This is a truly amazing story. I like to give background info, so it's a bit long. If you don't feel like reading it all you can just scroll to the last few paragraphs. ^_^
Well, as you know, I went to Japan around Christmas time and had Lasek surgery done the day before New Year's Eve. So I took a break from piano classes to heal and also for financial reasons.
I was also happy for the break because I'd found myself getting bored and frustrated with the classes. Why? Well bored because it seemed all that was happening was, "learn this piece. now learn this piece. this piece is in A key. now learn it." But since I hadn't really ascertained what I did want out of the lessons (besides being able to play better), I didn't know how to fix this problem.
I was getting frustrated because she is only 1 person, but she has many students. We all have our allocated times with her, but at any given time there are 3 other students practicing in their tiny, non-soundproof rooms. LOUDLY. And most of her students are mine as well (i.e. students at the elementary school where I teach), so I was a little bit embarrassed. There was also the issue of students who had been given homework, bringing it to my teacher during our class time. This would happen a few times in the hour. And finally, she had a bad habit of double-booking or overlapping lessons. So that while she told me 6-7pm was fine, in reality it wasn't, because she had another student already scheduled for 5:30-6:30pm. She wouldn't tell me, but then I would notice that my classes were always starting 10-15 minutes late and she would eventually share the reason. So then I'd change my class time, but it would happen again.
I understand her wanting to take on more clients, but she was just too busy for me. That being said, as I was paying so little ($60 for 4 classes are you kidding me?!) and as she was so sweet, I felt I couldn't really complain.
Before I went back to her after taking January and February off, I remembered my growing distaste for the classes and set out to figure out the cause. Then it hit me: I wasn't learning what I wanted to learn. If I'm completely honest with myself, at the time I didn't know then WHAT I wanted. I just knew I wanted to learn different things. So when I went back to my piano teacher to arrange classes again, I asked her if we could do more exercises, as opposed to mini pieces that I would learn, perfect and then forget each week.
So, she gave me a jazz piece book for kids and an exercise book of Czerny pieces and so I thought I'd be set. In addition to this, when I confirmed I'd be paying $60 again, she dropped it down to $30!!! $30 for 4 classes! What?! I thought I'd hit the jackpot. Learning something new and getting an unheard-of deal.
So we had our first class this Monday and.... well... the frustration returned. My lesson started 15-20 minutes late and ended late. There were constant interruptions by other students having her check their homework. She answered the phone and actually had a conversation during my class time. And as I played I realised it was the same format as before. "Perfect this piece. Good. Now this one."
It was actually during THAT CLASS on Monday that I truly realised what I wanted to learn. Namely, how to be a self-sufficient learner. I wanted to learn all the keys and all the chords in each key and triads and arpeggios and all that so I would be better equipped to facilitate my own learning. I could accompany myself (even if just with simple chords) to cover songs and I could even write music of my own.
I explained this to my teacher immediately, not wanting to waste any time. Now her English is quite minimal so this explanation took some time, but when we'd reached an understanding, she told me that she just doesn't teach that way. She said her teaching style was more geared towards learning Classical piano and what I wanted was more Practical Use.
You can imagine it was a bit of an awkward moment, since we both now realised I'd have to find a new piano teacher. We'd developed a fondness for each other (despite the issues mentioned above) and our relationship as teacher and student was now about to end. So she let me keep the books she'd just given me for free and suggested another school I could try. I went there immediately after our conversation to find out if they could teach me what I was looking to learn.
I met with the owner and we chatted. It was difficult, because she also speaks no English, but the Bass/Guitar teacher (English name: Jack) did and he was there to assist. I told them what I wanted to learn and in the course of the conversation it also came out that I'm studying guitar. Everything was going well, they seemed to understand what I wanted to learn, but then I learned somethign I didn't like: the fee. Itw as going to cost me $40 PER CLASS, with a total of $160 per month. More than 3 times what I would have paid if I'd stayed with my first teacher.
I gulped a few times and was unsure what to do. But then I reminded myself that this kind of price is pretty standard (even cheaper than other prices I've heard back in Canada) and I was being promised one-on-one classes that wouldn't be interrupted and I'd be learning what I wanted to learn. How could I argue then? So, I bit my lip and agreed to try it for one month and after one month I'd see if I was happy and then reassess. Last night (Friday night) was the first lesson.
The lesson started out frustrating as this new teacher, while being better at English, still only spoke minimally (as I do in Korean). I'd had a rough day at school and was sick and tired so my temper was shorter than usual. As an example, my new teacher, Hyeonjeon (who's about my age actually) made a light-hearted comment that she would teach me piano and I could teach her English. My first thought was, "Are you gonna cut my fee in half then?" I had to keep reminding myself to calm down and smile (also that she was trying really hard and we're in Korea so it's more silly that I don't speak Korean, not that she doesn't speak English), which I did do and in the end, I learned quite a bit. Hyeonjeon was a real champ in sticking it out with me. I got homework and everything haha!
The thought of the cost did stay with me, though, and I asked at the end of our lesson (which actually ran a few minutes late because we were so caught up in the learning process) if there was any way to reduce the price. WELL! The boss got called back in so we could discuss it together and 2 other guys (teachers? students? staff? not sure) were called in to assist with the translation of everything. The owner of the school made a suggestion of how to make the piano lessons more affordable. In the end we were all smiling, laughing and excited with the potential of the days to come. Are you ready for it?
She said that if I would teach her son and his friend (both 15 yrs old) English for 30 mins once a week, I can have my piano lessons for free. FREE!!! Beyond amazing! I was so shocked and happy!
IT GETS BETTER!!!
She remembered that I play guitar and said that Jack would teach me guitar for 1 hour after the English lesson on Sunday (the day we agreed on). Also FOR FREE. I went from paying $160/mth for piano classes, to getting 1 hr of piano and 1 hr of guitar per week FREE in exchange for me teaching her son & his friend for 30mins once a week. How freaking awesome is that?!!
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!
I went in for my first class with the boys and my first lesson with Jack (who I discovered is the owner's husband and thus one of the boys' father). Jack asked to have a look at my guitar while I was with the boys and afterwards he asked me, "Do you like to play classical music?" I said no, but explained how I came to have a classical guitar in my possession. His response? "If you like, you can exchange your guitar for any one of our acoustic guitars that you like." ...... what? Did he just say that? "Yeah sure no problem!" I asked if I could at least pay the difference between the one I took and the one I was giving him and he said, "NO.NO.NO. You're teaching my son English!" Wow... English truly is a powerful currency out here. Also, how many times do you come across bartering in action like this? So I now have a new acoustic guitar (narrower in body which helps me play more comfortably) with 5 sets of spare strings and a bajillion practice picks. Jack has also offered to teach me to play the bass and the drums if I'm interested (WHICH I AM!!).
How LUCKY am I?!?! Man, this is SO awesome, I can genuinely use this to overshadow any crappiness that may happen for the next GOOD WHILE. I'm actually contemplating travelling home with this guitar now, since how I got it is such a fantastic story.
