In thinking the teacher is being ridiculous?

[maggii]

At my ds school they hold a music concert in April every year, students who take music lessons at the school will automatically get invited to perform and those who have lessons out of school will have to ask the music teacher if they can be invited too. My son who’s 12, has been playing bass guitar since he was 8, he really tries hard to improve his playing and puts a lot of effort and time in practicing, he’s self taught, and he’s actually very good for his age!

For the four years he’s been playing, he finally feels confident to perform at the concert, he asked the music teacher if he could be invited and he told my son to get me to email him, so I did. I’ve got an email back today saying he isn’t allowed to perform as they don’t approve of the instrument!? He said that the bass isn’t as interesting as the other instruments, and that they don’t want to encourage other students to play it and that it’s not a good instrument for a solo piece (ds planned to have a backing track with the drums playing, which students are allowed). Am I missing something? Is the bass guitar considered a negative instrument?

Ds is heartbroken, any student who asks to do the concert always gets a yes, so he’s feeling very down about it all. Very tempted to reply but I know I’m going to come across argumentative, as to be honest, I am feeling very argumentative about this situation. The music teacher flat out said no, and that was the final decision. Ds was so excited to finally play to people other than me, dh and his sister, so I’m frantically looking online at some local music concerts or events he can play at as he wants to take the next step.

So my real question is aibu in thinking the music teacher is being ridiculous over the bass guitar? Is the bass a bad instrument, will it have a negative influence on the other students?? Do I reply to his email?!?

Sorry for the long post, I’m just very upset for my son!

I would be fuming. They should be encouraging kids to play any instrument. Bass players are essential and whilst it is slightly more tricky to play solos there is no reason he can't play to a backing. DS2 played the drums in his school music concert to a backing and it was fine.

They should be celebrating that he is learning an instrument.

This music teacher is a Philistine Prick and probably jealous because he is a crap bassist.

Two words: JOHN DEACON

Yeah not interesting at all. That is a terrible attitude for a music 'teacher'.

I'd be asking the music teacher what his favourite bands are, and then asking him how he thinks they'd sound without bass.

Bass guitar players are among the most highly sought-after stage and studio musicians in the world. Mo Foster, Tony Levin, Anthony Jackson, Carol Kaye, David Hood, Reinie Press, Joe Osborne (RIP), Guy Pratt, Pino Palladino etc. Their choice of instrument hasn't done them any harm.

Definantly reply.

Bass player's mum here. 'Classical' musicians often look down on the electric ones.

We're often on the receiving end of the snobbery of the orchestral families when the groups swap over at the weekend music school. One of the other members of my DC's band scored 95% in their Grade 8 aged 13, yet you'd think he was filth from the way that some orchestral parents treat him as he moves a key piece of gear from their rehearsal room to ours (one of our parents always goes with him now).

We've been deliberately obstructed, shoved aside, ignored, and are just generally regarded with anything from disdain to horror.

The fact that our DCs are often getting PAID for gigs seems to pass them by!

Can you screenshot what he actually wrote, because that doesn't sound like the comments of a professional and I wonder how much is paraphrased?

Music teachers have a lot of constraints to work within while setting up a concert, time being one of them, and it may be felt that a base solo will not be that interesting, especially at the level of a self taught 12 year old. I don't say that to be negative, my dh plays base, so I have heard a range over the years, and unless you are very good, solo pieces do sound rather lacking. I've also sat through many a concert, solo pieces are fortunately limited, as they try to showcase as many pupils as possible in the limited time available.
Who has said that every pupil who asks gets to play in the concert? It won't be that simple, the teachers involved have to try and uphold some standard, so I highly doubt any random self taught musician would be able to just pop in with their own piece. I doubt a home taught, confident bodhran player would get a part either, if they only just mentioned it as the concert was planned. Again, I know this sounds negative but it isn't meant to be.

A better idea would be for him to see if he could join in with another group in some way, as pp has said. Old ppl homes usually enjoy a performance. There are also church groups etc which he could look at playing with.

UnleashTheBulsara beat me to it.

Jerry Barnes of Chic is none too shabby either.

Jet Harris, formerly of The Shadows, had several Top Ten hits in the 1960s with drummer Tony Meehan. 'Diamonds', 'Applejack' and 'Scarlet O'Hara'. All bass guitar solo instrumentals.

I"m guessing a bass player stole his girlfriend.

He's a dickhead. I would complain.

