Answers to Questions from the Music Teacher Studio
What keeps music students motivated long-term? What helps students continue making music into adulthood rather than quitting after a few years of lessons? What do music students need from today’s music teachers?
Music teachers often answer these questions with strategies designed to help students survive the long process of learning an instrument. We suggest effective practice routines and champion excellence. We promote discipline and technical mastery. We encourage perseverance. We help students when they struggle, knowing that overcoming difficulty is part of growth. While these things certainly matter, I have the impression it’s too much like putting the cart before the horse.
That’s why I start with a vision of lifelong music makers because practice routines and the ability to endure difficulty will only take students so far. Whereas developing meaningful relationships with music has the potential to sustain student enthusiasm today and long into the future. And without meaningful relationships with music, students may not be convinced it’s really worth their time or effort. Students may lose motivation to continue music lessons if they don’t experience personal meaning in music making.
I appreciate the idea that it’s our job to help students experience for themselves how making music enriches their quality of life. It’s like music teachers play the role of ambassadors to that most remarkable world of music making. We know first hand what it’s like to include music making in our lives and how making music has enriched our lives. Now it’s our opportunity to guide and support students in exploring, developing, and exercising their own personal relationships with music and strengthen long-term student motivation. Music teachers become ambassadors for lifelong music making by teaching music lessons that help students experience music as part of everyday living.
That means music teachers encourage our students to experience how making music can be a source of comfort, expression, challenge, connection, creativity, curiosity, reflection, and joy in students’ schedules and long after lessons are over. We include activities in lessons that reinforce the many directions students may take as active music makers. We initiate conversations about why making music is worth carrying into the rest of their lives so that students know what making music actually accomplishes in their everyday lives.
Like my student Alex who keeps on going because he’s experienced for himself the uplifting that making music can bring. Is he learning harder repertoire? No. Is he getting ready for an exam? No. Is he thriving as a music maker? Yes. Do we talk about practice routines? Off and on. Does he have good weeks and bad weeks? All the time. What does he need from me? Mostly I want Alex to know he’s got my support in building the musical life he can turn to again and again throughout his entire life. I want him to leave music lessons believing that music making belongs to him personally.
So, What do music students need from today’s music teachers?
Here’s what I’d like to promote - Students need music teachers to highlight musical explorations that inspire students to see themselves continuing to make music as adults. They need music teachers to draw from the deep well of our own musical experiences. They need us to excel as musical ambassadors in this week’s music lessons and beyond.
Is that something we can do? Absolutely we can. So let’s do it!
How do you help your students build their own personal relationship with music?
How do you help your students experience music as part of everyday living?
What are you doing to strengthen the likelihood that making music remains present in your students’ lives years from now?
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