Two Teachers?

[MedicineMan]

Hi All,

My son is a talented high school tuba player, and has studied with the same private teacher since shortly after he first started playing. His teacher is highly qualified to teach tuba and they’re an excellent teacher as well as a great person.

Recently my son had the opportunity to work with a “high profile” tuba player for several days remotely. After everything was said and done, the teacher said “Hey, you’re a really great player, you should take Zoom lessons from me.” My son said he’d think it over and let them know, which is where things were left.

My son has no plans to attempt a career in music, but he wants to be the best player he can be and continue to play at a high level all throughout his adult life.

Does it make sense for my son to have two teachers? Money isn’t an issue, but we’re not sure if it would enhance his playing or just muddy the waters. Also, I wouldn’t want my son’s first teacher to feel like we didn’t value them or their contribution. To be clear, if pressed to choose we’d stay with his current teacher in a heartbeat.

My son is open to studying with both, and thinks the “high profile” person could probably enhance his playing. Is this pedagogically sound? We haven’t discussed this with my son’s teacher at this point because we’re trying to decide if it even makes sense to bring up the possibility at all.

Any and all thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!

[Matt G]

For the “high profile teacher”, I think your son could gain some additional perspective on the tuba from the occasional lesson.

A lot of college age tuba players have done this. They have their regular instructor, but will book a lesson with a player of recognition for the occasional lesson. Sometimes this works out quite well in that the “third party” can catch an issue the other person missed. This was in-person lessons though. I don’t know if Zoom will work as well?

I did this a few times myself. I’d get a lesson on occasion with a local pro. It helped out immensely with my sound concept and musicality.

[Wu299]

For some time, I had a regular teacher while visiting a "high profile" teacher/player once in a while. They know each other and are friends. The different perspective did help me a lot, and my regular teacher always asked for the news, what I've been told, etc., and sometimes implemented the same methods, less often respectfully disagreed, but always let me choose which point of view I prefer.

Your son may want to ask his current teacher what he thinks.

Things and relationships among teachers might be different in your country, though.

[Rick Denney]

It's not uncommon, and most regular teachers want the best for their students and will be enthusiastic about a few lessons from a high-profile teacher to bring in a different perspective. But don't be sneaky about it. You don't want to undermine what has been a successful relationship with the regular teacher.

And take each teacher's guidance for what it is--don't play one teacher off on the other. "But Mr. _____ says..." should never be uttered.

Rick "it's more about relationship management than learning the tuba" Denney

[Will Jones]

If either teacher is the kind of person who has a problem with that, then it's a fairly poor reflection on their character. And I wouldn't be so shy about saying, "My other teacher says." How is a student supposed to harmonize apparently contradictory instruction? Muddle through on their own?

[Rick Denney]

If either teacher is the kind of person who has a problem with that, then it's a fairly poor reflection on their character. And I wouldn't be so shy about saying, "My other teacher says." How is a student supposed to harmonize apparently contradictory instruction? Muddle through on their own?

"My other teacher has suggested _____, what do you think?" is quite different from "But Mr. ______ says..." The first is cooperative and respectful of both teachers, and the second is a challenge to what was just said.

This should be an obvious behavior in human discourse, but I find it surprisingly uncommon and therefore worth mentioning. Putting teachers in competition with each other will undermine the relationship with both.

Rick "who learned this in the third grade when using teacher advice to counter parental 'advice'" Denney

[Alex C]

I believe adding input from another teacher will ruin the relationship your son has with his present teacher. Apparently it hasn't hurt.

I had a fine student go to a prestigious summer camp and return unable to play because of the mental contorsions he "new" teachers applied to him. His senior year was sabotaged and according to his college teacher, it took was not until his sophomore year that he could play the way he did in high school.

I think the "name teacher" borders on unethical. As a university instructor, I always recommended a student stay with the teacher he had been with in high school. It was ethically the right thing to do and it was fair to the guy busting his butt teaching 80 high school students a week.