., but I KNEW I would improve. When I look back, I don't know where I would be if I hadn't taken the plunge.  Granted, it was very difficult.  Her "torture sessions" (which she actually called them once!) left me upset a few times.  But it wasn't abusive or anything, just honest.  If she didn't tell me what I should be doing, who would!!

Good luck with your playing.

[jamie_liszt]

 Thankyou kreso, zheer and cjp_piano for your replies, This is something that I thought would never happen to me, I thought that I would never get an opportunity to do this until I was 19 or 20, after School and everything, but I do and I guess something like this isn't going to come again for another 3 years. The pianist I played for said i won't make it into the conservatorium if I dont improve in the next 2 years. Because its tough there. So it maybe the only chance I have to improve. Cjp has a good point, I could move on but still keep intouch and play sometimes with my old teacher, not shut her out completely.

I should make a time where I could sit down and actually talk to her, and tell her, you have been great to get me this far and explain i must move on. yes?

thanks again guys.