What to do when you're more advanced than your teacher?

[funnygirl]

I have a slight problem that's been getting more and more apparent over the years, at least to me. I've been taking lessons with the same lovely piano teacher for 10 years who's also taught my older brother for 11 years. What can I say? She's like part of the family. We're her most advanced students, she tells us, and I know because she doesn't officially teach anyone over 14. When I was 15 being her so-called "most advanced" student planted the seed of pride in me so I was content at the time playing early-late intermediate works like Rondo Alla Turca and Chopin's Prelude in C Minor and Nocturne in E flat major.

But latey (now that I'm 17) I've had a burning desire to progress, so last year I sweated my way through two old favorites, Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# and the Military Polonaise of my own volition. That's when I noticed that lessons did nothing for me if I could accomplish so much on my own. And I had that sinking feeling that maybe she wasn't all she was cut out to be, or not enough. We've been paying a phenomenally low price for her, only $10 per hour for each of us, $20 per lesson for private lessons (on a horrible console upright that hasn't been tuned in 3 yrs made by an organ company that she never seems to mind), but it adds up once a week. My teacher ONLY seems to correct notes and remind us when something's soft or loud, when it should be accented, etc. She has a minor in music and teaches piano as a part time job, often encouraging us to recycle old "easy" pieces to play in our annual "competition": The National Piano Guild (aka the easiest recital process on earth). I want to be challenged, censured and corrected; I want to advance and compete, push the technical limits to finally be able play something great! At the level I'm at, I can negotiate my way through Chopin's Etudes No.9 Op.10, the Revolutionary, No.11 Op.10 (Aeolian Harp), and No.1 Op.25 fairly well but could in no way, shape or form compare myself to an accomplished pianist -- even the children of YouTube!

My question is, how do I... let her go? Shouldn't she have recommended me to a more professional teacher by now? And when I do manage to break off with her I want to know if I should continue taking lessons. There's a huge population of self-taught pianists on this forum who could probably bury me in the weight of their accomplishments and yet, even the Van Cliburn competitors still have teachers and consider them necessary for survival. A new or better piano is out of the question for now, and I would need to be financing this new teacher from my own pocket; is it worth it? Is practicing enough to substantially better myself?

Help!

~Sarah

[go12_3]

You take the initiative and find another teacher.  Call a music store in your area and get a master list of professional teachers, and give each one a call and talk to them about where you are at.  In fact, you can come a teacher's studio for an *interview* with a list of questions and do that with 5 teachers after you make arrangements with each one.  Then pick the one that would be most  suited for you.  Good luck!

best wishes,

go12_3

[birba]

I can feel for you.  I went through the same thing.  Threw away 5 years of my life with the worst teacher imaginable.  Your situation is a little different.  She's like part of the family and you feel obligated towards her.  You probably should have left her years ago.  I think most serious teachers encourage their students to broaden their horizons by, at least, participating in master classes.  You definitely have to get away and experience other outlooks and opinions.  And at your level, I wouldn't reccomend studying alone.  Probably the easiest thing would be to tell her that you don't feel like continuing for the moment and want to take a break from the piano.  Don't tell her you want to study with someone else.  You just want to stop for a while.  Once that's been accomplished, you can start looking for another teacher.  If you want to know the truth, I bet she, herself, is aware of this impasse.

[oxy60]

Don't forget to check with the local Musicians Union. Let them screen out the "pretenders."

[allthumbs]

Probably the easiest thing would be to tell her that you don't feel like continuing for the moment and want to take a break from the piano.  Don't tell her you want to study with someone else.  You just want to stop for a while.  Once that's been accomplished, you can start looking for another teacher.  If you want to know the truth, I bet she, herself, is aware of this impasse.

Sorry, I have to strongly disagree with you here. The poster's teacher has been a faithful, encouraging influence here. She deserves the respect to know honestly what the true situation is.

True, she should have recognized that perhaps her student had outgrown her and recommended another teacher to take over, but to sneak away and not let her know the truth is not the way to go.

The poster should thank her for the effort she has put in over the years and let her know she has provided a good foundation on which to build further progress.

Even concert pianists remember and acknowledge the teachers in their formative years. It is the nature of things.


allthumbs

[mike saville]

Be honest. Just tell your teacher exactly what you've told us. I'm sure they will understand - they might even have some suggestions as to who might be a good next teacher for you.

I would say that 10 years with one teacher is too long in any case. At a maximum I would think 5 or 6 years of weekly lessons. After this time things can become stale. The student knows what the teacher will say and the teacher can all too easily get comfortable with the student. By all means continue the relationship with consultation lessons for as long as you like but a change in teacher, however good they are, can bring new ideas and perspectives.

[funnygirl]

Thanks for all your replies!!

Go: I will definitely look for another teacher and I'm really excited just to be changing pace, regardless of price.

As for breaking it to my teacher, the "I'm taking a break from piano" approach does sound appetizing, but alltuhmbs gave my conscience a blow (are you a teacher? you sound like you can empathize!). It doesn't seem right to lie... Some more background info: She has no idea I don't plan on continuing lessons and thinks we're headed for the same yearly competition grind, and even implied she wanted my brother to keep taking them at 19 yrs old! The more I read about experiences with "real" piano teachers and professionals the more I deeply regret (like birba) having had to depend on myself as my own teacher.

Since I don't want to make a few more separate topics, a whole barrage of questions spring to mind about practicing, like where I should go to practice.
-Can I walk into a local high school this summer and practice in their practice rooms?
-Do universities offer these rooms for free?
-How much does a very skilled teacher in the DFW area cost? I've heard $20-$100 an hour but I don't think I could do more than $40!

The good thing is, Mom is listening to me. We should begin our upright piano-finding adventure soon (just found out ours is really a SPINET!  )Thanks again for all the advice!
~Sarah

[birba]

Allthumbs is right, of course.  I was just trying to think of a way to soften the blow.  I am definitely not the confrontation type.  But, I have to admit, my solution wasn't very honest.  Put it to her this way, it's time to leave the nest.
I live in Europe so I don't know the running prices of lessons.
Find that piano.  A spinet can't possibly fulfill your needs at this point in your studies.