Good morning! One of the teachers my kiddo had a trial lesson has emailed asking if my kid has any questions about the program or school. My kid wants to email that he has no questions. I personally have a lot of questions! But when I suggested them to my kid, he felt they were unnecessary. (I want to know things like studio size, if the students in one studio have a close relationship with each other, can kids get an extra lesson here or there if they need help getting ready for a jury or performance, etc.) What would you ask a studio teacher (in this case, it’s a voice teacher) to get a better feel for the teacher and for the school itself?
How are studio assignments are made? One assumes from the interaction that the teacher would take him in the studio, but is it his first choice studio? If it is, he could say that he is interested in the studio, and wonders if there is room for him, as it will be very important to his final decision (if it is). Otherwise just ask how studio assignments are made.
How are placements made into aural skills, theory, etc ? Has he taken AP Theory? Is a 4 or 5 sufficient to place out? Is there a piano requirement?
Consider asking about the frequency of coachings and availability of collaborative pianists. Are they provided by the school or is there a fee? This is the one that really matters more than you think, especially getting prepared for auditions, juries, recitals,…
If he feels he knows enough to judge the program, he could just politely thank the teacher for inquiring, say he has all the info he needs at the moment but if anything arises, he will reach out. Might say something like the information already provided was very thorough, or that most of his concerns were addressed at auditions, etc… Just so it doesn’t seem like a brush off!
Another tactic…has he spoken with his private teacher about the email? When my D got her first emails from teachers, she went to her private teacher for advice. She even helped my D craft responses and keep doors open.
FYI…my D had nothing “smart” to say/ask to the teachers who initially reached out. Her responses were general like…“thank you so much for your interest…excited about your school…and will stay in touch!” The details came later.
And, remember the teacher is asking HIM personally if he has any questions (not you). I certainly stuck my nose in a bit when my D got emails…making sure she at least replied and checked with her teacher. But this is part of the letting go.
YOU can call the school administration about their studio policies/placement tests if you’d like and work with your son to get the details in the end…but with an initial communication/relationship with a teacher…I’d kind of let him handle it his own way…with maybe a little advice from his teacher.
Thanks @songbirdmama and @bridgenail–His precollege voice teacher is an alum of the school where the professor is from. He would be a great resource. I hadn’t even considered the bit about the collaborative piano and the placements. Thanks for that!! @bridgenail–your reply made me chuckle. You are absolutely correct. This is his rodeo. One thing he does that makes me and my hubby crazy is he declines all help in the moment, when that help is convenient, and comes crying back later when it sometimes is too late to help him. Then there is (very often) a huge drama that disrupts our work life, and certainly our family life. This is one of those instances where I am pretty sure he does not have the info he needs to help him make an informed decision, but if he waits until the end of April, it may be too late to make a favorable-for-him decision. In which case, I suppose, it would be another one of those life lessons that he’s been racking up lately. I’ll suggest he ask his voice teacher for help in replying and tell him that he must reply, regardless of whether or not he has questions. That said, I really do appreciate some of the ideas here and would really like to know how the placements and accompanists are handled, so I can reach out to the school myself with those questions.
That is why I suggested the teacher. My D was better at following recommendations from her teacher. From me…no not really…and yes, it would then roll down hill and smash into me later!! In the future, he will need to ask advice from faculty and teachers so it is good practice and a “safe” way to let go. With my D, I would rattle on about the important “stuff” hoping she would open up and get her courage to ask. It was hit or miss…but parents can poke around with administration as well. And…as he gets closer, he may be able to correspond with a music student at the school. It’s not a bad idea…as he may be more comfort asking questions to another music student…or those music students will just share the most relevant info that your son wouldn’t think to ask. So keep an eye out for that type of opportunity as well.
That’s a great idea, @bridgenail! He has a few composer friends there (who graduated from his high school last year), but no vocalist friends. But as soon as the opportunity to speak to a few current vocal students arrises, I am sure his current voice teacher will suggest that he ask SMTD students his questions. Haha. Sounds like your D is a lot like my S. Perhaps it’s the age…