Annoyed with music teacher (warning - petty!)

[ItalianinLondon]

DD learns recorder in a group at school. She is really keen and plays a lot at home, loves her lessons, etc. (Our upstairs neighbour is less keen!)

They usually don't have a lesson first week back, so we hadn't packed her music stuff. But the teacher turned up on Wednesday and sent DD home with a note saying that she wasn't allowed to attend the lesson because she didn't have her stuff. I thought the note was a bit snotty - given that the music service had said lessons don't start till next week, how were we to know? ("Please do ensure that DD has her music things with her as it is very disruptive to the group if she is unprepared.") I also think it's kind of unfair because there are loads of spare recorders at the school and she could have shared another kid's book.

I'm tempted to write a note back to teacher and say that we weren't told about lessons starting and that it's a pity DD had to miss the lesson. But I'm also aware that it has been a tough week... and I'm probably deflecting my annoyance about other things onto this...very first world problem. Yes, I should get a life, I know!

To write note or not to write note?

I would write if only to clear up the confusion which wasn't your fault. If you've paid for lessons and spare equipment was available or was unfair for them not to allow DD to attend, especially when it wasn't your fault.

We had music lesson difficulties too they sent a note out saying we needed to pay x amount by x day but didnt put it on the system so we couldn't pay another text please pay still not on a letter sent home pay by the tenth or else your child has no lessons STILL NOT ON SYSTEM the school is cashless we cant pay unless its ON THE SYSTEM it has now been paid but FFS how irritating to have repeated demands for money you have but cannot give them!

I’d be annoyed too, both at his tone and at what sounds like being charged for a lesson your child isn’t going to have (since the first has already taken place). I would write, and I would also ask for a refund for the lost lesson.

As an Italian speaker, I know that cellos are celli (although it seems weird to say that in English). But I also don't make an issue out of it when people mispronounce tagliatelle

@NeedAnExpert - my first thought too....

OP - I'd just drop a polite note to the music service asking them to clarify the lesson dates for the term as the ones they gave you don't seem to be the same as the ones they gave the teachers, cc it to the teacher and then leave it there. Mix ups happen (like the year the music exams were all mixed up by the music service and I had all the Tuesday kids turn up on Wednesday and the Wednesday kids turn up on Tuesday - luckily had a lot of lovely and accommodating examiners.....) and the note was a bit snotty but not worth getting into a bad relationship with a teacher.

Good suggestion, thanks!

Yeah, I guess the teacher was maybe just having a Bad Day and the note sounded more annoyed than intended. And wouldn't be surprised if there's been some miscommunication! But if they try to tell me I've missed an email then I'll say I really haven't. DH has been working abroad and I'm doing all the comms with school, etc.. so I'm double-checking that I've notes everything in order to keep on top of things. Plus, I always check my junk mail! So I'm certain that I've missed nothing ;)

Your DD doesn't need grade 1. It's a pointless grade :) she could go straight in on grade 5 if she wanted. Or even grade 8 if she had her theory exam 5 passed. I only ever did grades 7 and 8 on recorder. 5, 7 and 8 on cello and only 7 and 8 piano.

Complain to the music service! I'd send the teacher a polite note explaining that the fault lies with the service communicating badly. I assume teacher was having a bad day, snotty note this early in the term must have been a really bad day! Poor DD, hope she gets some cool music to make up for it :)

Thank you for explaining about the grades! This system is new to me so I don't know much about it, but that is what I'd understood. I can see that the grades might be helpful as a motivation, but DD is really good about practising by herself and will do her scales at the start of each session before the pieces of music and stuff. So I don't think she needs the impetus and, since she's not keen, I'm not inclined to force her. As long as she can go straight to the higher grades if she wants to take an exam when she's older, I'm not fussed.

DD has harrassed persuaded me to get the mum of one of the other kids to scan and email the new music, so she's happy now. Hopefully the teacher will not feel her toes have been trodden on..