Monday, August 12, 2013

The joy and pain of teaching music

I've been teaching music all summer. It's been fairly wonderful 87% of the time.  The other 13% of the time it has been challenging and frustrating to say the least.



Mostly, I've been teaching young children using an Orff Schulwerk philosophy.  Their average age is five, which means that they are completely open to new experiences on one hand but also come with a variety of skills and developmental levels.  Our activities have ranged from dancing to music, creating beats with percussion instruments, and a LOT of music appreciation.  Oh, and we have sung B-I-N-G-O at least 232 times in the last six weeks. That is not an exaggeration.

Some of the young children have been enthusiastic about trying to produce rhythms and dancing to music.  Others have been totally reluctant.  When I have done music appreciation activities and shared my heart regarding pieces of music that matter a lot to me, I have, on occasion, been met with blank stares.  Many of the students simply considered music class as a time to be goofy, silly, and down right poorly behaved.  That is a far cry from when I had piano lessons and was expected to sit respectfully and listen attentively.  Nonetheless, I have had to adjust my expectations.  What I wish to share today is about how teaching music, when you're in love with music, can require adjusting your expectations.

With the students at summer school, I've had to adjust my expectations about how they will respond to being asked to sing or play music.  If someone asks me to sing, I will gladly smile and harmonize along.  I will find meaning in the text and enjoy the melody.  After trying countless ways of getting children enthused about singing, I've realized that it just isn't everyone's cup of tea.  Due to anxiety or shyness, playing an instrument in front or even with a group may not be for every learner.  I simply have to make each experience with music as enjoyable and authentic as possible.

Another way in which I have had to adjust my expectations is with my piano student.  Her Royal Conservatory Grade 8 Piano exam is tomorrow.  Frankly, she has not sufficiently prepared and I do not expect her to receive a very shining report.  I would never personally entertain the thought of sitting for an exam with the level of preparation that she has done.  This point is critical as a music teacher.  We are teaching music because we are head-over-heels in love with it and are passionate about the repertoire.  I'm here to state that we are not the majority.  We may be surrounded by other music enthusiasts, but that does NOT guarantee that our students will come to us with the same motivation.

So, this begs the question: how do we respond when a student is not as enthusiastic as we are? My piano student told me tonight that "she is not sure if she even likes music anymore."  That statement, for me, is the key to how I approach teaching music. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is worth the student losing their love of music.  There is no competition, exam, or performance that is worth risking a student losing their desire to create and enjoy music.  If my piano student simply does not care about the mark she will receive, at some point I have to relinquish control of that. I would not make the choices that she does in terms of practice routines, but then again - I am not her.  I can not reasonably expect her to be as in love with Chopin or Bach as I am. I have to realize that I am the outlier.



I am not suggesting that we simply allow our students to perform music as they wish and have no standards.  The music that we love demands that we approach it with the utmost integrity and preparation.  However, what I am arguing is that we can only do so much in our circle of responsibility and may just simply need to release the anxiety that we have over what kind of musician they become.  Their passion or interest for it may simply not be motivating enough for them to make progress.  In this case, we should strive to make lessons enjoyable, positive, encouraging, and honest.  Allow students to express if they do not appreciate a particular piece.

Many of us have taught this type of music student - the one who is fed up with practising and really does not have that great of a passion for music.  However, today, I also experienced the joy of teaching someone who is truly engaged with music.  I am preparing another student for her Royal Conservatory History exam in December.  Today, I got to teach her for nearly two hours on the life, music, and influence of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  Ok, stop right there.



I got to teach on two hours about a topic on which I'd love to speak all day.  Oh, and I got paid while I was at it. Are you kidding me?  They are paying me to discuss and share about my life's passion and love?  That is what it is to teach music.  We get to share one of our life's greatest loves.  As I taught her about the operas Mozart composed, the life he led, and what influence his music had on Western culture following his death, I thought to myself: "I am the luckiest person alive."  What a privilege to teach music to others.

Why is teaching music a privilege? Simply put, it is a privilege and honour because we are sharing a deeper part of ourself.  We are exposing students to the world of music in which they can fully encounter what it means to be human and experience a vast variety of emotions, colours, and moods.

So, the next time a student has not practised as much as necessary, or potentially bombs an exam, I will try to be grateful.  At the end of the day, I've shared with them what I love and surely I can strive to find joy in that simple fact!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Piano books for sale!

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

I'm selling some of my piano books. GREAT DEALS!


  • Beethoven Sonatas: Volume 1 (edited by Heinrich Schenker), Dover ($15)
  • Beethoven Sonatas: Volume 2  (edited by Bülow-Lebert), G. Schirmer ($20)
Both of these books are in MINT condition and have never been used.

The two Beethoven Sonata books I'm selling.

I'll throw in your choice of Schubert or Chopin if you purchase one of the Beethoven books!
If you buy both Beethoven, you'll receive both Schubert and Chopin! :)


Please email me: jswest@telus.net