Is it time for me to change teacher?

[tykelion]

My piano teacher has helped me a lot in improving my listening skills, playing more steadily and pay more attention to making good phrasing, giving my melody to have more sense of a direction. To this I am very grateful. However, lately a couple of things happened to me.

My teacher insists that I play a piece of music to the metronome marking. In fact, I have heard that all the great performers play this piece of music much slower. I have even read in books that in performance practice it is played much slower. The metronome marking is only a suggestion. My teacher does not care and said if the composer put it at that metronome marking, I have to follow it. It is my imagination that others are performing at a slower speed. I have to practise with the metronome on with that exact tempo marking from now on. No other way. I have to play at that tempo at every lesson.
I feel very uncomfortable. It sounds so unexpressive and mechanical while the great performers  play at a slower tempo and make it sound so beautiful and expressive. I am suffering but don't know what to do.

Secondly, during one of the lessons, I brought along a piece of music which I was about to accompany a violin student for exam. It was the first time that I played in the lesson and my teacher screamed at me saying "I wouldn't want to be accompanied by you!".
It was simply my teacher thought I was playing too loud. My playing was alright. My teacher just listened through and did not correct anything.
I do not understand. There was no violin student. I was just playing on my own. Afterwards, I felt hurt and confused.

Is it time to say goodbye to this teacher ?

[littlepolaritons]

I think it's useful to have a teacher whom you can communicate and work well with. It seems like it wasn't exactly working out well for you. Have you tried talking and persuading your teacher that you feel uncomfortable playing at the suggested speed and that you feel it is more suitable to be played at a slower speed?

I don't know what to say for your second incident. I hope your teacher meant it in a joking way.

But I think if you can't communicate your thoughts and discuss with the teacher then at some point it will hamper your progress and perhaps even suppress your own expression and interpretation to the piece. Perhaps try to discuss what you think of the pieces with your teacher and if he/she does not listen, then I think changing teacher is a viable option you can consider.

[j_menz]

I always found it useful  to play the piece exactly as the teacher wanted.  It's good for your technique. Then, and only then, if you still think it's crap, say so.  They have to take you seriously as you are not just making excuses for not being able to play it a particular way (most common student definition of musicality).

Of course, my teachers had a habit of going grey early, and inexplicably moving out of state. 

[lostinidlewonder]

My teacher insists that I play a piece of music to the metronome marking. ... I have to practise with the metronome on with that exact tempo marking from now on. No other way. I have to play at that tempo at every lesson.

But what about tempo control changes while playing the piece? The composer never put exact tempo markings for these commands and merely give us generalised commands. I would ask your teacher about this. As a matter of accompanying other people often it is important to keep up or with the other musician. If you stubbornly follow the tempo and not listen to who you are accompanying, the other person might as well set up a cd player and be accompanied by a recording.

In your next lesson I would mention your decision to play at the tempo of your desire and if the teacher doesn't like that mention to them that you are playing the piano for enjoyment as well and doing this improves the enjoyment you get from the music. Changing the tempo doesn't really hurt your ability to learn the piano (when we study a new piece we do not always have to play it at tempo immediately often that is impossible without slower practice), I would ask the teacher to lay out for you the problems with making the tempo slighty different from what is marked, what is the worst thing that could happen? If the teacher cannot allow you to make changes to the tempo then I think it's time to change.

It was the first time that I played in the lesson and my teacher screamed at me saying "I wouldn't want to be accompanied by you!".

You NEVER have to subject yourself to be demoralized by someone who is supposed to educate you. I would have confronted the teacher immediately for saying that to me and highlight how it doesn't encourage me but pushes me down further. A teacher is a source for encouragement, if they beat you down it is very dangerous for your progress and can definately ruin your future progress. This example you gave us highlighted a lack of emotional control while teaching which is a sign of a lesser teacher.

[tykelion]

Have you tried talking and persuading your teacher that you feel uncomfortable playing at the suggested speed and that you feel it is more suitable to be played at a slower speed?

The teacher will not let me discuss it. In fact the teacher has become very angry. I listen to recordings all the time and the teacher does not listen to recordings and rarely attend live concerts of pianists.

[tykelion]

 I would ask the teacher to lay out for you the problems with making the tempo slighty different from what is marked, what is the worst thing that could happen? If the teacher cannot allow you to make changes to the tempo then I think it's time to change.

OK, tried it. Trying to discuss it has made the teacher become very hostile. This teacher only dictates, there is no discussion.
It will take some time for me to find another teacher. Meanwhile I have to bear the suffering.

[tykelion]

A teacher is a source for encouragement, if they beat you down it is very dangerous for your progress and can definately ruin your future progress. This example you gave us highlighted a lack of emotional control while teaching which is a sign of a lesser teacher.

The source of encouragement for me now is from listening to CDs, watching DVDs, reading music magazines, books, sometimes going to concerts and following this forum. It's a digital source of encouragement really. Thanks for pointing this out. I would like to make progress and not let somebody ruin my future progress.