Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum What do you guy's think of these "strip center" music school

Hi Gary,

It sounded, at first, like you might be writing to me, using my name and all -- but I guess not.

In any case, I thought I was asking for KeyString's opinion. Of course, all of us are always more than happy to hear yours!

Ed

What needs would those be? As an adult student if I were a beginner I would need a teacher who gives regular lessons, preferably an hour per week, who knows a fair bit about technique at the piano as well as music and knows how to teach these systematically. I cannot think how this would be different from the needs of any child taking lessons. I know enough about your teaching, John, that I believe it suits my needs to a T. If there is any difference between an adult and a child it may be that children use their bodies more naturally so that you can make technique grow out of that, while we have often forgotten that natural body use. I have often thought that a cool combination would be a teacher plus Alexander Technique or similar. I even think that some teachers have popped in for things like Alexander classes.

Of course I know what you meant. You are thinking of the adult who thinks he has a "busy schedule", wants to dash off some music "skills", and pop in twice a month erratically when he "has time". Unfortunately since this exists, so does the stereotype and assumption. Arising from this you then have teachers ready to accommodate this and the unsuspecting student walks into it not knowing that what is being taught is not the solid fare that children with a good teacher gets.

This brings us full circle to what I was saying at first, and when I wrote it I was thinking also as a parent. If looking for a teacher I should understand enough that I can present my goals clearly enough to get the right response and interest the right teacher in taking me on. I should also know enough to be able to see through the hype that comes my way. Btw, that also includes as parent, and may prevent some of the siphoning off of students by slick adverts and cheap promises that some of the teachers here are seeing in their neighborhoods.

I believe that you I and are quite a bit in synch, John. You have worked tirelessly to inform new or less experienced teachers primarily. In doing so you could not help informing parents and older students as well. I have done similar from the vantage point of student initially, but also toward the learning/teaching side where I did know something. Our reasons are similar: to prevent people from spinning their wheels in the mud and going needlessly in (the wrong) circles. This informing was done here, on the Internet, where people gather for information and can be reached.

The topic was "What do you guys think of these "strip center" music schools?" Then the discussion started to center around whether the good old days minus the existence of the Internet were superior, and how one might find a teacher by word-of-mouth. This was no longer about the phenomenon of "strip center" music schools. That is what I meant about being off topic. For anyone wishing to discuss the original topic I was expressing respect, since I was one of those who had gone off on this secondary tangent.

In regards to the particular type of school - which is one TYPE of school within the larger gamut of "places with several teachers" vs. private studios - this is a phenomenon that has hit all kinds of fields and not just teaching.

The confusion is that there are legitimate and well-functioning stores, schools, centers etc. that offer excellent teaching with good teachers who can work autonomously using their best judgment. They have the advantage of locale, can preserve the privacy of their own homes, use serviced good equipment etc. The fee that the store / school etc. takes is for supplying the premises and administrative services such as taking in monthly payments, chasing non-payments, fielding calls from new students, are justified fees and well earned.

But wherever there is money to be earned you will find the unscrupulous middleman who sees a buck to be earned. Services are ideal since there is no outlay of goods to purchase as you'd have in sales. You get these rent-a-service types who have good car salesman type tactics, rope in hopefuls who may be new in the field as service providers, get the customers, and then watch the cash flow in. This exists in various service fields. It happens that teaching and my present profession are actual professions that require skill and knowledge. A professional also uses his own judgment. But these are two professions that can be entered without credentials so any out-of-work person who has had piano lessons, or is still a student and would like to earn some cash, is fair game for these lesser places. Since the marketplace is local, the advertisement also tends to be local.

Anyhow, that was the original topic.

We have to start with criteria, and marketing toward criteria which also includes defining criteria. We live in a society that is largely uneducated and unformed in music, and initially I was also within that category regardless of my love of classical music and amateur playing of the same back then.

