Take a look at this scenario - Angie is a 12-year-old voice student whose family recently moved to your city. Angie has had several years of voice lessons, has completed several levels of voice studies, and is an accomplished performer. Her parents are eager to for her to continue her musical journey.
After a brief audition, you decide to take Angie as your student having noticed what you consider to be several gaps in her musical upbringing. You are confident that you can help Angie on her musical journey - and simultaneously, nervous about how things will unfold.
Working with transfer students is an undertaking much more complex than merely registering another new student in your studio. It’s a process that can be both rewarding and challenging for music teachers.
Rewarding because it’s always an honour for teachers to enhance and expand students’ musical development. To help students achieve success along their musical journey.
Challenging because we recognize that transfer students come with a lot of unknowns. There are many characteristics that only become clear with the passage of time. And it may be difficult for teachers to accurately predict how things will turn out - especially when students come with several years of engrained instruction and development. Teachers may even feel like their reputation is being put to the test.
Will we be able to create success?
As music teachers, we all know that every student brings their own individual strengths and obstacles to the process of learning to sing or play a musical instrument. For transfer students, the problem is that the process of switching to a new teacher can generate emotional instabilities. Adapting to the new teacher’s way of doing things, the studio environment, and priorities may trigger all kinds of insecurities. It’s not unusual for students’ feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, or isolation to impact their performance and willingness to engage fully. Even when music teachers put forward their most welcoming facial expressions, language, and gestures.
At the same time we may acknowledge that music teachers bring our own personal characteristics into our teaching approach. We may be confident about teaching certain aspects while also carrying certain doubts/insecurities about taking on other responsibilities. Taking on transfer students can feel stressful as we endeavour to understand where students are coming from and how we can help them.
Transfer students often come from different institutions with varying curricula, teaching philosophies, and performance expectations. This diversity can lead to interesting and intriguing outcomes where students arrive with particular gaps in knowledge and skill along with developments that may appear unexpected and unfamiliar to teachers. Transfer students may also have different motivations for continuing their music lessons, which can affect their level of commitment. Some students may be transitioning to pursue new opportunities, while others might be struggling with doubts about their abilities. All this making it challenging for teachers to put together an accurate picture of transfer students’ musical journey.
What’s the solution?
As with all students whether they’re transfer students, new students, or returning students, the key to successful teaching is for music teachers to incorporate flexibility and curiosity while building strong relationships, fostering reflective communication, and exercising students’ musical toolkit.
By taking the time to understand each student’s unique background, strengths, and challenges, teachers can tailor their instruction to meet specific needs. Reflections and constructive feedback help create a supportive environment where students feel safe to express themselves and explore their potential.
Furthermore, as music teachers, we want to provide students with ample opportunity to get to know who we are. For teachers and students, understanding each other is fundamental to the long journey of music making ahead. Helping students get comfortable with us is absolutely integral to their success.
Ultimately, the journey with transfer students like Angie may be filled with many twists and turns. Through conversations anchored in patience, empathy, and collaboration, music teachers can turn the complexities of working with transfer students into inspirational and fulfilling experiences.
It’s all about exploring the richness of musical expression, authentic discovery, and most valued human connections as teachers and students join together to navigate new musical chapters!
