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Hi, I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but I can't find it if it has. To the teachers here: what's your reaction if/when a student of yours says that he/she wants to attend a summer piano program? Obviously, it's an enriching experience for him/her, but if that student is preparing for a competition (say, MTNA), it is 3 weeks of summer gone from your instruction, and summers are where students can practice and improve the most. Thoughts?

I'm 110% in support of my students who want to attend summer programs. It's difficult for some teachers because it can mean a loss of income in the summer, but the benefits to the students are immeasurable.

(Some teachers are also insecure or have too big an ego and are afraid to give up control of a student's education to another teacher, but that's a poor reason to deny a student the chance to broaden their horizons.)

It depends on the program, who they will be studying with, if the student will get to work on their competition rep, and how well-prepared they are before going. I ultimately have no say in what my students choose to do with their time and money. I can simply give them my advice based on those 4 things.

Good answers already by two of the board stalwarts. If competition is the goal of piano study, then relinquishing "control" of a gifted student for a few weeks can indeed be upsetting for the teacher - though it might be interesting for the student.

However, if the goal of piano study is to make one a broader musician, then the more varied one's piano training, likely the better.

I'm assuming this student is at least of high school age, however. Switching teachers for a summer could be tough on a young child.

Not all music camps are create equal. You might want to do some additional research to find out the quality of the facilities, ability of the teachers, and performance/competition opportunities.

What level of student are we talking about here?

We did have a recent thread which touched on this topic.

@John: oh ok! Sorry I didn't see it.

@AZNpiano: the camp is IIYM, and the student is me. Look at my repertoire for the pieces I'm playing for a competition this weekend (state MTNA). I can post recordings if you want.

Also, I asked my teacher, she was very enthusiastic about the idea