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Has anyone ever had this experience?
I've been working on a 20th century piece, the Toccata by Barbara Pentland, for about a month or so, and every time I bring it to my lesson, we don't really do anything with it. I usually just play through it, and then my teacher just says that she doesn't know the piece, and that she doesn't know a lot about modern music, so she can't be of much help. Most of her rep. it focussed on Romantic and Early 20th Century composers (Bridge,Scott, Griffes etc.), so she is really out of her element here.
If I were teaching I piece I didn't know I'd actually learn it. Is it reasonable for me to expect this of my teacher?
I'm kind of worried because I have to play this piece in competitions and also my Junior Recital, and I don't want to do a bad job of it. What can I do?

Sounds pretty bizarre and disappointing to me. I would expect that, even if the teacher doesn't know the piece completely, they could comment on:

tempo
phrasing
technical glitches
timing
etc.,

plus you could discuss what you want to bring to the entire piece... what is the musical story you want to tell with it? is it coming across?

If your teacher can't help you with that, I'd wonder why not.

Nina

My jaw literally dropped open when I read that. I have never experienced a teacher not having anything to say about something I was working on. Personally, I would be looking for a new teacher if that happened to me. I don't condone teacher hopping at all, but good grief.

Ryan

It reasonable to expect that a teacher will not know every nook and cranny of the piano repertoire. In fact, modern pieces aside, there are even infrequently played or heard pieces from the romantic era and earlier that are fairly unknown. But that should not be a barrier. I once studied with a fine artist-teacher. Occasionally, I'd bring in a piece that was somewhat off the beaten path. My first playing would seem to give him the broad outlines and general character of the piece. On the second playing he would be taking note of structure, dynamics, phrasing, fingerings, articulation, technical difficulties, etc. By the third playing, he would have enough of a critique, suggestions, expectations, and high standards to keep me busy on the piece for another two months until it was up to performance pitch. If you have a teacher helplessly throwing her hands up in the air, I'd look elsewhere for guidance.

Harsh but true.

Sometimes teachers help each other out. Could you ask your teacher for a referral to a specialising contemporary music teacher just for this piece?

It is hard to be across the whole contemporary repertoire- pieces you don't know will always walk in the studio door. My response is to try to come to terms with the piece then and there, and to find ways of making the performance more effective, checking first that it is correct as to notation.

Next I listen to CDs if any are available, and study the score in my own time if I am unsure how to proceed. However, on occasion, I have taken a student to a specialist in that particular composer or school for a second opinion.

I think you have to let your teacher know how insecure you feel with this piece. Perhaps it sounds fine to her, and you need to let her know you are unhappy.

I have a little procedure at the end of the lesson, where I ask "Is there anything else you want to ask me?". Usually this jogs my student's memory about something that has come up in practice, but it is a useful way of getting feedback. If your teacher does something like this, use the opening to discuss this problem.

I suspect your teacher is just trying to tell you she doesn't like this piece and wishes you would stop bringing it to the lesson.

Yeah, probably overly harsh. I was just surprised to hear that the teacher had nothing to say. There are always so many things that a teacher can work on, even if they aren't familiar with or don't like the piece.

Ryan

okat47, Your teacher deserves credit for being honest with you and I think this is better than if she tried to fake it.

I think starmender gave some good advice: tell her that you would like some guidance on the piece and ask her if she can recommend someone who might be able to help you with it. I would be surprised if she did not understand this.

A little story... I was once observing a master class being given by a world-reknown pianist and the student, a young lady, got up to the piano and announced that she was going to play Liszt. Immediately there was a little murmuring going on between the teacher and the director of the program, after which the director announced that Ms. * doesn't teach Liszt and asked if the student might have something else she could play instead! Can you imagine! Being all geared up and prepared to play Liszt in front of an audience in a master class and being asked to change at the absolute last minute! Not all teachers teach everything; I guess that's the bottom line.

P.S. Maybe your teacher has been having some "bad hear days"?

Well honesty IS the best policy!
I agree that she should have credit for the honesty! (I have had teachers who have refused to admit their incompetence THAT is BAD!)

And the best thing would ask her to introduce you to a collegue to her that knows these kind of pieces. (It surprises me that she hasn't already done that)

If she becomes all possessive (which I've experienced too) about you getting another teacher...well, then it IS time to look for another teacher.

Best of luck with your competitions and recital!