<p>My D is going to send "the supplemental arts material" to some colleges ... which means music CDs. Those CDs should be accompanied with music teacher's recommendation letter. My D asked her piano teacher to write one, and the teacher told her that, being too busy and unexperienced in writing such letters (she is a good pianist, not a writer ... and a foreigner, too ;)) she will gladly sign whatever letter my D would come up with by herself. But my D is even more unexperienced in such creations. ;) So, they both need an advice - how to write music letter of recs, what should be in it, how long should it be, how to start and finish it etc.</p>
<p>Any guidance would be greatly apprecciated.</p>
<p>This makes me uncomfortable on a lot of levels.</p>
<p>If your daughter (or you) write your own letter, what kind of honest appraisal is that? I can understand the teacher being uncomfortable writing a letter, but having you (or your D) substitute the writing, and just ask for a signature seems unethical to me. </p>
<p>I absolutely would not do this, but maybe that's just me.</p>
<p>A more honest approach is for your d to sit down with the teacher, and have the teacher verbally outline her thoughts on d's ability, technique, potential for musical growth etc. D can take notes, and come up with a statement based on the teacher's thoughts. </p>
<p>Is there another source that can provide a rec?</p>
<p>I third those opinions. The schools are not looking for something that says "she's great or amazing," but something more like "I'm impressed with her because specifically she does ..., her strengths are ... " and more of the same. I think they expect it to be very personal about your music and abilities, something that a peer professional would say to them regarding the student. Additionally, I would be wary of any recommendation from a teacher that does not have a good command of English. A well-written recommendation is actually a marketing tool. If it is presented poorly, it can unintentionally hurt your cause.</p>
<p>My son suggests that as an alternative idea, the teacher write her letter in the language she feels most comfortable, and then have it translated.</p>
<p>Just a thought: is it true that a supplemental CD 'must' be accompanied by a teacher's recommendation? I gather this CD is not for application to auditioned programs; the CD truly is 'supplemental' to her application; perhaps her playing will speak for itself, and you don't really have to sweat the teacher's inability to write a letter so much.</p>
<p>Well, as far as I remember, most colleges do require the teacher's recommendation with the CD. My D will have her school choir teacher's enthusiastic "extra-recommendation" of her as a passionate singer and musician for the schools that allow that, but she still needs the piano teacher's recs to go with that "art sipplement" piano CD. She has been with that and only teacher for many years and it never occured to us to find another one just to get the "right" recommendation.;)</p>
<p>My D thinks she might just recall all the praise/criticism/advice she had heard from her teacher for all those years of piano studies, summarize them and honestly put together in one letter. ;) Then show it to the teacher, ask her for some editing and a signature.</p>
<p>Or she might "torture" her teacher by asking her to formulate everything she thinks of my D's music skills - and then she (DD) would still need to translate all that stuff into English (her teacher can speak English, but had never used it talking to my D or me) and present it in her own words - with the teacher's signature.</p>
<p>Your DD has a long time piano teacher who has never once spoken to her in English? (insert little confuzzled icon!) My son studies piano too, and I really think it is hard to imagine high level piano studies without being able to communicate! Or does your daughter communicate with the teacher in her native language as well (this would make sense to me)?</p>
<p>Honestly, Myau, while I agree that this is a difficult situation, I would still follow a clearly ethical path. Now, if you speak the teacher's language, I would ask the teacher to write a rec in her own native language, and then translate it, but provide the colleges with a copy of both the teacher's original words, and the translation, noting that you (or your D) did the translation.</p>
<p>I would still not, in these circumstances, write the recommendation <em>for</em> the teacher, even trying to recall what she might say, and ask for a signature. There is no way a student can accurately capture an adult voice, or say what a teacher might actually say (at least IMO).</p>
<p>And doesn't the school director have a good sense of her piano skills (if I remember, your D is very involved musically at school as well). I might have that person write on her piano ability, if the piano teacher is unable to write in her own words.</p>
<p>Don't mean to be harsh, but I would never cross that kind of ethical boundary, no matter what....I'd send the CD without the rec, and include a note explaining why, rather than write it for her. Again...maybe just me, but you did ask! :)</p>
<p>My D's German violin teacher wrote in German, D translated it herself. He had never written a letter before - recommendations aren't used in Germany. So we asked him to state that he taught D from when to when, and try to think of something nice to say about her!</p>
<p>We included the original (which was handwritten on his own studio letterhead) so they could check the translation if they needed to. She also had the local HS German teacher sign off on the translation. She typed "Translation verified by Mr GermanTeacher" and he signed it and dated it. Here is the letter in it's entirety. Germans do not "gush". We were happy to get this much.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I taught BinxD from 10/2003 – 7/2006 as a private teacher for violin. In this time I became acquainted with BinxD as a technically and musically very talented pupil, for whom music and violin playing are held in high value.</p>
<p>BinxD followed instruction with great interest, and worked very purposefully and with the greatest reliability on the assignments. At concerts she could demonstrate her technical and musical talents impressively.</p>
