Leaving a piano studio

[MAC]

I have a dilemma--we need to leave our piano studio. The teacher is a friend and quite frankly, I built her piano studio. Clara was her first student and over the last several years, I've found her 10 more. However, things haven't been going quite as well as I would have liked. C's best friend has her lesson right afterwards and the teacher allows said friend to step on the last ten minutes of C's lesson. And the teacher insists on sticking with arrangements rather than real music. By the time the kid is to Level 6, she needs to be playing real stuff! And I put my foot down that she would NOT be wasting her time playing Disney!!!! Anyway, now that Hannah is graduating, there is an opening with the lady who is the piano department at the college (with a doctorate). She's also the teacher for the lady we've been using. So, I need a perfect turn of phrase to tell said teacher that we're moving to the college professor. Any ideas?

[Barbara]

Could you say something like it : With so much going on it would be easier on Clara to have everything at one location. I am assuming she will going to that college for other classes.

[MAC]

That's a good point. For many years, all of our lessons were at the same time, on the same floor, in the same building. It HAS been a pain to have a non-college teacher. If I can get Mr. T and Dr. V to get back on the same schedule again...

[Ruth]

I like what Barbara suggested. I was going to say just to tell her that C is ready to try a more vigorous level of instruction at the college level.

[MAC]

Dh suggested just saying that a spot has opened up with Dr. V because of Hannah's graduation. We're so grateful for all that you done....
I am getting her a Norton/Grove Music Encyclopedia as a thank you gift. Perhaps she'll learn to pronounce composers' names correctly...

[RobinS]

I am getting her a Norton/Grove Music Encyclopedia as a thank you gift. Perhaps she'll learn to pronounce composers' names correctly...

[MAC]

She's come up with some whoppers!

[vicki]

So, I need a perfect turn of phrase to tell said teacher that we're moving to the college professor. Any ideas?

Could you say something like it : With so much going on it would be easier on Clara to have everything at one location. I am assuming she will going to that college for other classes.

I like what Barbara suggested. I was going to say just to tell her that C is ready to try a more vigorous level of instruction at the college level.

Honestly, I like that B & R say. Plus--can't you just tell the truth....you're moving to a college professor? The teacher can't compete with that and it's not as if you're moving to one of her direct competitors. You want an 'in' for C at the college, and this is it. Thank you profusely, get her a computer-version of the music encyclopedia so she can actually hear the pronunciations, and be done with it. Tell her how much C enjoyed her (the past tense version)!

The idea that Clara is at level 6 and playing arrangements is pretty bad.

[MAC]

Thank you all. I don't want to step on teacher's toes but it's time to move on. We ran into this years ago and the college prof bailed me out. My mil had been "teaching" the older girls piano, but she'd gone off the deep end. Mil started playing the wrong song in a duet during a recital and then YELLED at Sarah! It was a mess and mil never forgave me for pulling the girls. However, it had to be done. Again, it was wonderful to be able to say that Dr. V has room and well, she has a doctorate, etc.

[vicki]

it was wonderful to be able to say that Dr. V has room and well, she has a doctorate, etc.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me!