I will appreciate any advice about the information that needs to be included in the email requesting lesson from a teacher of a university?
Also, is it appropriate to arrange lessons with more than 1 teacher from a college/university?
Thank you!
Linda
Not sure if you did this already but here’s something my S (violin perf) did : He wrote a short bio of himself, and about his interest in his instrument, and “cold-emailed” the prof he was interested in. The man took the trouble to google S, find a video and watch it before emailing back with a phone number asking him to schedule a lesson. Worked out amazingly. S had a pvt audition/lesson with 2nd prof when auditioning at this U., and had a lesson with 3rd prof. after acceptance at the same school. Eventually, after being accepted in the original profs studio, wrote and declined the offer in the 2nd profs studio. This was accepted graciously by the 2nd prof. Now studies chamber music with 2nd prof.
Long and winding story, but go for lessons with another prof if you’re able to swing it.
Note : If you’re not proud of any videos of yourself on youtube (public) remove them asap.
@gram22 I don’t understand - your son was accepted into two different violin studios at the same school? How is that possible? I thought the teacher is decided amongst the faculty at or following the audition.
@Music2023 : Sorry about the confusion above. He was on a waitlist for prof 1 (1st choice), School assigned him Prof 2 (2nd choice). Space eventually opened up in Prof 1’s studio, S moved into that spot, and declined the 2nd choice studio.
I think that’s a bit clearer than my original explanation.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, unfortunately. It SHOULD be fine to request lessons/interviews with more than one faculty at an institution, but on rare occasions that request might ruffle feathers of a teacher. The only way to know about such a situation is word-of-mouth. Of course, you can ask yourself, do I want to study with a teacher whose ego is so large that he won’t tolerate me taking a lesson with a colleague. For the most part, however, it’s fine.
An anecdote: when my daughter was looking at undergrad schools she played for many teachers at the conservatory she ended up attending (including the teachers she studied with; she did a split studio.) It was never a problem that she was playing for different colleagues in the same department. She also played for a teacher at other conservatories she was considering. There was someone on faculty at a place we will call Conservatory B who she’d studied with at a summer program whom she would not want to pursue as an undergrad teacher. At her last lesson that summer, the summer before college apps, he told her that when she applied to Conservatory B she must list him as first-choice teacher or he’d reject her. But one of her dream teachers was also Conservatory B so we traveled to that city for her to “play for” Teacher 2. The summer teacher (Teacher 1) peeked into the studio window during the lesson and saw her with Teacher 2; later, when she submitted her application listing the other teacher as first preference, he called her cell phone at 9 am (she was terrified and did not call back.) Even though the preferred teacher said she would be glad to teach my daughter, when she played her audition (which went fine) she was rejected from that school. Arguably, she would have been rejected anyway, but I doubt it based on other circumstances. In the end, she was and remains very happy she went to Conservatory A instead. Teacher 1 was later dismissed from Conservatory B. I guess the only takeaway from the anecdote, if there is one, is to trust your instincts and spread a wide net. If a teacher has an ego so large that s/he will not tolerate you playing for a colleague, that’s a red flag.
As for what to say in the email, my daughter learned (partly on advice from her own teachers) to write to them asking if she could schedule a lesson or “play for” them. “Play for” is less of a commitment in a teacher’s busy schedule than a full hour lesson, and many teachers were happy to have her come by and spend half an hour or so playing and talking. That was definitely enough time for them to get a feel for each other’s styles, etc. Teacher also benefit from meeting prospective students in advance, since they need to be sure they can work well with their studio members. There are many things you can’t tell from a ten minute audition.
The last thing-- be prepared to pay for the lesson. It is a good idea, in a follow-up scheduling email, to ask the price of the lesson. The range can be quite surprising–some very sought-after teachers charge little or nothing; others will ask for $300. When you “play for” someone, as opposed to having a “lesson” it is usually free.
Every one of the teachers my son “played for” declined payment, except for one (coincidentally, the youngest and least experienced). But each one gave him a full hour, and some gave him more than that.
@gram22 Thanks for the clarification, and glad that it worked out!
WOW, I’d say y’all dodged a bullet by declining “Conservatory B” @glassharmonica . I DETEST this sort of ridiculous business; such behavior should have no place in the educating of our future artists.This is a good and cautionary tale for all; never accept abusive behavior or “funny business”, even from the most revered of teachers; it often leads to further abuses and the crushing of a young spirit. There is always another teacher.
In our experience, we always asked for a lesson. The advice from one music school was to work with the professor to see if it would be a good fit. You may be working with with the professor for a few years so it might be a good idea to see if there’s a possibility for a good working relationship. If they don’t like you or you don’t like them, you can try a different prof or school. Some are happy to do a lesson. Some won’t take lessons but will agree to meet.
In the email, I would include video/audio performances. In my son’s case, we included his scores and videos of people playing his music. I get the feeling they’re recruiting talent and people they’d like to work with. If your student cries from criticism, depending on the teacher, they probably won’t like it. Difficult to work with? They’ll probably remember. Good luck!
Son did 4 lessons – two were free and two were via Skype. They were very informative and helpful.
We don’t usually have this ‘problem’, but one of the schools my D is interested in has multiple teachers for her instrument. We are hoping to visit campus in a few months. We’d like to arrange one or more lessons/ meet-ups while there. I’m assuming we contact them all separately? We have no firsthand information, so it’s hard to know how to proceed. Don’t want to squander an opportunity, and don’t want to offend any of them.
Thanks, @glassharmonica. I got a quote of $240 for a sample lesson (since I’m just now reading about your “play for” suggestion) and thought it too exhorbitant. Now I know.
@BrierMom some professors will only do lessons, so likely the one who quoted $240 is in that camp. My daughter paid as much as $300 for a sample lesson. Very pricey, but balanced out by the professors who charged nothing. In the end, even if the $$$ sample lesson is a disaster, that is very valuable information. You need to learn the professor’s style and whether you work well with him/her.
One idea is to ask for help from your kid’s current private teacher. A short intro/recommendation blurb from current teacher which your kid can include in his/her email out to prospective music faculty might help a lot! If the current teacher is willing to and/or has time to do direct introductions even better!
@BrierMom we’ve also had the experience of being quoted a price for the lesson only to have the prof. politely decline payment in the end. Not sure how typical that is, but it was a nice gesture. Maybe they want to be sure you’re a serious player? Not sure. Same teacher offered the option of a 30 min. (Free) chat and play. We opted for the hour lesson (with fee), and lucked out in the end.
The two lessons we paid for, one was $60 and the other $70.