Here are some ideas that are considered by various people as being good teaching or successful student: "advancing" fast along the superficie of grades and repertoire (8 grades in 3 years), impressive sounding recitals, high grades in exams, placing high in competitions, ability to do give the right (expected) answer in exams. These are all readily visible things.

If common beliefs go in this area, and they are also fostered, then a teacher who demonstrates these things will attract students, gain a reputation, and will definitely be "successful" commercially. He knows how to market himself, gain customers, and keep them. He may also teach things that are not immediately needed for these goals, and produce a well-rounded student.

To meet these criteria, a student does not need to learn to read music, understand genres or theory, learn how to analyze and interpret music - all of which are part of musicianship. Many teachers here have reported getting the transfer student who plays two or three pieces brilliantly but is then unable to read the simplest music, or show any ability to understand and interpret music on his own despite years of lessons. This student was choreographed like a puppet along a few pieces that were drilled for months on end. It will produce an outward show of "success" for observers.

What does this mean for "success" of a given teacher?

Meanwhile the teacher who takes the time to teach reading, theory, interpretation will appear to be going slower. His students may not play as brilliant showy pieces since they are getting a larger repertoire. The educated ear may hear qualities which the showy music lack, but how many such ears are there? In the right circles where there are people who value musicianship and talk to each other, this teacher might prevail. The more educated the "consumer" becomes, so s/he can ask the right questions, the better for this teacher.

Piano teaching is not, at least in the US, a regulated profession. Anyone who claims to be a piano teacher can take students. Regardless of the teaching venue, parents need to assess the quality of the teacher the same way. An ignorant parent could easily end up with an incompetent teacher who teaches from home.

As I mentioned before, we have interacted with two community music schools which offer high-quality, thorough musical education to students who seem to do very well and are very serious about music. The lineup of the teachers is quite remarkable. I also know very well one music store in a strip mall that offers lessons on multiple instruments. I have to say that these teachers are very sincere in their teaching and their pursuit in music. All these schools have a role in the local music education scene, just as the majority of the teachers who teach from home. There is no need to judge the teaching based on the location of the teaching.

It seems that teachers on this forum blame parents quite often for being ignorant in choosing teachers, in helping students practice, in setting up goals for children, etc. Today’s parents were yesterday’s students. Music education is nothing new, private piano lessons have been accessible for today's parents when they were kids; music education in school systems also go way back. If they did not become informed at all about some of the basics of music education through their own education, it is perhaps good reason for today’s music teachers to think about how to make today’s music students better informed about such basics.

to start


John has spent more years than I have been in the forum guiding newer teachers, sharing his knowledge with his peers, and also answering questions of students and parents from time to time. He is not the only senior teacher to have done so. If you are actually against the idea of gaining information via the Internet, then I don't think you are both representing exactly the same thing. I believe personally that if a student walks into a teacher's studio after having read some of the material here, that student may be able to respond better to that teacher with greater understanding. Teachers have also reported improved communication with students and parents.

continuing:


I have an interesting image at this moment. A few of my words are taken, stretched wide and thin and now have become a canvas on which you can paint your own ideas in guise of being mine. I don't know whether you are projecting your thoughts in an attempt to understand, thereby adding new information, or whether this is deliberately. I have highlighted some of the things that I have not said. I would have preferred "What do you mean?" Then I could have answered.


You should know the answer to that because I have stated it more than once, and at times in a fair amount of detail. I did an inordinate amount of research and genuine listening, mostly in one or two forums, talking to some trustworthy persons (and one can get some idea of this through profiles and "history"), listening to stories, being helped and helping. I did not jump to conclusions. It took quite some time. In short: the answer is NO. Additionally, the "rest" of people will have to state how they became smarter and wiser. I suspect that most of them interacted with others to get there.

Google did nothing to help find a piano teacher - I got takepianolessons.com or something similar. Pages and pages of it.

So for me, going to a neighborhood studio(not a chain place)made sense.

