What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Transition to a New Instructor

Time to Make a Change

It’s not unusual for students to change instructors at some point in their musical journey for a variety of reasons:

• New instrument. Perhaps you’re taking up the flute after years of piano instruction. It makes sense to learn from someone who specializes in woodwind instruction.
• New Home. Whether you moved or your instructor did, you may be searching for someone closer to home.
• New style. You may have spent years in classical music training and want to transition to jazz instruction. A new teacher with that training and background can help you make the move.
• Better personality fit. Sometimes personalities just don’t mesh. That’s okay. It happens. Finding someone with whom you feel more comfortable is a legitimate reason to make a change.
• Leveling up to reach your ultimate goals. Your current teacher may be focused on beginning students and you may need someone who can guide you on the next level of your journey.
• Full schedule. Whether it’s your schedule or your instructor’s, scheduling conflicts can necessitate a need for change. We’ve been on both sides of this scenario.

As you embark on your search for a new instructor, we’ve got some tips and advice to help as you bid your current teacher “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye.” and say “Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome!” to your new instructor!

Speak Up!

Regardless of the reason why you are changing instructors, we cannot stress enough the importance of clear, open communication. There are several things you should share with a potentially new instructor:

• Why are you making this transition? Whether it’s something listed above or some other reason, letting your new instructor know the reason for your move is important so they can address any concerns you may have from the get-go.
• What did you enjoy about your previous experience? Did your previous instructor start every lesson with a fun exercise? Tell your new instructor about it. They may be willing to incorporate it into your upcoming lessons.
• What didn’t you like? Did your previous instructor spend waaaaaaaay too much time drilling you on scales? We all know scales are important, but maybe you’ve evolved past the need to spend half your lesson time on them?
• What are your goals? Are you hoping to become a woodwind doubler? Advance to the senior ensemble? Play in the marching band? Work toward a music scholarship? Let your instructor know your goals so they can tailor your lessons to reaching them.

In some situations the current instructor may be able to help connect you with a new instructor and facilitate the continuity of your lessons so they are seamless. We’ve had the experience of introducing college bound music majors to other instructors who have specific connections to the music programs of interest to them. Having a warm introduction to specific colleges or professors for targeted programs is one reason why we might pass off an advanced student to someone else, even though we are qualified to continue working with them. It’s also the reason we present this option to our Juniors and Seniors to see if it’s something they feel will benefit them.

In the end, no matter what the reason for your transition, it’s important to advocate for yourself to ensure the change meets your goals and expectations.

Expect the Unexpected

Depending on your situation, you might meet with a few instructors before you choose the one who will become your next music teacher. If you aren’t being referred to a new instructor from your current one, I would highly encourage you to interview several potential instructors to learn a bit about their style, approach, and lesson materials.

Once you’ve settled on a new instructor, it’s important to remember that your lessons will also be a new experience. You know from your own experience in school that your sophomore math teacher took an entirely different approach to teaching than your junior math teacher. While music teachers might all teach the same thing, we all come from different experiences in music learning and can teach the same instrument or content in many different ways. Don’t be too surprised if your new teacher explains something you already knew in a completely different way.

Unfortunately, there are circumstances when working with a new instructor was not of your choosing. Our most challenging transition students came from instructors who had moved out of state or who had even passed on. Under these circumstances, it can be very difficult for children to adapt to a new instructor, especially if the prior instructor was quite popular.

I recall one difficult year for Andy when a local piano teacher left to pursue a higher degree out of state. It seemed like every night for months, Andy would have one student or another remind him that he wasn’t their Andrew Pokorney. (Andrew, if you’re reading this, your students thought you were AMAZING!)

New Lesson Materials … Maybe

Another thing you should expect when switching teachers is that whatever lesson materials you are currently using may not be ones they wish you to continue using. This is especially true of piano lessons. Piano teachers select their lesson materials based on their experience and their teaching style. For example, we would never use Suzuki methods because we lack a background in that style of instruction and learning. Instead, we draw from our personal experiences and collaboration with our musical peers from a traditional music background that is rooted in music reading literacy on the front end.

Even if your lessons and materials feel unfamiliar, there is a real opportunity here for you as the student, particularly if you did not enjoy the music you were learning from previously. Sometimes a complete change to new materials can be a game changer to making music lessons enjoyable. Other times a new person can make existing materials more pleasant because of their different approach.

When meeting with potential new teachers it’s a good idea to bring along your most recent assignments and ask your instructor what they teach from. Be sure to tell them what was and was not working with the current books.

Give It Time

From a teacher’s perspective it always takes a few weeks to even a few months to get used to teaching a new student and establishing good communication. As instructors, we need to learn what a new student knows so that we can chart a new course forward with the appropriate materials. Sometimes this means a small step back if there are gaps of knowledge or a skill that we need to backfill in. If this happens, we make sure that the students and parents understand our reasons why it may feel like a step back to ensure the student has everything they need to ultimately move forward.

We are proud to have a mostly full roster of long-term, dedicated students at this time. However, we do currently have space for a few more students. We also have a network of amazing instructors for all instruments. If you are looking for music lessons with us, or need a referral to someone and are not sure where to start, drop us a line!