Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Does a teacher have the right to criticize another teacher?

I can't just sit idly by and hide behind "professional courtesy".

I'd like to update you all on the situation. My friend met the tuner/tech piano teacher for a trial lesson. He said the lesson went well, with the teacher pointing out various ways of playing piano. For example, playing at the ends of the black keys only, evenness of touch, posture, proper hand position/height by the piano, etc... Then he went to his regular lesson with his first teacher. Again, he enjoyed his lesson - it was just a different emphasis on the playing, leaning more towards expressiveness, musical discussions, etc... He thinks he can learn something different from each teacher.

Well, the issue is that he'd have to do lessons every 2 weeks with each teacher...but isn't sure about how confusing that would be. Also he thinks that the first teacher might be hurt if he ever found out my friend had a second teacher. How can you keep that quiet for long?? What if my friend wants to take part in recitals and competitions...the first teacher might be ignored completely and only the tuner/tech piano teacher would be acknowledged. That is just wrong. I think eventually the teacher would know. In summary, the tuner/tech piano teacher knows the dilemna and says that he's ok doing lessons every 2 weeks...but my friend would be keeping his current teacher in the dark. Any recommendations?

Any recommendations?

How do you hurt someone's feelings more, by telling them up front or by them finding out later on?

in the dark

The crux of the issue. To me, and perhaps to others (based on their comments), this has absolutely nothing to due with rendering "professional courtesies" and everything to do with sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. The line between offering unsolicited advice and lending a helping hand is very fine indeed, and often difficult to distinguish. I tread this line with great care, erring on the side of silence. In the United States, at least, far too many people are self-appointed experts, and feel that they have a right to impose their opinion on you.

You are a wonderful voice teacher, with vast knowledge which could prove very helpful to students. The case in question, however, is of an individual who is both a tuner/tech and piano teacher. You can infer he is not a master of either, as he cannot earn a living from one or the other. It appears he was simply trolling for students, finding something suspect in their playing, then berating the teacher. It's an old sales trick.

What about saying to teacher A, "Can we work on technique?"

Well, the issue is that he'd have to do lessons every 2 weeks with each teacher...but isn't sure about how confusing that would be. Also he thinks that the first teacher might be hurt if he ever found out my friend had a second teacher. How can you keep that quiet for long?? What if my friend wants to take part in recitals and competitions...the first teacher might be ignored completely and only the tuner/tech piano teacher would be acknowledged. That is just wrong. I think eventually the teacher would know. In summary, the tuner/tech piano teacher knows the dilemna and says that he's ok doing lessons every 2 weeks...but my friend would be keeping his current teacher in the dark. Any recommendations?

I don't do this often, partially because there are a lot of very good piano teachers in this area that I trust do a good job. Singing, however, is another matter. This is where every and any technique is employed with disastrous results and without any knowledge of how the voice functions. People spend lots of money on lessons, many of them hoping to have a career in voice only to have their hopes dashed because they think they aren't talented enough, when in fact it is the teacher who cannot teach, and so they do not progress. Or worse, they develop vocal nodes due to poor instruction, often being taught the opposite of what must be done for healthy sound production.

Many of these teachers, I will grant, do this out of ignorance. They simply teach what their teacher taught, and their teacher had no clue either. However, I know for a fact that some of these teachers have been faced with the reality of their errors and walked away from learning a better way to teach because they were so entrenched in their old ways, regardless of the lack of results in their students. It is then that they become a charlatan. I am passionate about what I do, and when I know for a fact that a student is getting bad instruction (I have actually taken lessons from these teachers in mind), I can't just sit idly by and hide behind "professional courtesy". Those teachers do not deserve being treated professionally because they are taking money from students in exchange for ruining their voices.

Sorry for the rant, but this is where I'm coming from. Again, I don't encounter this much in piano in this community, but if I did, you can be sure I'd point it out should the opportunity present itself and the errors being made by the student warrant some unsolicited advice. So, I guess I have some "ifs" in there too. One has to take each case individually, and making blanket statements either way is not representative of what I do.

Edit Reason: Never Mind

Why did the students get upset when somebody tried to help by telling them that something was wrong. Why don't just listen, and try it out who knows it works. Note: Some people have good heart and want to help. Free does not mean bad advice.

I understand why teachers are not happy when others tell their students something was not done/played correctly. It is human nature. It is the ego of the teacher that got affected.

Open minded students will not feel offended, only those who have big ego will. Most teachers, however, will be offended to find out somebody giving advice to his or her students.

It is a piano teacher insecurity feeling that needs to be overcome.

It is the ego of the teacher that got affected.