My friends with kids in piano used a lady who came to the school after school. The kids were all whiny about piano and trying to quit and playing the simplest pieces (I don't think any of the kids left Alfred 1a all year). She was the only piano teacher I had heard of by name - my son was in band and the music teachers there did not teach piano (no piano program there-just marching band and jazz and concert band). No wait, I had Russian friends and they sent their son to a Russian music school. And she has one friend that learns one song a month in a group class but can't really read music (it's some kind of Anyone can play piano" rockstar program.

But by the 10th page of google yesterday I saw http://www.sullivanmusicstudio.com and would have called if I thought it was something I could afford. I do think teachers with studios like this should have a webpage. It was the only one that came up (maybe if I kept going there would be more). Anyway, I know my daughter's teacher is not that caliber - not that I have heard him teach - but offering chances for the students to do workshops and small recitals. It seems very personal.

I guess I'm trying to say it's not easy to find someone by word of mouth.

Gosh, Guys, I really cannot decide whose attack I like better. Gary’s is right to the point, with name-calling and all; whereas, KeyString, yours is more artistic, and in the form of criticism. They do sound like one may have influenced the other. NOW we might be starting to drift off the topic . . . . .

Why word-of-mouth doesn’t always work:

1. Parents need to know parents of other piano students. This may not be the case for those with small children----if their friends are mostly parents with small children, they will have very limited resources for such word-of-mouth information.

2. The “other” parents who give out information about teachers need to be knowledgeable. This often does not happen. So word-of-mouth can simply becomes the spread of misinformation. It’s the same as on the internet. Someone might tell others, with all sincerity, about a supposedly good teacher or teaching method, that does no good to the students.

3. Supply and demand: even if all parents know extremely well how to find a good teacher, the outcome of their search will be limited by the number of good teachers in their area. If the “good teachers” in an area can only take a certain number of students, the rest of the students will go to “the other teachers” anyways.

Keystring, I was thinking more along the lines of psychological needs. Every age group is a bit different in this regard, and I've come to handle well the young, from ages 4 - 10, those unfortunate souls entering and passing through puberty, and young adults. The simple truth is that I don't work quite so well with older adults, primarily because I don't do it often enough to be able to tune into their subtle feedback. I know my limitations. As I've mentioned, I don't refuse adults if they approach me but I do not actively solicit them as students.

Of course, your other points, especially about the scheduling issues, are quite valid.

One of the interesting things I see coming out of this discussion is the role and importance of information gathering. As a younger adult, I used to go to the library for basic research on a topic. Not so much any more. The internet is usually the place where I begin my research.

As an aside and perhaps illuminating story, I ran into a woman yesterday, roughly my age, who was paying for piano lessons for her grandson. They live not too far away and she mentioned the piano teacher. I was unfamiliar with the name. Being active in our community's MTNA chapter, I know most of the "full time" or serious part time teachers. So I was a bit mystified that yet another "teacher" has appeared out of the nowhere. This teacher is apparently one of the "grandmotherly" types who sort of, kind of, give students some very basic keyboard instruction, like note names, where the keys are, etc., and teach a basic elementary level note reading program. All fine and good, but it doesn't take the student very far. But as far as the grandmother was concerned, this was wonderful. I gave her my card and suggested that if her grandson was ready to move to the next level, she give me a call. I've had many students like this in the past, as I suspect Gary and others have had, who after a few months of instruction, are amazed at their progress and potential for achieving even more. I cannot really blame this on strip malls and their piano studios, or the internet, rather if there is blame to be assigned, it should fall on our general pop culture, media and public school system.

BTW, Kreisler has some very good points. I recommend everyone reread his comments.

Now for an actual answer.

The meaning you see in this is too narrow. Imho, "finding a teacher" does not start with somebody or something pointing at somebody, and Behold - the Teacher appeareth, and lo he is good! There is more involved. My other posts today, which I'll refer to, have already pointed out some factors.

