I would NEVER pay anyone with a BA 50.00 a lesson. I don't care how long
that person was teaching...I myself have two BA degrees, and I am NO
expert on either subject. I would pay more to take lessons from someone
who was a tenured faculty member or who everyone raved about...but
credentials and education count.
Lea Ann
Dear Lea Ann:
I think that we all limit ourselves in life if we work too much out
of "assumptions"; in this case, I would be careful of the "assumption"
that simply having a degree or being on a university faculty
automatically assures excellence in teaching. Honestly - I know
exceptional teachers who lack fancy degrees and also I also know
teachers with PhD's on voice faculties who are not nearly as good at the
job at hand (i.e., teaching folks to sing better!). Nor does having a
successful performing career guarantee teaching ability; a great singer
may lack the means to explain and disseminate information to his or her
students or may not even know how he or she really accomplishes the
production of his or her own voice!
Expertise is gained not only from academic study but also from
experience, from attending specialized workshops, from reading books,
from conversing with and exchanging ideas with other teachers (go
Vocalist!) and from having the courage to be creatively experimental,
trying new things with new students as the need arises. Other skills
also come into play to make a great teacher: intrapersonal skills,
empathy, understanding of the learning process and how it differs from
one student to another, performing experience, and having the ability to
clearly communicate the subject matter to the student, etc.
Sounds like you have found a good teacher with many of the
above attributes. Good for you (at any price!).
Sharon Szymanski
The Szymanski Studio -"encouraging excellence in the vocal
arts"
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