Dear Alma, My teacher only wants me to study with old white guys
OrchestrasDear Alma,
I am a graduating senior in high school and I have auditioned for several good music schools and been accepted. My question is: how do I know which one to go to? My private teacher recommends the college teachers but all of a sudden I think I realize that they are all his friends. All kindof old white guys. But I am a young Asian female and maybe I want to find someone like me to study with. There are teachers like me in all of these schools but he says they are no good. How can I tell if they are, and if I should trust my teacher. It’s a big commitment and I want to make the best decision for me, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings.
Confused Young Musician
Dear Confused Young Musician,
It’s hard to know the right path to take when walking that important bridge between childhood and adulthood. Even a college counselor won’t have the depth of knowledge you are seeking. They will have school statistics and some background information. But classical music, with its complexity and delicacy, is somewhat of a secret society. A society, however, which can be investigated and discovered.
You know what you are looking for. For someone like yourself. Someone you can relate to on more than just a musical level. Trust your instincts. Don’t trust your current teacher. He isn’t listening to you, he doesn’t see you. Look at the lists of teachers, and personally contact those which interest you. Ask for a sample lesson, and what their teaching philosophy and studio priorities are. Do this quickly, before the teacher has been selected for you by the school.
If you find a teacher who you feel a connection with, try to research their studio and get in touch with one or more students of theirs to ask questions of. Have a list of questions at the ready to ask the students. Style of teaching, types of projects, repertoire taught, outside projects.
There is nothing worse than arriving at a school where you will be spending the next four years of your life, well – actually – almost the FIRST four year of your life, and being in a student teacher relationship that doesn’t further your vision of who you are and what you want to become. We have all been there, done that, but with a bit of investigation and elbow grease, you can and will decide your own future.
Questions for Alma? Please put them in the comments section or send to DearAlmaQuery@gmail.com
“No place can be a safe space for ME unless I can only interact with people exactly like ME.”
David – doesn’t it seem peculiar that the students’ teacher could not find ONE teacher that was a woman and reputable? She is right to be suspicious. Of course the teachers she sees on the roster are good and excellent teachers, otherwise how could have they landed their jobs? Too many students just blindly take advice on the next teacher. Better to take it in hand and look for what you want.
This is a ridiculous comment. The student smells a rat. Her teacher is only recommending his friends – probably as the return of a favor. She can find an excellent teacher that is more her style than what the insensitive teacher is suggesting.
David. Your comment is embarrassing. She should of course look at the whole roster of teachers. And she should choose. White men have been studying from white men for ever. Did it ever bother them? Why shouldn’t an Asian female study with an Asian female. Look in the mirror.
If I would play an instrument, I would want to be taught by someone like me, because only such a person would really understand me. So, a young(ish) woman, with long blond hair and my beautiful figure – maybe a couple of pounds lighter – and as well-dressed. The only real difference should be that she should know a bit more than me about playing, because otherwise, what’s the point??
Sally
David – spoken just like the white man you are have been saying for the past 1,000 years. Good for you for being close minded. Stick together!
It’s a scandal that white men have been saying these things for 1,000 years. There must have been women around all that time, because otherwise there would not have been white men for that whole period, but why didn’t they say something??
Sally
Yeah and who’s fault is that? A comment like this demonstrates and justifies why some people feel like this student. You clearly could not accept or tolerate her preference, hence she will look for people like her who would accept her. It’s pretty logical isn’t it?
I don’t think the “hence” is logical at all.
The teacher’s reputation, outcomes for students, and fit is important; as well as double checking if there are any open secrets/rumors of moral character flaws regarding the professor.
I do not think taking into account the color of the person’s skin is anything to worry about; I have witnessed multiple times “old white men” (to use this racist slur) help Asian students to make class A careers in the classical music world.
Certainly good to check all of the things mentioned. Don’t just take your teacher’s advice. Look into it for yourself.
Why didn’t the teacher listen to her and help her find some options to try out? There are great teachers if all ages and colors. Not just old and white and male.
Dear Confused Young Musician,
Maybe this is your last chance to study classical music with old white men. Later in your life you will probably not have this privilege.
Yours,
Pff
Don’t worry there’s no shortage of white classical musicians, and they still form the majority in most US music schools. Your antiquated personal views and paranoia will be of the past in the near future, but your race will not be.
Hmm, age and experience are usually a good thing in a teacher. Also beware, overly “student driven” lessons are not always as productive as you might expect – the important words are Teacher (one who teaches) and Student (one who has come to learn!)
Sure – age and experience. But that is what the other teachers will also have. She sees other options on the faculty. She has every right to trust her intuition and research and not just take someone’s word. I think she will be a success because if this attitude.
Alma urged her to follow her”instincts”, you to follow her “intuition”. Are these supposed to be magic avenues to truth and justice?
Racist! Are you so uneducated that you don’t know that Western Civ, classical music in particular, was created by White Men? They built modern society and should be celebrated and honored, not discriminated against which is so popular nowadays. What musical background do they have, how successful are their former students? That’s what matters; not what they look like.
Ageist, too!!
Also, I thought that seniors were somewhat venerated in Asia.
Racist, really? What about the fact that she was only given white men to pick from? The teacher is racist!!!
Yuja Wang didn’t do too badly with Gary Graffman. Perhaps the best advice is to find a teacher who is not like you; that way you will learn more.
She already had an old white male teacher. Not like her time to look a different direction.
From an interview (Australian BC) with Yuja Wang: “She has fond memories of her first teacher at the [Beijing] Conservatory. “I studied with only one teacher, Ling Yuan, from the age of seven to 14. She was more like a mentor. …”
Old white male?
And how about all of Midori’s students? They are doing pretty well too.
Of course they are – she is a great musician and teacher. That is all that matters. Should the first priority for a young adult choosing a professor be that he/she is ‘someone like me’?
Beat me to it!
Add Yo-Yo Ma and Leonard Rose,
………….
Like I say about the White House who wants to hire first by diversity, sexual proclivity, religion etc. before they consider the best and the brightest……if the best and the brightest happens to be an old white man, then go with the best and brightest and stop letting DEI get in your way to success. In other words, don’t go after the participation trophy, go for the win.
There is no reason she can’t go for the win and also look for her own teacher. Those can be the same. She is looking for something different from what she has had. Not something worse. Something different.
Why would you assume that an Asian Female teacher would be worse? I don’t get it.
Barry, please re-read my post, you obviously don’t get it. Not what I said.
I wish I had taken Alma’s advice. I had a terrible 4 years and got into debt and have nothing to show for it. Half of my lessons on scales and the rest on useless banter. Waste of time. I should have looked into it more. It was a total failure.
I believe the late Gary Graffmann (an old white guy) had a couple of Asian students who didn’t do too badly.
It’s a sick/ignorant world where Asian says I need to have teacher that looks like me, or black says I don’t see my kind as role model–how dare you!–is applauded or sympathized with or understood. But when white student says I only want old white males to teach me–racist n bigot!!!
If your judgment is based on color, age & gender you will never get “the best”, whatever it might be.
If she is seeking a better marriage through music, as many do, she is a waste of space, anyway.
Unbelievable. Just study with the best teacher you can find who will take you. Become as good as you can. These are the only metrics that should be involved.
If you want to be any kind of serious musician, you have rise beyond your race and gender. If you can’t, it really doesn’t matter where you go or who you study with, especially if you are not going to seriously pursue a career. Don’t take up space that other people need desperately. But what is really sickening is your mentality, and your assumptions.