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I'm starting to lose focus and thought I know lets get a teacher again.

I've phoned emailed about 6 teachers and they either don't pick up the phone, respond or don't seem eager to take me on.

Is there a black list or something? I did not leave my last teacher badly (if anybody remembers the teachers bad day thread).

Or are teachers being dead picky?

It is pretty bad form of any teacher not to respond, even if they are not taking on, at this time.

We should always make a point of returning calls/emails as soon as possible.

Sometimes the boot can be on the other foot.
Only this week I had a message from a prospective parent (referred from a previous student). I replied, inviting the parent to call me at her convenience, for more information/discussion.
That was four days ago

I had several non returned contacts too, but I figured that since I was working off of a music store contact list that maybe the info was out of date.

There was a period in my life where it seemed I couldn't get the job I wanted or the apartment I wanted. Later there was a time when I couldn't get the employee I wanted or the tenant I wanted. Maybe it is like that.

Keep looking; you'll find a great teacher. I did.

This happened to me recently. I phoned and e mailed over 10 teachers and none of them responded back to me which was pretty rude, inconsiderate, and some of them declined in a wishy washy manner...I gather because a lot of teachers are females who teach from home, they do not take adult students for safety reasons or they are primarily focusing on children as a "market" since most of the demand lies there. This is what I gathered from my own observations which is OK by me, but a more open admission by teachers would have been more satisfying.

Some of them have been also acting weird if an adult male wants to learn or if the student does not have a piano of his/her own...

The reason doesn't matter to me, If someone doesn't want me as a student, that's all there is to that. Explanation or justification isn't helpful. Referral to another teacher might be useful.

Timely post as I am seeing an adult male beginner, wishing to transfer to me from another teacher who lives further away, and distance is the reason for the transfer.

I've had only bad experiences with men, piano-wise. I'm going to meet him before making any decisions. I've just been stood up, unpaid and had to deal with bad behaviour too often to actually look forward to taking on an adult.

If they do not call back, accept it that they are too busy, or not looking for new students ad continue your search. Don't take it personally. You want the right teacher for you and that is the one that answers calls, at least.

As an adult male student (but not a beginner) --

. . . Ouch!

Have you checked his bona fides with his current teacher?

. Charles

I don't think it's unreasonable to question this, do you? I don't know about "acting weird" but I'd certainly want to know if they have any plans to acquire one in the near future. Learning piano isn't going to go very far without one.

It is impossible, completely impossible, to teach someone who does not have ready access to a piano. The only thing they can learn is theory, and then without a piano to play to solidify the theory learning, the theory is quickly forgotten.

In my early days of teaching, I was somewhat desperate for students, and took a few students who either did not have a piano at all, or only had access to one on a rather limited basis.

They all failed...did not progress, fizzled out, lost interest.

What is "weird" is to expect to learn to play the piano without a piano.

Well I have full access to university practice rooms and library. I also have rented one for 3 months to see if it is for me or not...But this is a minor issue...the more salient issue was refusing service for being an adult male...I completely understand their choices...I am just saying that it was frustrating on my part, but they have every right to take precautions but generalizing has never been good.

Regards,

But still, a teacher who doesn't want adult male students isn't the right teacher for you.

If you were looking for a speech therapist for your grandmother after her stroke, you'd agree that someone who prefers to see only preschoolers who stutter wouldn't be the best fit.

Teaching adult students in general requires some different tactics on the part of the teacher, so not all piano teachers take adult students. This is aside from safety concerns of a female teacher with an adult male student. It just takes a bit more time and digging on the part of the adult student to find the right teacher.

I try to respond to emails/phone calls within 24 hours. I think that is considered normal and not too long to wait, but allows for me to choose a time and location that it suitable for discussion over the phone. I think it is rude not to call back, especially to have so many not call you back. But, then these teachers are clearly not the right ones for you, so in a way it's making your selection process a little easier. Have you tried online referral sites like getlessonsnow.com or MTNA.org?

I always return calls within 24 hours, and usually when I'm done teaching if it's not too late (like 9 PM).

In the last two years I've screen some inquiries from rude folks, so I think it goes both ways.

I think that knowing how to present yourself is part of the trick, especially given the expectations that many teachers will have because of past experiences. This has been discussed in the past but I can't remember under what titles.

Indeed, sorry. I find the problem really is with beginners who have no idea. Just no idea of anything. No patience, will not listen or do as I ask them and insist on doing what I ask them not to do. No idea the importance of paying or treating me with respect. Bang on the keys when frustrated. Don't practice.

They either go on to do well, at which point they're no longer beginners, or they quit.

Still, if I was to stop taking adults due to this, I would still return calls.

Keep a precise list of which teachers you called, and when. That would apply to any business interaction. If some teachers "don't pick up the phone" then maybe, quite simply, they are not home - so, of course, you should leave a message. And look again at the list of teachers you are calling; some teachers only teach children or beginners, so they may be intimidated by intermediate to advanced students. What do their websites say about the level of students they teach? They should give a clear indication of that in advance.

Studying with someone is a two-way street, a duet, if you will, and the audition goes both ways. I remember once being asked the rather bald question, "How good a teacher are you?", to which I responded, "How good do you need any teacher to be?" In other words, I was asking the potential student to focus on what it was they thought they needed, and why they think a certain teacher would be able to supply that need.

It might also be worth reading your emails very carefully, or maybe having a friend do so.

You may be sending signals of flakiness (for want of a better term) that is putting them off. If so most people would prefer to just not reply rather than get in an argument.

You might need a reference.

Also, is it possible some of them googled you? Would they find anything on facebook, etc., that would give them pause? Students google teachers; it's not impossible that the reverse happens as well.

I didn't own a piano either in college, I always used the university practice rooms and got along just fine.

I will ALWAYS respond to a call or email, but I don't take any student over the age of 18. It has nothing to do with male or female. I just enjoy teaching children better.

I received a call over the weekend asking about lessons. I called the person back this morning to thank them for their call and to ask if they would like me to put them on my wait list because my studio is full right now. The person said this, "WHY WOULD YOU EVEN BOTHER TO CALL ME BACK IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OPENINGS???!" Yes, rudely, just like that. This might be a bit off topic but I think it's necessary to phone people back as soon as possible, even if you have a wait list.

Wow Barb! That was a wild one. Lucky thing that you didn't have an opening!

I had a couple teachers state to me that they weren't taking students and had a waiting list--and ending the conversation without asking if I'd be interested in being on the waiting list. I thought that was a little weird, and kind of another way of saying that they didn't want me as a student.