I"m guessing a bass player stole his girlfriend

@DangermousesSidekick Primus are ace! Tommy The Cat is one of my all time favourite bass lines

in the town we live in there are several pubs that do 'open mic' nights, some of them are more than willing to let kids come and play before 9 o'clock - I've noticed that while the kids are setting up and doing their thing that the guys waiting to go on later are very supportive and friendly and very happy to chat and advise, perhaps you could look and see if ds could do something like that? any hobby should be seen as positive

btw, teacher is a knob!

This music teacher has clearly not heard of Royal Blood. That massive sound comes from a drummer and a bassist. Its a master class in setting up a rig of a guitar, multiple amps and pedals, very technical.

@FairfaxAikman I came on to say just that about Geddy Lee!

OP if your son hasn't watched/listened to any Rush music videos, I'd highly recommend for the amazing Geddy Lee bass 👍

Oh...and as a teacher myself, the music teacher is a dick! I'm appalled at his attitude towards your son!!

@Alondonleerie for some reason I can’t post the screenshot, I think my internet is dodgy. But I’ve copied and pasted his reply.

I’m very sorry to inform you that I will not be able to invite (ds name) to play at this years music concert. His choice of instrument, the bass guitar, is tedious compared to the other students choice of instruments that are showcased at the concert.

The bass guitar is not as interesting to hear when playing a solo, and I understand he had chosen to play with a backing track however, it will have the affect of boring our audience, and we aim to make the concerts as entertaining as possible. We also don’t want to encourage our other students to play the bass by reason of it being a non classical and dull musical instrument, so are unable to invite (ds name) to play.

His shortlist of solo pieces for the concert were excellent picks, especially the swapping of the guitar to bass guitar in Sweet Child O’Mine. I hope he carries on playing bass, and isn’t too disheartened by my decision. Once again, I’m deeply sorry for not inviting him

Ds is convinced he’s going to ask to do a drum solo instead of the bass, he can play the drums just no way near as good as the bass or confidently, he has been fixated on playing at the concert for so long, he doesn’t want to deal with the thought of not playing at all. I also asked ds whether he wants me to email headmaster, but if he overrules music teacher and says yes, then ds will have to play his bass solo knowing the teacher finds his performance boring, which will make him feel so upset.

@Alondonleerie for some reason I can’t post the screenshot, I think my internet is dodgy. But I’ve copied and pasted his reply.

How about a phone pic uploaded, then? I ask, because I've known a lot of teachers, and not one of them would write to a parent and tell them 'it will have the effect of boring our audience'. And no self respecting music teacher is going to call any chosen instrument 'tedious' and 'dull', because they would expect backlash from the parent. And it's not professional. Or polite.

Nice try.

I can't believe a professional teacher would actually send an email like that to a parent. In our school, class teachers can't even communicate directly with parents, everything needs to go through a Head of Year, office staff or senior management.

If this is genuine and he actually said your son would 'bore the audience' with his 'dull' instrument then I would 100% complain to the school. Spectacularly unprofessional, to the point where I actually wonder if some pupils has hacked his email for a prank or something equally daft!

I’d take it up with the head. Music teacher definitely being unreasonable.

That’s bloody ridiculous. Even if the only instrument your son played was the triangle, he should still be encouraged to play.

That is quite possibly the most ignorant and unprofessional letter I have ever seen leaving a Music Department.

It doesn't matter if kids are utterly bereft of ability, if they have a genuine passion for it, we will find a way to get them to perform - and they are fully supported and encouraged by their peers. OK, they won't end up playing in the Albert Hall or conducting the Last Night of the Proms, but they could become lighting directors, stage managers, accountants specialising in music/theatrical clients or simply grow into adults who have fond memories of being allowed to perform and support their children to follow their dreams and passions in life.

I wouldn't hesitate to take a letter like that to the Head if a colleague wrote it, because it is that order of inappropriateness. He is NOT a bad influence who needs to be kept away from 'proper' musicians. He is more of a true musician than his HoM.

There is nothing wrong with playing a guitar part on a bass - it shows ability beyond that which most of those other children would be capable of on their instruments - and will be far less boring than yet another five minute piece or yet another repeat of the same Musical Theatre song belted out every single performance by the HoM's Chosen One.

On behalf of all people teaching Music who have an ounce of professionalism and common decency, I'd like to reassure you that he is NOT to be discouraged.

The world will need more bass players in ten years time.