Hypothetically your seeking parent may have had decent lessons or even be a musician. In that case the parent will know what he should be looking for, can assess what he is told, can express himself properly to prospective teachers etc. He may even know whom to ask. Your idea works. Let's get this one out of the way.

Please refer to my response to Kreisler for ideas on what might show "success" including the negatives that may lurk behind them. Now imagine a parent who knows nothing and asks others for a good teacher in that context. Teacher X is "good" because Mary got up to grade 8 in three years. Teacher Y is "good" because of impressive recitals. What do I do with this information? Do I know whether fast "progress" is good? The person whom I am asking has his own criteria and standards. Can I get a feel for that, or do I trust him blindly because (because what?). Having been at both ends, I do not feel comfortable with being ignorant (lacking information) and going by blind trust. No thank you. I would like to know enough to ask whether teacher X and Y also teach their students to read and understand music, whether these students learn more than three pieces a year, and whether there is adequate variety. If a fellow parent proudly shows me little Mary's book, and I see it peppered with finger numbers, I'd like to know what that means.

I was not proposing to use the Internet to find a teacher. I was talking, as I always do incessantly, about becoming informed before looking for a teacher. And having looked at all kinds of resources available, there is a wealth of information out there in the cyber world which I was not able to find in the limited paper resources.

There are presently parents of children, adult students taking lessons for the first time, and also adult students who got burned as kids and no longer trusting teachers, who are experiencing problems despite "word of mouth" or other similar means. Some have lost years, and some are spending time and effort to undo damage. It is not as simple as asking around though sometimes you can get lucky. Becoming informed about the subject before launching into it is a must.

Ed, In the post you quote I wrote "I have highlighted some of the things that I have not said." That is factual, not artistic. I also answered your question, in my last paragraph, also clear and factual. I was very specific in highlighting things, and in the last post I also explained what I did mean. These things bothered me.

Again, rather reading a statement suggesting that I am telling people they should rely in incorrect and misleading information to find a teacher, I would have preferred to have been asked what I meant. To suggest that I did say anything like that is unpleasant to read. Originally I was going to ignore it, because most people probably did read it the right way.

I am grateful for all the thoughts on "how to find a teacher"!

Reflecting on gathering information, and perhaps another perspective on what looking for a teacher is like, including what the Internet has and has not been able to add to my search:

All my information on how to find a teacher and ideas about what to look for, comes from the internet, from sources that over time I have come to deem as trustworthy. This is one of the shortest paragraphs in my post, but knowing how to look can be as important as looking, so this is important!

I don't know a lot of people who play the piano, or with whom I can talk at length about piano playing. I am trying to use my small number of in-person contacts to the maximum possible, and following John v.d. Brook's suggestions have made a list of other people to contact to ask for recommendations.

Googling for piano teachers in my area is completely useless, similar to MaggieGirl's experience. Pages and pages of garbage links, and when a name does pop up, the generic way in which it is presented inspires no confidence. I can tell this is not always accurate, as some excellent teachers (which I know from in-person word-of-mouth sources) have popped up in these searches. But the way they're presented in generic lists of music teachers, is completely off-putting, with no helpful information at all. I find that if I had absolutely no other way of generating names, I would gather names from these lists; but given that I have some other resources for names (word-of-mouth, local college faculty, state music teachers association membership list and NCTM designations), I'm inclined to completely ignore the results of these internet searches unless they come up in another context.

I have a list of about nine names generated from word-of-mouth, and googling specifically for their names produces interesting information for all of them. Not enough to make a final decision by any means, but interesting information which adds to what I know about them and confirms my interest in them. Interestingly, the concert pianists tend to say little or nothing about the lessons they offer.

For listening to the students of the teachers on my list, that will probably not be able to happen until fall. There's a state piano competition in October, and the college faculty will probably have recitals of their college students in December.