<p>(signed) Herr Geigerlehrer
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Your teacher does not need to do more than this. Giving her someone else's letter might help her find words to use.</p>
<p>Editing to add: As you can tell, this letter really says nothing about my D other than verifying that she had private lessons during this time! It doesn't really need to say anything more - they don't know this teacher from Adam, so his opinion isn't going to carry too much weight anyway. Her list of rep, her resume, and her actual audition are going to be what determines if she's any good. It's a total picture thing, and you and your teacher don't need to worry that much about the letter itself, unless it is a negative one. Also, be sure to see if there is a check-list that the teacher needs to fill out.</p>
<p>Myau, my son sent supplemental music CDs to all the schools he applied to and never did we see a specific request for a recommendation letter from a music teacher. It is not asked for in the Common App arts supplement. </p>
<p>I am a music prof who reviews tapes/CDs every year and we rarely get rec letters from music teachers. When we do, we don't pay much attention to them. The CDs speak for themselves. </p>
<p>Unless your D is auditioning for schools that actually require a letter from a music teacher, I would forget about it. If a letter is required, ask the teacher to write a couple of sentences in her own language and have it translated by someone who is bilingual.</p>
<p>And just a side note. We got to read the music recs after the fact. Piano teacher simply said: So and so has been in my studio for this many years. I am always happy to see him because he always makes music and never plays like a robot, or some such wording. Not the glowing rec we were hoping for. The other teacher actually disected his resistances and said I almost gave up on him but he pulled through; I'm proud of him. But she focused on the period of his studying that she considered touch and go for a serious instrumentalist. Not glowing either, but honest.</p>
<p>He was accepted at schools we only dreamed about. And composition is his major interest, and he had no recs for that. His instruments are piano and violin, but he is enjoying singing with the choir most of all. Didn't even send any CD's of singing. (A good thing, too, in my opinion, though he is coming along and loves the choir.)</p>
<p>I would choose to have the teacher write a recommendation in her native language, and have the recommendation translated into English by a non-family bilingual member of your community- a teacher of the language or other person in a leadership position, preferably. Then have the original letter and translation sent together. </p>
<p>From my past experience living in a non-English speaking country, I have seen situations where this is the way a need for information in English from a non-English speaker would be handled.</p>
<p>Some of the schools DS is applying to have recommendation "forms" that give direction with what the school is really looking for in the letter. Maybe you could adopt one of these forms for your teacher to use?</p>
<p>"Or does your daughter communicate with the teacher in her native language as well (this would make sense to me)?"</p>
<p>Yes, she does.</p>
<p>"And doesn't the school director have a good sense of her piano skills (if I remember, your D is very involved musically at school as well)."</p>
<p>Her choir teacher agreed to write a rec letter for her about DD's singing, piano accompanist's and conductor's skills based on what my D did at school. But whould that be enough?</p>
<p>Yes, it's plenty! The choir teacher can talk about her musicality, her ensemble sensitivity, reliability, leadership ability, etc. She can also compare her to the many music students she has encountered over the years. This is a very valuable rec!</p>
<p>So, what's appropriate for such a letter? Should just the teacher's impressions from the lessons be in it? Or should recitals, competitions, festivals, evaluations be mentioned, too? Is it appropriate to tell about other people's (teachers, musicians, other students' parents ;)) impressions of the student's playing in that letter or should there be strictly that particular teacher's observations only? What kind of musical terms and expressions the student's piano skills are usually desribed with? </p>
<p>(I think I'll talk to the teacher once more and try to convince her to write that letter, and if not, I'll try to write it by myself (there are parents who teach their own children, aren't there? ;)); in any case I'll need some advice on the imformation mentioned above - either to provide the teacher with it or for myself).</p>
<p>Myau, I'd advise not getting so involved in the writing of a rec letter by your d's choir teacher. If she has already agreed to do it, then she clearly feels warmly toward your d and has plenty of positive things to say about her as a musician. If your d has a resume that she wants to provide so that the teacher has more details on her musical involvements, that would be fine. But trust that the teacher has written many letters before and will know what to say. No teacher wants to be told by a parent what kind of letter to write!</p>
<p>I was not talking about the choir teacher - everything is OK with that rec, I hope (generally, I'm not involved at all in anything that has to do with my kids' schools ;)).</p>
<p>I'm still musing about the ways to deal with the piano recs.</p>
<p>Myau - I think schools are used to receiving recs from all sorts of teachers, and I wouldn't worry too much about what it says. I think the only critical points would be:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How long has the teacher known/taught your D?</p></li>
<li><p>Can she address any particular strengths? (anything from coming well-prepared to lessons or talent or technique or public performance or ...)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>It really doesn't have to be long or involved. I think the schools are only looking for verification that the student has actually had private lessons, and that they are teachable. The CD will tell them anything else they need to know.</p>