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Music, like many others is a complicated subject with endless possibilities. When a pupil arrives for their first lesson the last thing they are thinking about is the direction their music will undertake. They are instead, brimming with passion, enthusiasm and dedication desperate to achieve that first note out of their instrument. As with beginners in any subject the passion and will power to learn can evaporate rapidly if not handled correctly by a skilled teacher. This article shares some of my opinions on creating an environment in which a student can thrive by renewing their sense of fulfilment and boost the happiness they achieve in lessons, practice, performance or any other aspect of their musical environment.
Comfort in Lessons:
So, a student has been set a challenge. They've been working on it all week and now it's the time to show their teacher how much effort they have put in and how well they have done. The inevitable nerves are present, and this isn't only once in their development, it's every lesson. It's easy for a teacher to underestimate a students development as nerves can be hard to handle. A teacher needs to create a comfortable learning environment that a student can thrive within. Even a little bit of pressure can be too much for some students.
The balance of power in the room is key to this. The student needs to be able to talk openly about their practice and how they feel it is going. He/She also need to feel comfortable talking about music in general in order for the teacher to set tasks the student will enjoy. Understanding their musical background is a great help for a tutor as it's very easy for a them to unknowingly be too forceful with their views as the way they learned how to do something helped them succeed. There are many ways of reaching the same end goal and having a relaxed learning environment will allow a student to inform the teacher what they enjoy and do not. If relaxed, the tutor can assess the situation better and aid the student in developing at a much faster rate.
The Practice Schedule:
Practice is the most important part of learning. You can't fry an egg without the right skills so how could you play your favourite piece of music?
Many aspects of music are essential in order to build the pupils technique to the required level for the difficulty of the music they wish to play. With an unlimited amount of music in the world there is a lot to get through and it is important that the student is not overfaced by the tasks set by their tutor, or without enough to work on. It is also vital that the student fully understands everything they need to work on. If they don't understand or do not have the right work load, the confusion, demand or boredom caused can be destructive to the students will to learn. Once their passion is disappearing it is hard to reinstate a similar level of enthusiasm. If a student shows signs lacking of interest, a teacher needs to ask them why and mix it up a bit!
Teacher Positivity:
Teacher positivity is essential. A sense of enthusiasm, encouragement, passion, dedication and commitment from a teacher leaves students of all ages and abilities believing in what they can do. Every aspect of a practice plan is an essential, teachers need the applicable skills to take the aspect they found dull and boring and teach them in a way that will capture they imagination of the student. Not all age categories respond to the same teaching techniques in the same way!
