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A little rant.


mthomps2

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Posted

This semester I took 'Group Piano' provided by the community college I attend.

 

The following is a little rant about the instructor, jazz snob of the highest order, one who I feel meets the specification of Bill Anschells Jazz session primer perfectly. http://www.billanschell.com/jamsessions.html

 

We are supposed to take 15 minutes at the start of class to practice the piece we are working on. It's usually something like Jingle Bells, very simple versions.

 

He spends the entire time jamming out loudly, moving his head back and fourth with his eyes closed while he re-harmonizes to every note in the melody, complete with dramatic facial expressions. You can hardly hear yourself through your own headphones while this takes place.

 

I was late the first day by about 5 minutes. I don't like to be late to class, but this time I was. As I walked into the room he stopped me at the door and gave a speech that this is unacceptable. He was late the very next class...

 

When he asked me why I wasn't writing down the A natural minor scale from the board, I told him I have a background in theory and I already have the scale written down many times. He tried to embarrass me in front of the class as he said he demands that in his class you write everything down. Being smart ass I am sometimes I reminded him his class was worth 1 credit and non-degree oriented.:facepalm:

 

Big mistake, because what I really wanted out of the class was to make sure I was fingering everything correctly on the piano and learning proper technique. Well when I asked for help with the right fingerings for chord inversions he told me to wait 'till next class and was out of the room and on his way home before any students.

 

In fact, you had better get any question in during the class and just take the condescension, because before you realize the class is over he is out the door.

 

I guess that's what you get from a community college piano class!

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Posted

I agree - file a complaint. Check with your fellow students first to see how many feel the same - and if they do, get them to complain too. You are paying money. He is being paid.

It certainly isn't what you ought to "get from a community college piano class"! Sometimes those courses can't get the best teachers, understandably, but it sounds like you've got an unusually bad example there. (Reading between the lines, it sounds like you might be rubbing him up the wrong way now and then, undermining his authority; but there's no excuse for behaviour you describe.)

Even the idea of you all practising the piece for 15 minutes at the start - while he ignores you - sounds like an excuse to avoid teaching you, to pass some time. You should have already practised it! ;) (A better way to spend that time would be for him to listen to each of you individually practising it. Or at least to listen to you trying to play it all together. A good teacher will be able to pick individuals out from that and address any issues.)

There may be nothing wrong with a teacher occasionally demonstrating an advanced level of playing, but it should be for teaching purposes - which of course means, if he expects you to learn something from his performance, then he should at least be getting you to listen to him! (And asking you questions.)

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Posted

Well, I'm not going to out right file a complaint because the grading is completely subjective to his taste. Instead I'll be saving it all for the end of semester anonymous evaluation form. :cop:

Although I don't know how seriously department heads take those things.

If it gets any worse I'll step up and file a complaint before that though. He's a great pianist and he knows his {censored}, but he's also a dick head.

To be fair, he isn't ignoring my questions during practice time. In fact, last week he actually complimented me on my timing playing a piece for a test and on my voice leading during a writing exercise.

The problem is during the class, we will learn something new. I'm not going to disrupt the whole class to call him over and ask him if I'm playing such and such with the right finger.

Call me crazy but I think its pretty customary for a professor to stick around until anyone with a question has been taken care of. He SHOOTS out the door before anyone even has the chance. When I catch him, he can't be bothered and says to wait till next week.

Ok, dude, I'll go practice it the wrong way.:facepalm:

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Posted

Call me crazy but I think its pretty customary for a professor to stick around until anyone with a question has been taken care of. He SHOOTS out the door before anyone even has the chance. When I catch him, he can't be bothered and says to wait till next week.

I think that's maybe a more understandable issue. He is being paid an hourly rate, probably. If he starts getting into the habit of answering questions after the lesson, he could get held back an appreciable amount of time that he's not being paid for. And maybe he has a gig or rehearsal to get to, or a train to catch. Or maybe he's just whacked out after a busy day.

 

But it's still a sign of bad teaching, that he doesn't leave space (say 5-10 mnutes) before the end of a lesson to deal with any questions arising. Ideally, every student should feel at the end of a lesson that they know what to do for practice before the next one, and they're reasonably clear on everything that went on in the lesson. There should be no questions remaining (not that can't wait a week anyway).

 

Even so, if you get on his good side, so that he enjoys dealing you (as a group) more, then he might well be happy to stick around and chat.

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Posted

The world unfortunately is riddled with lousy teachers. There is a saying tho: "The best students will learn despite the worst teacher's best attempt at sabotaging the process."

 

If he's a lousy teacher, let him be a lousy teacher. Complain if it's necessary. Meanwhile, take your focus OFF his lousy teaching and do your best with the material.

 

Otherwise, all you're learning is how NOT to teach. To my mind, not very useful information (especially if you're not interested in being a "failed jazz pianist who bitterly teaches material he hates to uninterested students).

 

Point: Don't get taken in by someone else's "stuff"

 

(just an opinion)

 

Thanks!

Jon

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Posted

If you file a complaint it may just add to other complaints about him. I doubt you're the first one who has had an issue with him. Also, remind him YOU are the customer and his job is to teach, so he should be teaching. Don't feel bad about doing this, you are paying the tuition and there to learn.

 

Also, what fingering is it you're looking for? I'm sure one of us can help you. I'm not much of a piano "player" but I've worked MANY things out on the piano and I've had to take instruction on it for certain parts of other instructions (which I'm sure a number of people here have).

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Posted

I say FILE THE COMPLAINT. If you were hoping to get the fingerings out of it, just get a Hannon book. It has all the fingerings for all scales in all keys.. You can also look up fingering advice online in countless forums, or buy a few books or DVD's and have a friend of yours correct you if you are making any mistakes.... not worth your time to have this yutz being {censored}ty and unprofessional. You need to tell his superiors of this abuse of power.

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Posted

I am with the "file the complaint" crowd... or drop the class if that's an option.

Also - your story made me think of this...

When we grew up and went to school
There were certain teachers who would
Hurt the children in any way they could
By pouring their derision upon anything we did
And exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids
But in the town, it was well known
When they got home at night, their fat and
Psychopathic wives would thrash them
Within inches of their lives...

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Posted
Also - your story made me think of this...


When we grew up and went to school

There were certain teachers who would

Hurt the children in any way they could

By pouring their derision upon anything we did

And exposing every weakness

However carefully hidden by the kids

But in the town, it was well known

When they got home at night, their fat and

Psychopathic wives would thrash them

Within inches of their lives...



:thu::thu::thu::thu::thu::thu::thu::thu::thu::thu:
Is there a millions thumbs up button here??

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Posted
The world unfortunately is riddled with lousy teachers. There is a saying tho: "The best students will learn despite the worst teacher's best attempt at sabotaging the process."


If he's a lousy teacher, let him be a lousy teacher. Complain if it's necessary. Meanwhile, take your focus OFF his lousy teaching and do your best with the material.

Good thought!

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