Better Piano Teachers

[Pumpkinhead]

well, I'm sixteen since last march, and I've been with the same teacher for 8 years. Her studio is great, and she's a great teacher, but is there more out there for me? I've started to win local and national competitions, but I'm wondering if it's time to switch to a professor at a university? MOst of the other students at my competitions are with well known professors. Are their teaching styles that much different?
Thanks to anyone that responds!

[bernhard]

Kissin is still with his first piano teacher...

[donjuan]

well, I'm sixteen since last march, and I've been with the same teacher for 8 years. Her studio is great, and she's a great teacher, but is there more out there for me? I've started to win local and national competitions, but I'm wondering if it's time to switch to a professor at a university? MOst of the other students at my competitions are with well known professors. Are their teaching styles that much different?
Thanks to anyone that responds!

well, it seems like your teacher has done very well for you, if you are winning NATIONAL competitions.  Stay with her!  Maybe she is better than all the other competititor's professor-teachers.
donjuan

[faulty_damper]

That's not really what he's asking.  He's asking about the differences in teachers and what the benefit and down sides are if he were going to go with another teacher.

If I were you, and was content and satisfied with what my teacher has taught me up until this point and that he could not provide any more guidance, then I'd thank him for his years of service and how he helped me grow and look for another teacher.

The problem now is to find a different teacher whom has knowledge that your previous teacher did not have.  I have no idea how to go about it.  I guess trying out different teachers may not be very practical and may not net anything more valuable than the guidance you have already recieved.

You mentioned that most students at these competitions are with "well-known professors".  Assuming these "well-known professors" have anything to do with their students performing skills, how did their students place?  Did they win or did you win? Clearly you won some of these competitions so they could not have won.


Or, if you are wondering about moving on to different teachers, then perhaps it is a sign of your maturity and that you are self-sufficient enough that you no longer need the guidance of your current teacher.  If this is the case, then you could stop with your teacher and explore on your own for a while to see how you develop that way.

[Hmoll]

Kissin is still with his first piano teacher...

He should think about switching.

[Pumpkinhead]

yeah, thanks guys. I'm pretty sure I don't want to change just for the sake of changing. My teacher knows my musical abilities really well, and what I can and can't do. Maybe that bond would be harder to find with a new teacher so late in the game( 2 more years of highschool).

[Swan]

Is it just a prestige thing you're after?  So you too can say "Yes I study with Professor .... instead of just Mrs..."

Just food for thought.

I had a student who WAS studying with a  professor of music at our local university, and she changed to come to little ole me - with just a humle arts and teaching degree.  That student now teaches as well.

Only when things start going wrong, or 'standing still' would you need to think about going elsewhere, and then you would want to make sure the person you go to is actually going to be of greater benefit to you.

I'd also recommend including your current teacher in the search.  Don't go behind her back (that is, if you ever do decide it's time to go somewhere else), but ask her for advice.  She's seemed to have your best interests at heart for all these years.  She may even have contacts you don't know about.

But like others have already posted, if it aint broke, don't fix it!