Can you believe June is already here!? Where has the time gone? I really appreciate this time of year as an opportunity to look back and see what's happened over the past few months. All the big goals have come and gone. Now June is a month where we can just relax. It's not a "growth" time of the year. It's time for "rest". Later this month, I'll remind parents of our Check In meeting. For now, I'm just organizing my thoughts and thinking back on my students' most recent journeys. Let me share some of that with you by taking a look at three of my students: Bowen, Cherie, and Patrick. Maybe you have students just like them in your studio.
Bowen is in Grade 6 and for the last few months he hasn’t been the least bit interested in finishing any lengthy pieces. He’s satisfied with short pieces, preferably ones that he can check off after a few weeks. What’s interesting is that he always has a list of pieces he would like to explore. Selections that he’s found on YouTube or something he heard from one of his peers. At times, I wish he would spend more time and really refine his playing ability. Then I consider what he might be doing a decade from now and I feel satisfied knowing that playing short pieces, not worrying about polishing, and always moving on to another selection - these are all characteristics that will be totally acceptable for his piano involvement as a recreational music maker. Those are things I can support right now. Not everything needs to be about getting to the next level.
Cherie is in Grade 2 and is currently finishing up Suzuki Piano Volume 1. It’s so interesting to watch as she’s currently making connections between learning to play by ear and learning to read music. She’s discovering that there are little spots in some pieces that are much easier to understand when she uses reading to figure things out. It’s really satisfying for me to watch the lightbulb go on during her lessons when something becomes crystal clear that she couldn’t previously understand. I also appreciate how there are a lot skills we can incorporate in learning to play the piano - but - Cherie doesn’t need to learn all of them at once.
Patrick is in Grade 8 and his schedule varies from intense weeks to weeks with less activity. So when he has time, he surges ahead with new explorations. When time is in short supply, he’s content to stay where he is. All that is reflected in his weekly lessons. Some weeks we’re really intentional about refining what’s going on. Other weeks it’s all right for us to spend time just reviewing repertoire and staying connected to what he knows. At this time of year with a heavy exam schedule at school and a similarly demanding lacrosse schedule, we keep his piano going by slowing things down. That seems like the right thing to do.
When I look back at what’s happened for Bowen, Cherie, and Patrick over the past few months, I see three students with three totally different paths. Each one of them is shaped by their own interests, circumstances, and capacities. What ties them together isn’t a fixed curriculum or a shared endpoint—it’s the space to grow musically on their own terms and the opportunity to receive thoughtful guidance from me. Both factor into the equation.
What I understand as a teacher is that students' musical progress doesn’t always look like moving forward in a straight line. Sometimes it means staying still, circling back, or choosing a different direction altogether. My job isn’t to keep every student on the same path - it’s to recognize where they are, what they need, and how music can remain a meaningful part of their lives. That seems like a good way to strengthen the musical connections already there.
Here at Teach Music 21C, I'm proud to emphasize how we believe that music teachers can provide meaningful support for every student's unique musical journey. We place a high value on teacher's curiosity and flexibility. We've made the commitment to lifelong engagement over one-size-fits-all achievement. I want to encourage all of us to teach our students for the milestones they reach, the detours they take, and the music makers they’re becoming day by day.
In what ways do your students’ personal interests and life circumstances shape their musical journey?
What teaching choices can you make this week that will help your students stay connected to music long after their lessons end?
Have you considered how Teach Music 21C Certification could help you to enhance and expand your music teaching skillset to meet the needs of today's students? Be sure to click the "Certification" tab for more info.
