| OPINION PIECE BY Ariane Todes for The STRAD Magazine
RIN:632 THERE ARE SURPRISINGLY FEW aspects of this business that truly make me angry
and about which I can categorically say, 'This is a bad thing'. |
| However, to me it presents a violation of the trust of the student-teacher
relationship and while not necessarily illegal, it is certainly immoral. I don't mean that it's wrong for dealers or makers to pay a teacher when a student buys from them. Far from it. The process of buying an instrument can be extremely time consuming and emotionally draining and if a teacher is involved right the way through, this is a huge commitment. For a teacher with a large studio this could quickly come at their own detriment. There's also a level of specialist knowledge and expertise that they are offering the student, and it's right for this to be recognized. No one likes being taken for granted. From a dealer's perspective, it makes perfect business sense to offer a commission. Having a teacher onside is the Holy Grail for an ambitious maker or dealer looking for a route to market, and this can be a healthy, productive relationship, especially for a maker looking for useful feedback. There's nothing wrong with a little gratitude. |
| Where it all becomes a little bit malodorous is when this is done without the
knowledge of the student or their parents. This is the breach, made worse if
such a lack of transparency in any way implies that the selection itself is not
the best for the buyer. A young student is vulnerable in so many ways, especially because they rarely realize it. Often, one of the few people they feel they can trust is their professor. They assume that this person is rooting for them, and most of the time this is so. A twelve-year-old student is never going to be cynical, wise or arrogant enough to question their teacher's behavior. There is a certain sanctity to a good student-teacher relationship. Why risk the nature of that relationship by failing to declare? Surely students and their parents recognize the value of a professional's time and expertise and are happy either to compensate them financially, or to accept that a dealer has done so. Maybe some teachers feel embarrassed talking about the dirty reality of money in an artistic context, or they worry that doing so might damage the relationship. But not talking about it is far more risky. Vast numbers of teachers give their time and expertise freely in these matters without expectation of reward, and this is an incredibly generous act. Some consider it part and parcel of the responsibilities of a teacher. Some incorporate it into the lesson structure. |
|
Others even find creative ways to benefit the student, for example by asking the dealer to discount the amount of the commission from the cost to the student. But for those who simply don't have the time to spare, or have seen too many students come and go to feel like sharing their expertise, there's nothing wrong with charging for the service, or taking the commission as offered. Teachers just need to be clear with their students from the outset. The pupil is then in a position to try other dealers or makers and also receives a valuable lesson about the business. It doesn't really matter how this is done: what matters is that it's all out in the open and that there are clear strategies to deal with what is a highly awkward situation. After all, to misappropriate Oscar Wilde, 'The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.'. |
| Do you think it's right that teachers take commission from dealers without
telling their students? Let us know online at www.thestrad.com www.thestrad corn APRIL 2011 THE STRAD page 25.
|