Pauliina Lievonen

In music there's a pretty clear system in place - there are professionals and there are amateurs, and an amateur can certainly get lessons from a professional if they pay for the lessons. BUT usually the very top teachers teach at institutions where you won't get in without serious talent and practice. Otherwise you'll have to be content with a private teacher like me. :-)

In aikido the problem is I think that we all just practise together in one big jumble and there aren't that many places where someone could go who wanted to practise with the goal of getting to an elite level. If music conservatories had to accept everyone who came in the door, I can imagine the grumbling that would cause, both from the teachers and the students.

And afaik most of my colleagues recognize that especially for adult students, work and family come first and practising their instument only after that - for example, I always tell my students to come to a lesson whether or not they have practised - stuff happens, sometimes life interferes, that's ok, we'll just practise in the lesson instead.

Now if one of my students told me that they wanted to become a professional musician, that would be an entirely different situation. I'd be much tougher on them then.

Pauliina