I was reading several posts and it seems there are a lot of nice teachers around!

When I was a student in the 90s, the classroom was pure dictatorship. I had ZERO say in what I can play and there was a policy that if a piece was not sufficiently good by end of three weeks, I would have to memorize it. Not practicing was never an option and I, along with many other students sometimes had to do six hours per day for several days to meet the demands of our teacher. I was 13 at the time and just started piano and my practice time quickly went from 1 hour to 3 hours and even to 6 hours (occasionally)...

I thought my experience was interesting because we never complained because we learned music because we wanted to play piano. My teacher used to kick out students if he didn't think they were working hard enough or if they were just there because their parents wanted them there. I don't think he ever kicked out students because they were not talented enough, I would have been kicked out long ago if that was the case!

He also holds concerts regularly, everything must be played from memory and he often invite university professors to make comments on our playing. While he was very strict and nasty in lessons, he never got angry if anyone of us made a mistake in concerts. He was incredibly encouraging at the concerts. My last concert with him I had a memory lapse in my Chopin Mazurka Opus 24, so I "invented" a small passage to bring myself back, I was expecting a small lecture but it never came...

I often think his strict piano teaching style was very beneficial to me in many ways. If anything, he taught us to aspire to the highest possible standard in everything we do.

So I was often amused by how nice piano teachers are these days, with students running around for teachers to catch (excluding those with learning disabilities), or playing while the teacher is talking. I could just imagine my old piano teacher would just stand up, say nothing and opened the door to signal the lesson is finished... and you won't need to come back again!!!

I don't know about the 'running around for teachers to catch'.

the times...they are a changing...I left the 'Russian old school' ways back when I first began teaching piano

How long does it take you to catch 'em in that case?

I was never much of a hunter...'catching' is not my thing. I once laid out a cheese trap for a mouse, but felt too guilty, threw the trap in the trash and ate the cheese.

Students find me, I don't find (nor do I 'catch') them...and I think that goes for every teacher on this forum

PS: my 'Russian old school' comment was in reference to the OP's description of disciplinary conduct of previous teacher

I was referring to the post made by Dave Frank:

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/27/2777/2.html

And lotuscrystal's comment about Russian old school isn't too far from the truth

That child was not destined to play piano! lol...but Dave Frank is very lucky his reputation did not completely disintegrate with such conduct and language spoken to a student.

I've never had a student do 'a runner'...thankfully. lol

Thanks....I think the whole psychological 'whips and chains' philosophy of creating music masters is very last century and even a century or two before.

To bring out the potential in someone, in my opinion, requires a student's willingness towards a goal, based on choice and decision...then a healthy balance of encouragement and self-discipline teaching skills by the teacher.

Fanatical control and punishment of a student, to me, is just a projection of the teacher's codependant and dysfunctional personal issues...and is a form of abuse.

I agree.

We are only as good as our worst students, my pedagogue once told me.

It would be just too easy to show them the door.

My piano teacher back then actually never asked me to do certain hours of practice, it was always my choice. There was always room for interpretation of a piece as long as the the piece is technically stable. But there was never a say in the piece he assigned to me.

I never thought he was having a fanatical control of any student though, but I always admired his amazing ability to really arouse the music interest of many students (thats why we worked for such long hours) while still being strict at the same time.

I don't think any teacher exercising psychological whips and chains would have such a distinguished teaching career as he had. But in many ways, the student needs to have a strong desire to learn, otherwise it won't work with him.

Although my training with him was more geared to make students professional pianists, so thats why it appeared rather harsh. In many ways, I can understand that, music is an incredibly competitive career so it is a bit of survival of the fittest game.

I don't disagree with lotuscrystal's teaching philosophy though, but I do find a lot students today lack discipline and want everything quick and easy...

Sounds like a good teacher for a serious student and one that has thick skin.

What I try to strive for is to have my students become serious students.

All I ask is for respect and to practice what I detail in the lesson. From that point it is up to me to influence and nurture a student musically so they become accomplished. My goal is to give them what is needed to be able to audition and be accepted into a school of music if they so desire.

But I can only do this with warmth and love. Yet I am firm with what I expect from them.

Ah.., that was only yesterday. Now, if you were talking 50's or 60's I'd understand. For better or for worse, discipline problems should today go through the parents and that must not be neglected, though the parents of children I teach mostly expect it to go the other way.

If there were "good old days" was it because parents were disciplinarians (if they were) or because they took the time to rear their children. On the one extreme you might have the odd harried single parent who can literally never be home and is in a perpetual state of exhaustion working too long for too little, the way it goes for many but not all. On the other you have your more typical ambitious and financially well off career parents, whose children are on a perpetual treadmill of lessons and events.

How many have the time, and take the time, to listen and truly interact with their children, and to be there for them in something more than little scheduled time-bytes? I would bet that this is more of a factor.

Um...not my students. And I have no problem dismissing someone who isn't working. I think it's dishonest and harmful to allow a student who refuses to practice to continue lessons.

That being said, it's important for teachers to do what they can to motivate their students to practice, and there are a lot of things that teachers can do to ensure work gets done the other 6 days.

But we're paid to teach people how to play the piano. If they refuse to do the things required to learn, then you're either stealing their money or getting paid to babysit. Since I'm not a thief or a babysitter, the only decent thing to do is show them the door. (I've only had to do it twice in 15 years, though.)

In general, though, I do agree that too many teachers let too many students get away with murder. We should be unlocking our students' potentials! I knew a teacher whose students would often spend 6 months preparing a level 2 contest solo. SIX MONTHS! On LEVEL TWO! That doesn't unlock potential, it keeps potential firmly tucked away where nobody will ever see it.

Uh, that is done all the time over here! The way some of the exams and contests are structured, you'd have to keep polishing the same pieces over a long period of time. I know of two local teachers who send students to contests, and, if they don't win, they enter the same category a year later with the same pieces.

allegro-concerto, I would be interested to know what part of the world you are in. I do think that culture and up-bringing has a lot to do with it. If I were to make the same demands as your teacher and required 6 hours practice per day I would have no students. That is unless we are talking about university undergraduates.

I live in Sydney, Australia at the moment, very close to the Sydney Opera House actually! I won't be in Sydney for long though, moving to Perth in April.

I received most of my piano education in New Zealand. I agree culture does play a part, but I always noticed regardless of race or culture, a really dedicated student does put a lot of effort. I even knew some 6 or 7 year old kids played piano for 3-4 hours every day (not my teacher's students).

My teacher never asked me how many hours I practice though nor he demanded certain number of hours I had to practice per day. It was always that burning drive to try to play music better according to his instructions. I had Asian and European teachers and they were all fairly similar in their teaching style. They were all fairly strict.

There are many factors which contribute towards the dedication of any particular student. One of these factors is most certainly the teacher but that is only part of it. The dedication to practice for hours every day comes from the belief that you can and will become a truly great pianist and the desire to do just that. Where I teach piano lessons are largely seen as recreational. It is a hobby and a pass time which very few students ever take seriously. I push as hard as I can but am often left disappointed by the lack of effort and enthusiasm shown by some. I can show them the door but there are plenty more where they came from. I am forced to accept that the majority will practice for no more than an hour a day if that. Very few will ever play to an advanced standard. It's not always their fault and there is no point in me being nasty to them. It's just the reality of our modern society. Most people here would consider my standards to be quite high. I am forever hearing grumbles from parents that I am expecting too much or excuses as to why their kids have not completed assignments. Yet I don't feel like I expect much at all. I do however realise that it is all I am going to get.