Help for "abused cellist"?

Question:I call myself an abused player when I was eight and just learning how to play i had a private teacher who was the devil every day I heard I was no good and he was only teaching me for the money. Well that has really taken a toll on my playing now because all of the years i thought it was me rather than him. Before I had a very good teacher who would slowly work w/ meI had her from when i was 8-14. Now I have a new teacher who only tells me things to improve on (not in a mean way) I would be trilled to death if he would tell me my posture was good. How can I tell him I need more praise and encouragment.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I call myself an abused player when I was eight and just learning how to play i had a private teacher who was the devil every day I heard I was no good and he was only teaching me for the money. Well that has really taken a toll on my playing now because all of the years i thought it was me rather than him. Before I had a very good teacher who would slowly work w/ meI had her from when i was 8-14. Now I have a new teacher who only tells me things to improve on (not in a mean way) I would be trilled to death if he would tell me my posture was good. How can I tell him I need more praise and encouragment.

Your best bet is to be honest and straightforward.
If you feel like you need encouragement, *tell* your new director. Am I correct in assuming you're in high school?

Most directors, by the time students reach high school, assume that the students don't need as much encouragement as they did in middle school or when they were just starting. As a student progresses, their encouragement comes from their own intrinsic motivation.
While it is true for many, it's not true for all, and since you say you had a mean teacher, you may still need this phase of encouragement--so before or after class/school, pull your director aside and just kindly tell him you'd like to know when you're doing something right so you know to keep it up.
Honesty is the best way!