The final weeks of August can be an intense time for music teachers. Getting ready for September. Organizing the teaching schedule. Looking for fresh music. Tweaking everything possible. It can take a lot of time, energy, and thought. So let me share with you my own experiences regarding the end of August intensity.
When I first started teaching, I did what I thought every good teacher should do: I made a lot of decisions for my students. I chose their repertoire. I found their chamber music partners. I organized concerts, signed them up for competitions, and encouraged them into festivals. I took charge of everything I possibly could, confident that I was shaping a strong and well-rounded musical education for them.
And in many ways, I was. There was a ton of success going on.
But over time, I noticed that for some students, the spark wasn’t there. They were doing everything I asked — playing well, meeting deadlines, showing up — but there was a distance, a quiet disconnection from the music itself. I could feel it in the room.
At a certain point, it dawned on me: I had made space for my plans, but not for their voices. That realization shifted everything for me.
I began asking different questions:
- What music do you wish you could play?
- What songs have you got in your playlists right now?
- If we could create a musical project around anything that pulls your interests, what would it be?
As you might imagine - the responses were eye-opening. Students brought in movie themes, folk songs, pop ballads, video game themes — music that mattered to them. Music they wanted to share with friends, family, or even just themselves at the end of a long day.
The more I incorporated what was meaningful for students, the more I saw lessons change. Energy returned. I saw how students engaged with their musical choices — not because they had to - but because they wanted to. Conversations about music became richer, more personal. We weren’t just working toward a polished performance; we were weaving music into their life stories.
That’s when I understood - when music teachers use lessons to reinforce the student’s own relationship with music, we do something that lasts far beyond their weekly time with us. We help them develop the tools, experience, and confidence to continue their musical explorations long after their final formal lesson has taken place.
We shift from being the sole architect of their learning to becoming a partner in their lifelong relationship with music.
And maybe that’s the perfect thought to hold to in these busy final weeks of August. Yes, there’s scheduling, repertoire, and logistics to juggle. But alongside those details, we can ask ourselves: What might September look like if I made even more space for what’s meaningful to my students? That shift might just change the energy in your studio for the entire year.
When was the last time you asked a student what music they truly wanted to play?
How do you make room in your lessons for student-led choices?
Can you think of a student who might engage more enthusiastically if you invited their personal music interests into the lesson?
What’s one small change you could make this month to create more space for what’s meaningful to your students?