The old days...

[SDL]

Is it my imagination or do teachers that take their pupils under their wing because they genuinely care about their progress still exist? 

My first piano teacher didn't charge much because he enjoyed teaching me.  My current piano teacher doesnt either but its not about money although some have more than others to pay for top teachers.  No-one Ive had seemed to guide me like you read in the books about Rachmaninov and his teacher Szverev or Prokofiev and Rimsky-Korsakov/ Liapunov.  No- one seems to say Ive got you an opportunity to play to ... [some important musician] etc.  I only know of one but you have to pay loads for this per hour.   Myra Hess took Kovacevich under her wing.  Does this age of teacher pupil career guidence exist anymore?  I believe many teachers wouldnt give you chance to do anything they could do because its so cut throat.

[jas]

Mmm, the world is so materialistic now. It's a shame, it really is.

My last piano teacher (who was actually my first and only -- I don't have one just now) taught me in high school and kept teaching me after I left. I thought it wasn't just about the money for her. Obviously, I did pay her, but that didn't really seem to be her motivation.

But then she randomly decided to double the price of my lessons. Fine, that's up to her. My problem with that was that she'd decided to double the price of the lessons I'd already paid her for that year, which meant I actually owed her a load of money!

Sod that. She'll be waiting a loooong time...

Does this age of teacher pupil career guidence exist anymore?

Yeah, of course. It's just hard to come by! I think it's partly because teachers generally have more than one student, and unless you've known them a long time they don't really feel they have any personal obligations to you. Some are more personal and better at "guidance" than others, but unfortunately for many teaching is just a means to an end. People have to make money, and it's a shame that even the arts have been reduced to little more than a means of material gain.

(Sorry, it's a cynical topic for me at the moment!)

Jas