Should I change piano teacher?

[jane225]

I have been with this piano teacher for 5 years and she has helped me improve a lot. However, that's kinda in the past.

For almost a year, I feel like I haven't been improving much (even though I practise) because she's not giving much constructive criticism! A lesson often goes something along the lines of me playing my piece from the previous week and her giving hardly any comments on the piece itself but instead making me spend most of my lesson time sight-reading a new piece with her. I could practise that new piece myself at home! So right now, her lessons are starting to seem like a waste of my time and money. Isn't critiquing pieces that I practised the point of the lessons?

Besides, she also likes to ask me many invasive questions about my violin lessons/exams. (I play the violin as well and just took the LTCL exam which is a diploma 2 exam by Trinity. In fact, violin is my first instrument and well, naturally my violin teacher is much better musically than she is so I kinda have a basis for comparison). Just last lesson, she asked me how much my piano accompanist (for the violin exam) charged, I guess because she is an accompanist herself (certainly not as good though!) as well and wants to know how much the market rate is. Another time, she asked me who my violin teacher is and how I find his lessons as well as how much he charges for the violin lessons, etc. you get the idea. Basically, she asks many uncomfortable questions that have nothing to do with playing/learning piano which is irritating.

But right now, I'm preparing for my ATCL piano exam which is in 5 months so I if I change teacher now, it may delay my preparation for the exam and I might end up without a teacher for the exam, making the whole situation that much more complicated and worse. At the same time though, I feel she is not helping me improve at all for my current exam repertoire and I seem to remain stagnant at whatever level I was playing at (for the pieces) before and after the lessons.

So should I change a teacher?

HELP!
please tell me what to do D:


P.S. I could ask the pianist who accompanied me for my violin exam to take me as a piano student, but only as a last resort because he is really very very good on the piano (one of the best in the country) and I'm probably not up to par. Also, he knows my violin teacher quite well and I prefer to keep my violin and piano 'lives" separate.

[zzivauri]

  gut reaction:YES!   Quit your teacher.  And at least ask the great accompanist if THEY know someone- get your research going. 

[timbo178]

I'd definitely say yes, change teacher. No point if she can't help you and you're not improving.

The problem is how to be diplomatic about it.

[love_that_tune]

Good grief (sorry it's a Christmas thing)  Your teacher so be inspiring.  Get another one.