As I envision interviewing teachers, I find that I'm really unsure about how that will go. I have a bunch of concerns of my own, but do they really go to the essence of what excellent music lessons should be? Would it be insulting to a teacher to be asked if they do certain kinds of things in their lessons? Would I be missing what a teacher offers that makes him or her an excellent choice, because I'm focusing on the wrong things as important? Is it OK to ask for a sample lesson or a trial period, or is that rude or make me seem obnoxious or dilettantish in some way?

Does this all come down to feel and luck in the end, asking simply "You are highly recommended; I'm a serious student; can you tell me what lessons with you would be like?"

John mentioned talking to a teacher's students (at least, I think I remember him saying that!). Is it OK to ask a teacher for references in this way, or will that seem rude? I remember teachers here saying that someone may come thinking they're auditioning the teacher, when in fact the teacher is just as much, if not more, auditioning the student. I don't want a teacher to feel that I'm presuming too much (in essence, they might be thinking "hey, I'm the expert, who is this mediocre wannabe pianist to be looking for confirmation of my abilities"). But I'm an analytical person and tend to approach things this way. But then I return to Gary saying there's a large element of luck, so maybe contrary to my nature I need to be willing to go on feel.

I very much appreciate the suggestions that have been offered here and you have all been helpful for my (long slow) search.

Thank you, John, that makes sense. I can also understand that as a teacher.

I was also a library buff until they dummied down libraries. For this kind of information, though, there really isn't much. Back then I looked. I also phoned official sources such as RCM, schools and such. It was much easier to get information once my son was at arts magnet which is a hub for students planning to enter the arts with a whole system supporting them. At that point the young people could get information straight from the source.

I mean sheesh, John ---- I was a first year beginner student, when a friend phoned me to help her grade 7 son with his theory homework. The "music teacher" at the school was actually an English teacher or something. I found out he'd been given a trombone and didn't know how to play it (teacher didn't know). So I went on the Internet, found some first trombonist in an orchestra (NY?) who wrote out "trombone basics" which got this boy going. Information from nearby sources? Where?

Yup.
See trombone above.

It would be nice if some serious adult students would not then be turned into something even harder to teach --- the mistaught, misled, turned from trusting to cautious - transfer student. It is NOT fun. If this can be prevented for students of any age, it is something to aim for.

I thought this whole post was BRILLIANT. I've been so busy teaching, I had no time to comment.

All true. I have one thought to add: People often exemplify stereotypical behavior FOR A REASON. Often people I work with have a chip on their shoulder about "this or that", and it is very easy for me to react to that, not taking the time to figure out WHY that is. And then it is easy for me to put a chip on my shoulder. There are some things I do not learn quickly, and one of them I still struggle with is a quick temper. But if I run into "tudes" and take a bit of extra time to figure out what is behind them, often I can totally flip things around and turn resistance/mistrust into cooperation/trust. Just a comment on what you wrote...

EXACTLY!!! I have students come to me because I am close, convenient. They or their parents have no prior experience with music or lessons, yet some of these people develop into first-rate students, and along with this they develop a deep sense of what good teaching is all about. Then they pass on to OTHERS a good bit of wisdom in how to - or how not to - pick a teacher.

More: I get some of my worst students as recommendations from great students. And I have gotten super students as recommendations from students who did not seem to learn anything from me.

I have students who have excellent instruments at home who show no interest, who play with no sensitivity, who give NO evidence of having a good instrument.

Then I get students with absolutely horrible intstruments, who struggle in spite of them for a year or so, only getting something decent later, yet they practice their butts off, and somehow pick things up in just 1/2 hour a week (such as using the sustain pedal, playing one hand soft while the other is louder, other things that amaze me), and I can tell that they do this mentally at home. I have kids who play notes outside of their 61 key DP range, in the air, then play those missing keys in lessons.

