Vocalist.org archive
From:  "Jeffrey Snider" <snide76258@a...>
"Jeffrey Snider" <snide76258@a...>
Date:  Sun Apr 29, 2001  12:25 pm
Subject:  Re: Voice Lessons over the summer


--- In vocalist-temporary@y...,
AS far as that goes, I would assume it is the length of a school
year. (Sept. - April) If anyone is interested, the Code of Ethics is
avaible at

www.nats.org

In the Texoma region, I don't think you can judge former students who
fall into that category. After the "8 month" rule, it is really
impossible to tell. BTW, how it works is that a student entering the
student auditions has to list current and former teacher, if that
teacher has worked with the student within the last 8 months.

When I taught in Iowa there was no such procedure, and I heard high-
school level teachers complain that college-level teachers were
getting credit for winning freshmen when they had given them few (and
in one case zero!) lessons. THAT's why there is such a rule.

It can work in grad school, too. A student from College X comes to my
University for Grad school. Our NATS auditions are in early November.
Is it fair for me to take credit for this student that I have had for
probably less than two months when that student has worked with
another teacher for four years or more?

BTW, I agree that teachers sometime take too much "ownership" over
students. I have known teachers who did not want to "release"
students to work with another teacher unless they were somehow
compensated. As if they were an NFL franchise!

Actually, I had sort of an incident recntly. A former private (non-
university) student of mine came to see me. I thought said student
had "dropped of the face of the earth." She had owed me money (and a
lot, really) and had not had a lesson in months. Well, she tells me
she's been working with another teacher. No loss, but I would have
liked to have known. Also, under the NATS Code of Ethics, I could
inform this teacher that this student owes me money and she would be
ethically bound to not teach her until her account with me is settled.

Now, I'm not going to do that. But I feel for those teachers whose
income is dependant on this very unreliable source! Actually, if you
read the Code of Ethics, you will see that there are several items
that are there to protect students as well.

-JS


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