And Where Are We Headed?
Are you busy these days? Do you find it’s easy to get caught up in the immediate work of teaching: the next piece, the next page, the next technique, the next recital, the next exam. Music teachers have so much to accomplish that it can be challenging to slow down for a moment and remind ourselves of - Who are we doing this for?
The answer is, of course, the real life music student sitting in front of us. Not the method book. Not the syllabus. Not the next level. Not even the lesson we planned yesterday. Our work starts with recognizing and supporting the real person in our studio - someone who has their own interests, experiences, abilities, questions, and music already percolating in their ears.
Like my student Nolan who struggles to put hands together every single piece while always keeping his eyes on a list of Disney songs. And my student Isabella who’s keen on the Moonlight Sonata but her schedule doesn’t allow for much practice time. And my beginner student Trina who’s determined to finish Do-Re-Mi even if she can only learn one line at a time. These emerging music makers need me to recognize and support who they are.
In your studio - What do you know about the student sitting in front of you that the method book doesn’t know? What music is already in their ears? What are they trying to tell you about the musician they might become?
There’s also another question: Where are we headed? Take a moment and look into the future. Try twenty years from now. What might our students' musical future look like? Will they play for themselves? Sing while they play? Figure out songs by ear? Make music with friends? Return to their instrument after years away? Explore music they love simply because it brings something meaningful to their lives?
For Nolan, Isabella, and Trina, it's so exciting to consider what their future music making might look like. They’re my real life reminders for helping them develop the fluency, confidence, independence, and curiosity to find their own ways into music.
And in your studio - What do you hope your students will be able to do with music when lessons are long behind them? What could you do in this week’s lesson that might still matter twenty years from now?
Who are we doing this for? And where are we headed?
Two timely questions with a remarkable impact on what music teachers choose to do in a lesson. And brief reminders of why teaching music matters in the first place.
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