socks and violins: violins

[fabricdragon]

this post is in two parts..
rants about the lessons.  this can be catagorized as "whining" as well as asking for advice

Is it normal for a teacher to never have anything good to say about a violin?  the best comments i have EVER gotten from this guy about my violins was about the new one:"you got  a bargain" and "its not bad, probably not worth

Comments

[keastree]

Have you thought of simply asking him to be a little more positive and/or expressing your concerns? It would seem that the violin is something that you are doing for you, and that you need to have the constructive criticism and support that a teacher can provide to get whatever you are seeking from the experience.

[fabricdragon]

yeah

[fencer_john]

I run into the same thing as a fencing coach. There are other coaches/instructors that can fence rings around me, but I'm the better teacher. Often high level performers in a skilled subject (be it music or fencing) believe that qualifies them as good teachers. Rarely is this the case. They confuse the ability to "do" with the ability to "teach."

I have found this to be true in three different fields: programming, music, and fencing. I suspect that it applies in many other areas, if not universal.

[tryst_inn]

There's always going to be some folks who would rather criticize the instrument than the player, you don't really mention how he handles your playing.

Sounds like a miserable guy, I'm already feeling sorry for him. He's lucky to have such an understanding student as you.

[fabricdragon]

well, as to my playing

[tryst_inn]

I think you are wise to listen to your instincts, it doesn't sound like a good match at all.

I well remember bowing issues with the bass. We had a bowing coach we called the "wildman", since he kept accusing us of flapping our arms wildly while bowing. Hey, no shit sherlock, its a FRICKING BASS! We have to bow harder than a violinist would, as he was a violin player and couldn't play the bass.

Bassists tend to be anachronistic, anyway.

[fabricdragon]

ouch...
at least this guy does play the violin, i cant imagine taking lessons with someone who doesnt play my instrument!

the sad thing is, he is right about the bowing.
i can see it in the mirror, i just dont seem to have the kinesthetic sense to be able to "feel" it. or at least not yet.
i get so SICK of going over the same things. but i cant argue the fact that i obviously havent mastered those steps yet. (or even gotten to "level" with them, frankly)

i have a new excersize to practice i hope it will help.

[fabricdragon]

i just went thrugh settlement music school. they had two "spaces" open, and only this one was really good for my schedule.
so he is a contract teacher witrh settlement music school.
but yes, as far as i know he is primarily a musician, not a teacher. that said, he apparently has a good bit of experience teaching beginners. i just wonder how many of them are older. the students i see are mostly kids.

glad the yarn is good. it is very soft, isnt it? the sample i got knit up even softer with work.

[faireraven]

It's a shame you don't live in north jersey... I have at least two violin teachers I would gladly recommend to you without blinking an eye... They're blunt, but not mean, not nasty, and they will make sure you get done what needs to be got done. They will tell you when you're wrong, but they'll also tell you when you're right, and are quite capable of being diplomatic and using CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

Of course, one was the teacher of the other before she became a teacher hersef... ;)

[attack_laurel]

Sit him down, and tell him what you need to be a good student. Most people are sensitive to criticism, so practice what you want to say - heck, post it here, and we'll tell you what it sounds like from an outside perspective. Most people are completely unaware of how they come across. He sounds like a typical musician-turned-teacher - full of angst about his own stuff, and you've also said he's not used to adult students.

It's not so unusual to have a teacher like this - it also sounds (from what I'm reading here) that he's not down on you, just really, really picky about instruments. It might help to remind him that you're a beginner, so you'll be satisfied with less, and also tell him about your feelings about your family violin and why it's important to you. It probably hasn't even occurred to him that you need reassurance - most professional musicians don't get it and survive just fine, but amateurs (which is most of us) are more sensitive about such things.