Please advise me about dd's violin teacher and Strings Club

[listsandbudgets]

DD (9) has been learning the violin since the start of year 3 but has seemed a bit unhappy with it recently and progress has stalled. I have spoken to her over the weekend and discovered her violin teacher has been shouting at her. Apparently every time she makes a mistake he stops her playing shouts at her about it and makes her start the tune all over again. Sometimes she never gets to the end of a piece.

On Friday she came home IN TEARS because he'd told her to learn the wrong half of a duet (quite complicated for her level which she worked really hard on) and when she started playing he told her she'd learnt the wrong bit and wouldn't even hear her play. He marked it in the book so I know she learnt what she was told.

I've spoken to her violin teacher and asked if there have been any problems but he told me she wasn't really trying and needed to put more effort in. Until about 6 weeks ago she did her practice without being told but since then its been a real effort to get her to touch her violin and its seems to have coincided with the shouting etc. in her lessons.

I want to stop her lessons and find her a new teacher but no idea how to go about it as this one is through school. Also think we'll have to pay a terms notice but right now dd's happiness matters more than my savings. Where do I start?

Secondly The String Club have just opened up in our area. They seem to do things in groups. I want to up her confidence and I'm wondering if they would help. Any experiences of them please?]

Sorry long post just worried for her as she loved violin and I want to see a return of her enthusiasm.

Regardless of how good String Club is (sorry- never heard of it!) I wouldn't let her continue with this teacher!

DD learns 2 instruments, never have either teacher ever shouted at her!
That's just not on, and certainly not motivating or productive for a child.

Is this a private tutor, or is it through your local music service? If it's through the LA service, I would say report and complain.

If by "The Strings Club" you mean this: www.thestringsclub.org/ then I can tell you that I don't know anything about them personally but that they received high praise in the European String Teachers' Association magazine recently. Small group tuition for stringed instruments is not at all unusual (there were 8! in my class when I first started learning) and actually provides many benefits.

They also seem allow children who are not having lessons with them to join the ensemble groups, which could help boost confidence even if you want your daughter to carry on having one-to-one lessons.

If there is a teacher at school who liaises or arranges the lessons I would talk to them to see if any other pupils have been unhappy or are cancelling. If this is a relatively new teacher, there may be a trend and it might be possible to replace them if the school reports problems. This one sounds totally unsuitable for that age group - and I wouldn't be too amused if a teacher shouted at me, to be honest. My DCs have a total of 4 great teachers from our borough music service and they never shout!

It would definitely boost your DD's confidence to play in a group, I don't know the one you mention but generally ensemble playing is a great boost for kids. Good luck, I really hope it all works out for your DD!

Thank you all so much.

Yes the teacher is through the school. I assume he works for LEA. TAlking to the head of music would be a good idea. Either way I'm not letting dd stay in his lessons.

I think I have found dd a new teacher. I asked at the shop we bought her violin from and they said they offer lessons at the shop. DD's going for a trial lesson Friday.

thanks for the information about Strings Club I will phone them after I know how she gets on with the new teacher.