Over the last several months, it’s been interesting for me to note how the topic of “efficiency” in music teaching has surfaced from time to time. I see it on social media platforms when music teachers reach out with concerns like the following: “I’m not sure what to do. How can I get more efficiency in my students’ lessons? I’d really like to get more things done before they head home. The lesson time goes by so quickly.”
Efficiency. Getting things done. Time goes quickly. These are all challenges music teachers face in our teaching. So what can we do? What’s the solution to making the most from our students’ lesson periods? Let me share with you my own experience and how the above concerns find a huge resonance within Teach Music 21C.
Skills & Knowledge
When I first started teaching, I used the following overarching question as a pedagogical guide: What skills and knowledge do I want students to take away from music lessons? And you can imagine, the list of skills and knowledge I developed was absolutely huge. Technique. Reading. Repertoire. History. Composition. Scales. Improvisation. Theory. Ensemble. Rhythm. Beat. Forms. Playing by ear. Intonation. Musical styles. Genres. Conducting. Creativity. And more…
Every time I attended a conference or workshop, the list got longer. I knew it was important for me to pass on skills/ knowledge to ensure my students’ achievement of musical fluency. So that’s what I did.
Meaningful for Students
Then at a certain point in my teaching I realized I needed to bring in this additional guiding question: What will students take away from music lessons that’s meaningful for themselves? It’s a question that reminds us that students come to music lessons with an entire array of personal musical directions waiting to be explored. For example - Teach a song to a peer. Form a band. Let off steam. Complete an exam. Explore past music masters. Connect with current music stars. Make a music video. Chill out at the instrument. Pursue a professional career. Play for Grandma’s birthday.
And you can imagine by adding this additional question, my teaching approach changed considerably. I began to see that my job wasn’t just about covering musical skills/knowledge. It was also about connecting deeply with what matters to each student. Of course, I could cover an entire range of musical skills/knowledge in 30 minutes. But if students left simply following my instructions without any personal investment, I knew I’d not really succeeded. I realized that in order to create valuable lesson results, I needed to empower students on their own music journey, not just complete an entire array of musical activities.
Teach Music 21C
I’m so proud that here at Teach Music 21C, we’re promoting an important shift in music teaching that blends skills/knowledge together with what’s meaningful for students. This shift doesn’t mean that music teachers abandon structure or content. It means that we work intentionally to ensure that our focus on skills/knowledge doesn’t overwhelm students’ own musical trajectory. We believe effective teaching isn’t about teachers maximizing what we do during students’ lessons. It’s about doing what matters for students’ own genuine musical development.
For music teachers concerned with getting more done during lessons, this may be a good time to step back and reflect. Here are some questions that may assist -
- Why do I feel the need to include so many aspects in each lesson? What am I hoping students will gain and is that actually happening?
- Am I teaching in a way that leaves room for the student’s voice, choices, and direction? Or are students mostly following teacher’s agenda?
- How do I balance external goals (exams, repertoire, method books) with internal ones (curiosity, confidence, joy)?
- Have I talked with my students about what matters most to them in their music making? What insights could emerge if I invited that conversation?
Obviously the way music teachers think about our teaching will impact what we do and how we influence our students’ musical journey.
Final Thoughts
What stands out in this examination of efficiency is that music teachers sense something about their approach isn’t quite working. Finding solutions for things that aren’t working can be challenging especially when it requires moving in unfamiliar directions. Yet, successful teaching isn’t just about making adjustments to get the most done in each lesson. It’s about teachers figuring out what each unique and musically curious student needs to grow and flourish - and how our teaching approach may or may not make that possible.
I appreciate how today’s music teaching looks different from previous generations. We create a diversity of successful results our predecessors might never have imagined. All of which means today’s music teachers need to be flexible and selective about what we include. We offer guidance while still making room for students to explore. We create meaningful journeys not just by covering more material, but by working hard to integrate the craft of making music with the person at the instrument. It’s about both skills/knowledge and what’s meaningful for students. And when the skills/knowledge aspect of our teaching overwhelms what’s meaningful for students, it’s definitely a time for change. When music teachers notice they can’t get through everything on their agenda, focusing on efficiency may not be the answer.
Speaking from the community here at Teach Music 21C, I want to encourage you to join us at Teach Music 21C, where we're changing the tone of music teaching one lesson at a time. We’re reimagining what music teaching may look like — one that balances skill with meaning, teacher structure with student interests, and always puts the student’s lifelong musical connection at the heart of every lesson.
So before you leave this website, be sure to check out our July and August Certification cohort schedules. We’ve got five modules that may change your teaching forever. Hope to see you there!
