Singing lessons 12yo

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DD's last singing teacher who was teaching her at Grade 5, aiming to take in last Summer term at her school, left suddenly last Easter because music director was a pain and since been fired himself. DD got allocated new teacher who said wasn't ready for her Grade 5 and needed to focus on technique. Fine - didn't want to be pushy mum, so DD spent Summer term doing breathing exercises and learning vowel sounds. Just started back and teacher says still not ready - now Grade 5 will probably be spring. AIBU - how can one teacher say ready then another teacher say basically needs another years training? Loads of other problems with new teacher - doesn't set HW or communicate etc; had meeting with new Music Director who says will look at switch to another new teacher but as have paid a terms fees to teacher might have to forgo them. Really doesn't seem right.

Singing teachers are all the, to have very different ideas about how someone should sing. We experienced something similar. Ds' first singing teacher wanted to enter him for grade 5 as his first singing grade. He had done a lot of singing with a church choir and done ribbon work. Ds' singing teacher kept cancelling at the last minute and I got fed up.

We tried a different teacher and she declared that Ds should enter grade 3. What was annoying was that she would not tell us which board she wanted to do. She wanted to teach Ds musical theatre where as Ds wanted to do classical singing. I stopped the lessons as I was very pissed off.

Quite easily. Some teachers don't want students to sit an exam if they don't expect distinction, they may also have different qualifications-some having professional music qualification and some just teaching courses, etc

As a singing teacher, my advice would be to listen to the current teacher. It's not a race to get to Grade 8 as quickly as possible, and holding back and taking things slowly, especially with voices that are changing during adolescence (girls too), is more beneficial in the long run. 12 is very young to be doing Grade 5, but that's just my opinion.

Does your daughter get opportunities to perform as a soloist? Maybe you could use solo performances as a goal rather than exams?

Completely agree with above am also a singing teacher - when I get students at Secondary from private they are often 'Grade 4/5' but poor singers...exams are a really good stepping stone but there's no need for 8 until year 11 at earliest really unless progressing naturally at that rate. Much better to be a good singer than have a bit of paper imo...

I think that grade 5 required a depth of maturity that Ds didn't have. He has taken a break from singing lessons and learning guitar instead. Once he had grade 5 guitar he will go back to singing lessons.

When Ds sang his grade 5 pieces at the age of 13 there was no feeling. He didn't understand love songs like where'ver you walk. A lot of the grade 5 repertoire is not designed for children. I got annoyed with the second singing teacher because there is plenty of grade 3 music suitable for children that is classical.

Thanks that's helpful. DD is v mature physically for age - she went through puberty at 8/9, poor child. I think it is the lack of communication and changing goal posts every term that has p**'d me off.

Absolutely - communication is really important and so is having the right teacher - you need a rapour with your teacher to really get the best vocally :) have a chat with the school again....