Posted by Joseph on June 18, 2002 at 10:37:32:
In Reply to: types of teachers posted by Mary Ann on June 18, 2002 at 10:09:56:
The first type most definately. Give me a solid mental concept of what I'm striving for and my body will figure out how to achieve it. If Louis Armstrong had studied classically he never would have developed the sound both in trumpet and voice that made him so distinctive. Somewhere along the line he would have had someone tell him his sound was all wrong or that he was doing something odd with his chops. Fortunately for the rest of us he knew exactly what he wanted in terms of sound and let his body find the most efficient way to get there.
The last time I took a lesson with a technician type teacher(one lesson) it took me about two years to recover from the damage done. I know better now. The best teachers encouraged me to listen and decide for myself, were only interested in discussing music, and *never* once tried or even considered describing how to do something physically. It just isn't necessary and gets in the way of the natural development of the player. I've been chastised for taking too long in a lesson thinking about *how* to play a lick rather than just laying it down. Now *that* is great teaching.
fwiw
joseph