Tag Archives: music teacher

What if You Disagree with Your Music Teacher?

This can be an uncomfortable situation for both teachers and students. But it’s one that invariably happens. I have personally dealt with many students over the years who have disagreed with me – and if you’re reading you know who you are!

Talented students may actually give you the hardest time as a teacher. They tend to question why they have to do something and while this can be frustrating at times it indicates that the student is thinking and that’s a positive sign. So how do you deal with situations like this?

I studied with my father, Morton Estrin ever since I was a young child until I went away to conservatory after high school. I found myself at the Manhattan School of Music with a phenomenal pianist Constance Keene and from the very first lessons I knew I was going to be challenged. Her ideas of learning and practicing the piano were radically different from my father’s and it presented new ideas for me. My father has very large hands and my hands are quite small. Ms. Keene was a much smaller person than my father. So her way of approaching the piano was different from my father’s and her approach offered me benefits.

If you are paying money for lessons or paying a lot of money to go to a conservatory to study music, it’s essential you at least listen to your teachers. You’ve selected a teacher for a reason. You have to trust what they are telling you and at least try what they are teaching you; even if it goes against everything you think and believe in. It doesn’t hurt to try.

If you are paying money for lessons or paying a lot of money to go to a conservatory to study music, it’s essential you at least listen to your teachers. You’ve selected a teacher for a reason. You have to trust what they are telling you and at least try what they are teaching you; even if it goes against everything you think and believe in. It doesn’t hurt to try.

Once you’ve tried their methods – at least a week – and have time to evaluate the value of the lesson, you might change your mind. As a student, you should be willing to keep an open mind. But you shouldn’t blindly accept anything they tell you. If you truly feel that something they are trying to teaching you is not valuable, then you can simply ask them what the purpose is. Try to keep a level head when you question their lessons as it might not go over well and you don’t want to become combative. However, asking questions can aid in the learning process.

Teaching is not a one-way street. As a student, you need to interact with your teacher and ask questions in order to learn from them. If you don’t understand something, it wont be beneficial for you to just sit there! Great teachers know how to listen to their students and get inside their heads.

Take your teacher’s advice. If time goes on and things aren’t working out then maybe you should consider finding a new teacher. Otherwise, give their ideas a chance to develop before rejecting them.

Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future videos please contact us directly: info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Should You Start Teaching Music?

I get many questions from music teachers and people looking into becoming a private teachers about where to begin or how to improve their business. No matter if you’ve been teaching for years or just considering getting into it, here are some great tips and advice I can impart from spending a large portion of my life teaching private lessons.

The best thing you can do is find your niche. This isn’t just the type of instrument or music you can teach, it’s knowing your strengths and weaknesses beyond your own repertoire. For example, I know a couple of teachers who specifically advertise their ability to work with young children. This can be a very valuable asset because not all teachers are good with young children and advertising this specifically can be of great benefit to you.

The best thing you can do – for almost any occupation in this world – is find a way to set yourself apart from the competition. Whether it’s working with children, specializing in jazz or rock, or something that sets yourself apart from the label of just “music teacher”, finding your niche in this world can be an extremely valuable asset. You just must remember to play to your strengths – don’t advertise you can do something you can’t; stick with what you know.

There are also a number of private organizations you can join to help you get started or expand your business. In California we have the Music Teacher Association of California (MTAC) which is an incredibly valuable resource for many private teachers in California. They hold conventions and special events to help teachers meet and share ideas with one-another. There are others all around the country – there may be some in your area.

If you are currently taking lessons from a teacher and are considering offering lessons, you should consult them and ask for help. Many times they will be very helpful and in some cases could even refer clients to you if they don’t have the time to take on any more students.

The most important thing when it comes to teaching is the relationship you have between the student and the relationship you have with their parents. If you are comfortable relating to people and talking to them it can be an invaluable skill in growing your teaching career. The majority of the work a student puts in from a music lesson is actually the time they spend practicing at home. The hour or so you have every week is just a small amount of time and if they hope to improve they will need to practice on a regular basis. Getting a student to become interested in learning and progress on their own is the mark of a successful teacher.

The learning process for anything never really stops; it’s a constant process and the same goes for teaching. Talking to other teachers, relatives, friends, family, anyone you can spread the word of your career with is a great way to get your name out there and also attain some valuable information. You might be surprised how much you learn just from interacting with other music teachers.

Thanks again for joining me Robert@Livingpianos.com

Can You Start Playing Piano without a Teacher?

The short answer is sure; why not? However, you really need to ask yourself what your intentions and expectations are. You should also be aware of the style of music that you would primarily want to play.

For example: if you want to play some blues or honky-tonk piano or maybe you want to play some pieces you make up or sing too, you might be just fine on your own. You might be able to find some good online resources and develop as a pianist and musician on your own.

When it comes to classical music, however, you will be at a severe disadvantage without the help of a teacher. The complexities of reading a score, the traditions developed over hundreds of years, advanced techniques, there are a number of roadblocks that would be incredibly difficult to overcome on your own. Even if you are a genius, you will progress at a much slower rate than someone who has assistance from an experienced teacher.

If you are interested in other genres of music – jazz, rock, country, etc. – you can try and sit down with other musicians who are better than you and gain a lot of knowledge and experience from these types of “informal lessons”. Some of the greatest musicians in these other styles of music are not traditionally trained.

If you are serious about becoming a musician – really in any style of music – you will greatly benefit from one on one instruction a great teacher can provide.

Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729