Every year I see a few people - adults too - who struggle to get enough money for lessons, who may have to take a bus to get to me, and yet they work hard and do wonderful work. I also have poor students who do nothing, and a few students who "have everything" who listen, work hard, and do wonderful work.

I'm taking a lot of words to say what you said. We just never know.

I would add one other factor. When you know that teachers are full time, when teaching piano is their profession, either their sole source of income or coupled with making money from playing, that's a huge plus. But the other factor? You see them asking questions, always ready to learn from other teachers, never content with what they know. Great teachers remain students. We should all be students until the day we die, and nothing keeps things fresh like struggling to learn something new, something hard, something that does not come natural to us. At present I am struggling with French (adding it as another language I can read passively), and French kicks my butt daily. If we, as teachers, can tell our students what WE are struggling with, and how it feels to be on the other end, I think it gets us extra respect and makes us more approachable.

Of course there will also be the "Piano in a Flash" guys who always appear to be full, successful, and who dazzle everyone with their bull. We can have satifisfied customers who are sadly ignorant of what we are not teaching them, and it can take years for them to find that out. Meanwhile, we can keep a full student load and build up a rep that fools all but other professionals who see through what we are doing.

But in general I agree with you. It still remains a tricky thing, finding a good teacher, and I think most of us study with a few teachers until we finally get lucky, if that happens.

What can really help is to have close contact with an experience teacher, living elsewhere, who can give a few tips. One extremely talented young player I met in another forum was studying with a horrendous teacher, and perhaps I played a role in his dumping that teacher. And maybe - just MAYBE - some of the ideas I gave him helped him with his choice. But when he transferred to a new teacher in his area, that teacher turned out to be absolutely extraodinary, and that young player is now playing so well, I get jealous listening to his recent performances.

Again, your thoughts:

Perhaps your location has a lot to do with what kind of piano teachers work there. Over here in Southern California, there are many independent piano teachers with stellar websites. Yet some of the most successful studios (i.e., with 80+ students) do not do any advertising at all.

Which leads me to conclude that the great majority of parents do not do their homework when looking for piano teachers. When lousy "music schools" continuously get new students (and expand!), while EXCELLENT private, independent teachers are suffering from low enrollment, you know something is afoul.

Just ask the publishers of Consumer Reports how many members they have. You'd think that consumers would really care how to spend their dollars wisely. They do not. The advertising world knows that feelings are far more important than facts when it comes to product selection.

What is a stellar web-site?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

That would explain how some parents can send their kids to "music schools" that have over 10 studios next to each other, separated by paper-thin walls and glass windows. The sound leak is so horrible, you can barely hear yourself play. More than once I was evaluating students in such an institution, and I could barely discern what's going on in my room when the kid next door and the kid across the hall are both banging out loud Rachmaninoff chords on their tiny spinets.

Wow -- I have been on vacation and come back to see this post. I am not sure if I will get flamed or not because I own one of "those" music schools.....maybe.....since I really don't know what one of "those" schools is!

This may be a long post -- so you are free to leave now, should you so choose ---

Let me first start off with "why" the "school" takes a percentage of the money collected. As the owner, it is my pocketbook that holds this place together until it can grow enough to support itself completely on it's own. I taught QUITE successfully in my own living room for over 30 years before I opened the school.

I opened the school because both my children were now teachers on their instruments, too, and still living and teaching at my house (which only has 2 bedrooms and one bath). We also, at one time, had a young man who came in to teach sax one day a week (he was being mentored by me -- he would teach and we would talk about his teaching techniques - he has subsequently gone on to major in Sax performance with a VERY well known sax teacher). With all this WONDERFUL teaching going on in my house, I had to make the decision to move the studio out. Yes, I take a percentage of the pay, but if I, or any other teacher, continued to teach out of my home, part of my pay would have been going to costs associated with doing my business out of my home - insurance, house repairs, etc etc .. At the new place, I still have insurance (and it is more -- I have to cover MY rear end in case I have a teacher who decides to act inappropriately with students -- or a student who files a false complaint). I have cameras up in all the studios for the safety of both teacher and student (oh -that camera system cost came out of my pocket).

