Are parents welcome?

Are parents welcome in a lesson?

Generally, prenents attending lessons is not recommended on an ongoing basis (beyond the first lesson). Here is why:

Studio space is barely adequate for both student and teacher.
Development of independence is encouraged.
The student/teacher relationship is simply a one-on-one relationship (and that should be fostered from day one).
Distraction should be minimized.
There is a tendency for an observer to participate by interjecting (even though they may not be aware of this).
This is generally not helpful (to the student or teacher).
This is generally distracting to the teacher's ability to focus on the needs of the student and read feedback from the student (physically and mentally).
This is generally distracting to the student's ability to concentrate and exicute musical passages to the best of their ability without interfering with themselves.
The student is generally learning how to prepare music and have it stand up to the evaluation of one person he trusts.
Parent suggestions often conflict with the teachers experience (in choosing which element is most critical to address and when to address it).
Such conflict creates difficulties between the student and teacher.
There are ways that parents can "support" their child's private lesson work and practice..
These methods can be discussed with the teacher outside the lesson context via phone or email consultation (at the normal lesson rate of $30 for 30 min.).
Some of the methods parents can offer assistance will be published on this site.