Music lessons with more than one teacher (same 'instrument')

[littlepeas]

'Instrument' because it is singing .

I wrote a really long post explaining why, but it was so complicated, so I am just going to ask:

Is it too confusing to have 2 weekly lessons with 2 different teachers on the same instrument?

Or could this be a good thing? Different viewpoints, etc?

DD is in year 7 and missing out on opportunities within school because she has lessons outside of school - thinking about organising a lesson with the school singing teacher, alongside the outside of school teacher (who we want to continue with). Both teachers are very good and experienced.

We could do exams with one and just stick to repertoire with the other, to make it less confusing I suppose.

As a teacher, I’d say no (and have done) to the arrangement you’ve suggested.
It’s not about repertoire, so much as conflicting ideas on technique.

By all means ask both parties, but don’t be surprised if either/both aren’t keen.

My DS used to have piano lessons in school and with a private teacher as well and found it helpful. They both knew about each other and were happy. The school lessons were more of a top up to his out of school lessons as they were quite short but he found a different perspective helpful at times.Sometimes something he was a bit stuck with would be explained differently by the other teacher and that would help.
Likewise my DD who later went on to professional dance training had more than one regular teacher as well as attending lots of short courses and masterclasses. Learning from different people definitely benefitted her.
I think it does depend on the stage the learner is at. At the beginning, when foundations are being laid, it makes sense to stick with one teacher and one method to avoid confusion. But as they get older and more advanced then I would think that they should be able to adapt to different teaching styles and indeed benefit from them.
My DD is a teacher now and she prefers her younger pupils to stick with just her school but is happy for her older and more able pupils to attend lessons elsewhere too - though she likes to know about it.
I would talk to your DD's main teacher and get their perspective.

May be more helpful to have a word with the head of music about whether not having lessons in school should lead to missing out on opportunities.

The only way I could think of it being sensible is if they're working on different styles, so say you might have classical piano and jazz piano lessons with different teachers if a student wants to do both. Are they both the same type of singing?

I would say otherwise you'd really need one teacher to take a support role, and just follow direction other teacher is taking - it doesn't sound like that's what you want or need or teachers would be interested in doing though. All you really want is for school opportunities to be opened up based on ability not on where lessons take place, which seems to me a perfectly reasonable thing to request.

It can work, it can also be an absolute nightmare.

Both teachers should be aware and give their approval first of all.

I’ve had students for whom this has worked really well, mainly when the other teacher didn’t do any technique with them, but just stuck to expanding repertoire.

When conflicting techniques are being taught simultaneously, it becomes very confusing for the student, and as a teacher you spend the whole lesson trying to explain why everything they’ve practised that week was pointless.

I now tend to say no, unless I know the other teacher (be it personally or by their reputation). I try to avoid working on the same pieces they’re doing with the other person. Even if I don’t like their ideas I don’t say anything, unless they’re teaching core concepts wrong, or encouraging detrimental habits that I can’t allow.

@thirdfiddle

May be more helpful to have a word with the head of music about whether not having lessons in school should lead to missing out on opportunities.

The only way I could think of it being sensible is if they're working on different styles, so say you might have classical piano and jazz piano lessons with different teachers if a student wants to do both. Are they both the same type of singing?

I would say otherwise you'd really need one teacher to take a support role, and just follow direction other teacher is taking - it doesn't sound like that's what you want or need or teachers would be interested in doing though. All you really want is for school opportunities to be opened up based on ability not on where lessons take place, which seems to me a perfectly reasonable thing to request.

Yes, you are right - it shouldn't be an issue, but it appears that it is. The head of vocal studies runs a chamber choir, which my dd has not been asked to join - she is a music scholar and singing is first study, so it is not because of her ability. It is made up of her own students, some of whom are dd's year group, so it is not down to age either. I think I will drop the head of music an email - I suspect he is avoiding having the discussion with me.

She already works with 2 separate choir conductors outside of school, so already has multiple influences on her technique, etc.

We do exactly this for DD who is in Y8

• Teacher 1... her main teacher for 1 hour/week all year round.
• Teacher 2... her school singing teacher for 30 mins/week in term time

We're now trying to increase to 1 hour/week with the teacher at school as 30 mins is barely enough time to warm up.

DD is around G8 level and has been with Teacher 1 for nearly 6 years, Teacher 2 is paid for by school as she has a singing scholarship.

Initially I think the new teacher at school was a very dubious about how it was all going to work, but it's actually been brilliant. Both teachers are on the same page in terms of technique and what they want to do with her voice.

I've done a lot of emailing with the teacher at school and kept her in the loop at all times as to what other teacher is doing. She will now message me and ask if DD can focus on certain things, or ask for practice of certain pieces over the holidays.

I think it would be tricky if child is still at early stages, or if the teachers have very different techniques. I'm lucky that Teacher 1 is very encouraging of master classes and working in different ways and with different people and just seeing what happens.

Communication is definitely key. When DD was awarded the music scholarship, I was sent a form to complete on previous training, and I put a lot of technical information in there so that we had a good chance at being matched with a teacher at school (they had 8 for singing) who was on the same page in terms of DD's vocal style, focus and ambitions. I was also very firm that it was non-negotiable that DD trained outside school - 30m/week only in term-time is not nearly enough if they have plans to focus on a professional career.

A music scholar should not be being overlooked for opportunities in school just because they wanted to stay with the teacher who taught them to that scholarship standard in the first place!

Definitely talk to the head of music about the whole situation; and discuss in advance with her teacher about what they would and wouldn't be happy with / able to work with. And cross reference any discussions you had prior to accepting the scholarship, or what your understanding was about how it should work.

Good luck sorting this out. (I have two music scholar children, however at boarding schools which simplified the in/out of school question somewhat! but day schools not uncommonly have students attending junior departments who again would be getting their lessons outside school)

Just to add, totally agree with Pythonesque - and it does seem strange that she's being excluded if she's on a music scholarship... and one for singing no less.

I know DD's school have separate choirs for the scholars, as well as ones that anyone can join, so I would understand it's possible to not be in those (if for no other reason than it's easier to say "Can all the X scholars please attend Y" than deal with individual names) but this doesn't make any sense at all.

Due to personal reasons for her main teacher, DD has two teachers at her JD, it works really well as they both communicate with each other. It helps that one is definitely 'in charge' the other one is supporting. I have a friend whose Ds has lessons at school and they aren't allowed to have another teacher, even in the holidays which is frustrating as the school lessons are so short. Ironically she swapped to in school lessons because he wasn't getting the opportunities in school like chamber groups but none of these have been on during covid so she definitely regrets it.