I have to pay for soap, toilet paper, other cleaning supplies, etc - yes -- that means that you can choose to do "your business" on my dime as long as you are at the studio (that adds up over time -- children don't understand the need to use ONE paper towel ... we are talking "Bounty" type paper towels here).

I take care of all scheduling, rescheduling, finding new teachers when some go off to get their Master's or Doctorates, maintenance of instruments (oh --I personally bought all 5 of our acoustic pianos and one digital piano -- several are HIGH END uprights and grands too) -- oh == maybe I should say.... remember, we live in a 2 bedroom house with our two adult daughters and my husband doesn't make a ton of money - we have just always saved and lived within our means.

When students don't pay, which happens to EVERYONE, it is up to me to still pay the teachers, and I do, which comes out of the operating expenses of the studio.

Yes -- we do advertising and expos,etc because we need to make sure the teachers have full studios. Not for my sake, but for theirs -- most of them come to me because they want their home private. I have teachers on staff who have their Masters's degree, Doctorates, teachers in university, composers, etc. Most of the teachers are not full-time at the studio because they choose not to be. Their "main" jobs are elsewhere (schools and universities). I am the only full-timer and so it is correct... my students, alone, bear the burden of "holding up" the academy financially -- That means that about 70% of the budget is based on my students since I have the bulk of students.

Our school's main focus is education. We have started the first Children's choir in the area and in order to get students in and interested, the first semester was FREE to those who wanted to come. I paid for the director, accompanist, and music. We have a small music store in the school but it is mostly to help our students/teachers so that they have the material THEY want readily available.

It is up to me to make sure that their are recitals and venues for recitals for the studio. Some teachers of instruments other than piano, do not hold recitals because it is not much fun to do recitals with just a few people. The school can showcase multiple instruments which is an outreach of advertising and more students come because they finally hear their first example of classical guitar and fall in love with it. Venues are not cheap and we dont' charge extra for recitals -- you got that right -- it has to come from the lesson fee.

As you can see from these FEW examples, I am not getting rich from having my school. In fact, I would do BETTER to go back home and teach just my piano students. But ... that is not my desire right now. We want to offer the best, highest level of education at an affordable price. That is hard work.

Teachers at our school like the ability to have other studios with which to do collaborative work. We encourage ensemble playing in addition to other classes. All of our teachers teach theory in their lessons, but we offer theory classes for extra help to the students. The students love coming and seeing their friends in other studios. The parents love listening to the music emanating from the studios. It brings back thoughts of music school for them, they know learning is going on, etc They enjoy talking to each other in the waiting room or walking down to the antique stores or getting a cup of coffee at the nearby coffee store.

I am concerned about teachers who put all music schools into the same basket. As someone said, it doesn't matter WHERE you take, it matters what the teacher knows. (or something to that effect).

There is a music store right around the corner from us. We have gotten MANY students from there...some have come because of the quality (or lack there of) of teaching, and some come because they like that we have so many teachers, studios, etc. We do not try to take students away from ANYONE!

I will say this -- I have had students who are transfers from other teachers and yes, I have had to change a "plethora of problems" and I am sure that there have been those who have had transfers from me (moving away, etc) who have had to change a "plethora of problems". The reasons? It is not necessarily the teacher -- sometimes it is the student who gets a bit too "comfortable" with their teacher and begins to not respond to things he/she is saying. That is why at our school, we have masterclasses, etc so that students can get feedback from other teachers. They correct problems many times when SOMEONE ELSE points them out.

Ok -- I must get ready to go to the studio so I will go -- I will be happy to answer ANY questions you have for me from the perspective of the OWNER of one of "those" schools --


by the way -- should you go to the website, it is being revamped and so please do NOT make mention of anything from that --