How to Find a Good Teacher on Planet Earth
As someone who has studied for 20 years, I’ve been around the block. I’ve studied with all sorts of teachers with a wide array of personalities and beliefs.
And here are some things I learned:
Check Your Backyard.
I used to travel all over for lessons. I would commute to NYC on a weekly basis and slog my way through the long commute. Yes, the traffic was horrendous. Yes, it was pricey, but that was the deal, right? If the city is where the happening is, where the good teachers are, then it must be the right place.
And that plan worked... sorta.
While I did meet some really spectacular players, from conservatory professors to New York Philharmonic teachers, when COVID hit, I was benched. I was stranded in my home state.
Luckily, I met and had the honor of working with my current teacher, who is, guess what, 10 minutes away from me. He transformed my playing. I became the violinist I always wanted to be. And all of a sudden, the techniques that were so elusive for so long were at my fingertips. So don’t be afraid to see what’s in your neighborhood. You might just find exactly what you need.
Avoid mean teachers like the plague.
I have only studied with two bad teachers. At the time, I thought, “ Well, they are teaching my technique, so maybe it’s worth it?” I’m here to tell my past self, noppeeee. It was not worth it. The juice was not the squeeze.
Verbal abuse causes more harm than good. It cuts into your confidence and your love of learning. If you are constantly put down, you won’t play your best. You will be afraid of challenges and of good opportunities.
There is a whole world of good teachers out there who are kind AND knowledgeable. You don’t need to settle for abuse. No one does.
A good teacher is like a good boyfriend, attentive and supportive.
A friend of mine once studied with a teacher who insisted her shoulder pain was “ no big deal”. As a consequence, my friend got severely injured in her young performing career. Why was this? Because her teacher only knew how to teach one way, and if it didn’t work for her, that was her problem. A teacher should take your concerns into consideration and work through them with you. This is super important, especially when it comes to pain. They must be good stewards of their students.
A teacher should also challenge you as you progress. The pieces should introduce new techniques to your toolbox. They should bring performance opportunities to your attention and maintain a steady teaching schedule to get you ready. They must make the effort to be of service.
In conclusion, it’s a big world out there. There are more great teachers than there are bad ones. All you need to do is keep these little footnotes in the back of your mind when you have a trial lesson. And if it is not a good fit or they don’t have the information you need, it’s okay to keep looking! Sometimes you've got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince! But once you do, nothing can stop you.
