Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum What to do with the last year of piano lessons.

It might be useful to have a discussion about how people approach tasks. He is already approaching his piano lessons more as a hobby than as a serious area of study. He approaches the piano as many adult students do, and yet he is only 16. I have some kids younger than he who already approach the piano as adult students do.

It's best to stop the lessons right now. If he isn't going to practice five days per week, (actually practice, not just plunk about) he isn't really getting the maximum benefit out of the lessons. He's drifting about rather than putting in the effort in that is required.

It's time to accept he's another dabbler. His teacher probably thinks of him as a rent-payer. She probably expects him to drop soon and is biding her time.

As a piano teacher, I know this kind of student is fun to teach on the one hand, but frustrating on the other hand; they never get anywhere.

That's brilliant! Set an intense and ambitious goal for the time available.

Hi, Candywoman, thank you for your classical perspective.

You would be frustrated I guess when the students don't go the direction you want them to go, and your direction is clearly classical.
He didn't demonstrate a love of classical music and playing certain classical compositions was "against his will", according to him. The teacher kept helping him to find the music he liked (or didn't hate)
Then he started to find music on his own, fooled around, not spending all his piano playing time on his "assignments".

I spoke to the teacher and she asked me not to interfere. So I just watched afar.

I think the teacher's strategy of going through more music rather than emphasizing fine details, combine his motivation to learn his own music, helped his music reading tremendously, also cultivated his passion for music in general. Often times, I heard music playing when I got home from work, and someone is playing music in the house all the way to bedtime. Either someone is playing the piano, or someone is singing, or he is playing his saxophone, or his younger brother is fooling around with his trumpet. Were we doing sophisticated classical music, most time not. Did we have fun, yes. Too much fun I have to chase them to bed.

Are we helping the teacher to pay rent? Of course, as we should. Did the boys get the maximum benefit from the lessons? Well, no one in our house is going to be concert classical pianists anyways, why not just enjoy the moment.

After reading your post, I count my blessing that we had a wonderful music teacher that understands our no so sophisticated music tastes.

It's not because of the type of music he's selecting, but rather because he only plays the teacher's material for a day or two before the lesson.

Pop, jazz, church hymns, even his own compositions are all good provided he is dedicated to polishing them. There's nothing wrong with playing what you like at home. The issue is more whether you as a parent should be investing in piano lessons when he barely plays what the teacher asks.

He himself feels it would be a waste of money next year, so that's how I arrived at my conclusion.

I like far more than just classical music. All music requires daily attention and study in a focused manner.

I love this description of your happy musical household. If music lessons played a part in getting this, I agree that it was money well spent!

+1!

And with one's kids, it's always money well-spent (even when it's not! 😂)

+2
I don't regret a penny spent on my son's piano lessons over the years.

Ironic, ain't it - as parents, what we regret most is the money we spend on ourselves!

Not so much for me.
My regrets are more general.
I would that it had been otherwise, but mostly I think I did the best I could with what I had at the time.
Maybe it helps that I had hardly anything to spend on myself.

Well, if after the kids, there was little left, then there was nothing to regret, was there

Me and Edith Piaf everyone else who fits.

Very logical

I would check that your son has learned how to follow lead sheets from "fake books."

If he knows the chords, he can play well enough to entertain himself and others.

Classical piano teaching utilizes classical music because it follows the rules. I tell my students, "once you know the rules, then you can break them."

Like a writer, you have to learn basic grammar rules and story plot lines. Then, you can write in your own style.

So, be sure he has the basics down, especially on chord reading. Then, ask his teacher to provide "fun" music. No need to polish off everything. Let him shine at his last recital, and enjoy that he can do something many of his peers never even attempted.

Playing for one's own enjoyment is a good form of therapy. It de-stresses. It also invigorates. He's done well!