Have you ever noticed how certain questions just never go away? Uncomfortable questions like - Why do so many students drop out of music lessons? Why do so few students participate in recreational music making as adults? What’s going on? Who’s at fault? What are we doing wrong?
These uncomfortable questions persist because, as music teachers, we know first hand what it’s like to enjoy long-lasting and meaningful connections with music making. And furthermore, we’d really like every person to enjoy a meaningful long-lasting relationship with music. Not just a few students here and there. Every person.
What can music teachers do? Over the long course of my career, I’ve noticed that students rarely disengage because they lack ability. Most often, it’s because students struggle to make connections between their music lessons and how making music fits into their lives beyond the lesson. The challenge for music teachers is that when music lessons focus on formalized teacher-led achievements — prescribed pieces learned, exams passed, recitals completed — we may miss the larger goal: helping students build lasting, personal relationships with music.
That’s why I value looking to the future and to the kind of musical life each student might carry forward. When I consider how my students might participate in music making activities as adults, lesson activities take on a much more meaningful trajectory. Like for my student Reggie, who I see improvising for her own enjoyment years from now when she gets home from her day job. Or my student Alex who’ll be routinely advising his friends in university to take a music making break from their studies every now and again. Or my student Ian who’ll get together with friends to jam in the garage. These are things I can see them genuinely doing.
Students' Own Musical Connections - Do our music lessons empower our students’ independence and ownership? Are students given opportunities to make choices and connect making music to their own experiences? When students feel that music belongs to them—not just to the teacher or the studio—it’s obvious that they’ll be far more likely to continue. Including student choices in lessons can create powerful changes in how students perceive music: from something they do for lessons to something they do for themselves.
Uncomfortable questions regarding the prevalence of student drop outs and limited adult participation in making music may be jarring for music teachers. However, recognizing what’s going on is a promising first step. The second step is the important one because that’s where we actually do something about it. So let’s be the generation of music teachers that makes things happen. Let’s get going.
I appreciate when music teachers align our teaching with a vision of lifelong music making, we can anticipate some very exciting results. We may find that students stay engaged. Students continue making music that matches their own personality. Students discover that making music is more than just an after-school activity. It’s an integral part of who they are.
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