Over the past few weeks, I’ve received emails from several teachers with concerns. Students seem to be stuck and don’t really care about what’s going on. Lessons that once worked no longer seem to be working. And method books teachers have relied on for years suddenly feel like they’re getting in the way rather than helping. One teacher described feeling defeated. Another wondered what had happened to their teaching. I suspect there are more teachers feeling this way than we realize.

So let’s take a breath and ask different questions: What if the problem isn’t our teaching? What if our comfort with method books is getting in the way? What if the solution is more about the students joining us in the studio this year? 

I must admit - I’m someone who appreciates a certain amount of comfort and stability in my teaching. I like knowing what time my students are having lessons. How many weeks I’ll be teaching. When the concerts will be held. I settle into my comfort zone because these things give me confidence and make certain that my teaching is manageable and productive. 

At the same time, I’m also aware the more time I spend in my comfort zone, it becomes increasingly likely that I’ll be unable to get out of my comfort zone. And that’s not something I want to sign up for.

September is a busy time of year for music teachers. New students arrive. Returning students bring spontaneous interests, remarkable experiences, unusual questions, along with surprising and delightful possibilities. After our summer break, music teachers return to teaching with renewed enthusiasm and awareness. There’s an invitation for us to look beyond lessons and imagine where making music might take our students over the lifetime that stretches ahead. 

Music making possibilities are endless. Students may discover something new, take an unexplored direction for expressing themselves, gain confidence, connect with others, or simply continue to experience the joy of making music they know so well. Their music making life can be a source of creativity, friendship, expression, community, confidence, discovery, challenge, comfort, and joy. It can also change as students change, taking new forms at different stages of life.

As summer winds down, it’s natural for music teachers to start getting ready for September. Lesson plans. Repertoire selection. Scheduling. Goal setting. All the practical details that come with starting again. There’s a lot on the list.

But before getting over-focussed on what you’re going to teach, there may be something even more important to prepare—something that will fundamentally influence how you navigate the myriad of opportunities, challenges, celebrations, detours, and awakenings that will soon take shape. 

As music teachers, we spend much of the year pouring ourselves into our students’ musical journeys. Often, it can feel like there’s no end to the list of tasks needing our attention—lessons to plan, emails to answer, performances to prepare for, repertoire to choose, and students to encourage. That’s why I appreciate the summer break. It’s a welcome opening to recharge our own wellbeing and simply breathe a little more deeply.

Have you noticed how lessons at this time of year have a different rhythm? Students’ routines are interrupted. Practice often takes a back seat to camps, vacations, and hot summer days. Things aren’t the same as during the school year.

Here are three simple reminders that can make summer teaching more enjoyable—for both you and your students.

Last week, the mother of two of my students sat in on her sons’ lessons. Not an usual occurrence in my studio by any means. But on this occasion, something most remarkable did take place and I was glad she was there to see it for herself. 

Over the previous few weeks, her two boys (a first-year student and third-year student) had been gradually putting together the duet parts for Do-Re-Mi from the Sound of Music. Learning the selection by ear meant everything was being done without a single note on sheet music! Now it was time to demonstrate their combined accomplishments. The older brother played the introduction. The younger brother came in at the appropriate place. And off they went. I watched with amazement as they pulled it off without a glitch. 

I turned to their mother and exclaimed, “Did you see that? Did you see?” 

She nodded her head and expressed her appreciation with two simple words. “It’s magic!” she affirmed. An acknowledgment that her sons had accomplished something almost unexplainable. Something so marvellous that we were completely overjoyed with gratitude to have witnessed it for ourselves. A spontaneous moment where gratitude took centre stage - and a reminder for me that a year of teaching can contain much to be thankful for.

Sometimes it seems like there’s no end to the problems music teacher are required to solve. We’ve got students who need guidance from us. Students with certain problems. Students in situations that pull our attention. So what do we do? Take a look at these two solutions that may not be what first comes to your mind…

Have you ever had this situation? Your student arrives with a selection they’d like to learn that’s clearly beyond their current level. They absolutely can’t wait to get started. As music teachers, we know what could happen next. On the one hand, we worry that students’ decision may result in technical strain, inefficient habits, or even long-term damage. On the other, we recognize there’s something powerful at work: curiosity, ambition, and personal connection to music. 

So what do we do when students choose repertoire that’s clearly beyond their current level of mastery?