Building the Foundation: Leveling Laterally

In modern society we are obsessed with leveling up. We push ourselves and our children to achieve higher goals. We sell ourselves on a concept of working hard so we can enjoy life more. I’m not going to say that there is anything wrong with setting high goals. And certainly, hard work is a necessity to gain some of the luxuries available to us in this day and age. However, we have become so obsessed with getting to the future that we barely give any thought to where we are, and what we are doing, in the present. Our education system (especially in the U.S.) is constantly pushing each generation to do more than the last. The way the school system is set up, students learn a concept (or a year’s worth of concepts) and then are pushed to the next one, regardless of how comfortable they are with the material or how well they handle it.

            So what does this have to do with music? As part of the education of many children, music is also constantly asking them to level up. Unfortunately, many music students, already uncomfortable in their skin, have great difficulty moving forward with music. They encounter the same struggles with each new piece. This is because they are pushed to move forward before they are comfortable with where they are. The wonderful thing about music lessons is that they can be tailored to fit the student’s needs. The tragic thing about music lessons is that they often are not tailored to fit the student’s needs. Festivals, Guild, and Examinations are wonderful means of evaluating a student. However, once the student has performed acceptably at one level, they are expected to go on to the next. Some students can do this with no issues. That is generally a sign that they are comfortable, both technically and musically, at their current level. They are ready to be pushed to a higher level.

            This post is not for the extremely talented student, however. It is for the average-paced learning student. In education, we tend to think of average as a bad thing, as though the average learner is the exception and not the rule. In music, there is such an abundance of repertoire at any given level, that there is no reason to move a student to a noticeably higher level immediately. A gifted teacher should be able to perceive where the student is most comfortable, least comfortable, and tottering between the two. Such a teacher will search for repertoire that emphasizes the student’s strengths and helps to improve upon their weaknesses. In my opinion, students must be at complete technical ease and playing with a high level of musical sensitivity before they are moved to a higher level.

            As a parent reading this blog, you may be thinking that this is all well and good, but you aren’t the one to determine these things. And you are absolutely right. If you have done the research and found yourself an excellent teacher (next week’s post!), you should trust him/her to do the job. If you feel that your child is progressing slower than you feel he/she ought, be patient. Know that the teacher is working to make sure that your child is 100% comfortable at their level, before moving on. What you as parents must be more sensitive to is if you feel lessons are moving at too quick a pace. If your child is struggling, bring your concerns to the teacher. Don’t try to tell the teacher what to do. Just say that your child has been working diligently and does not seem to be moving forward, and is experiencing frustration because of it. If your child has not been working diligently, using smart practice techniques such as these, do not address it with the teacher. The way the student has been practicing will be the first thing most teachers will address when problems arise.

            Do not compare your child’s musical progress to that of other children. It is unfair in the extreme and very damaging to their overall development. As I talked about here, music lessons are so important to our development as humans. If we make them a negative experience, children will never truly grow to understand their own music and the music surrounding them. Allow your child to stay at their level, at the teacher’s discretion, for as long as necessary. If they have built a solid technical and musical foundation, by the time they get to the heavy repertoire, they will not have to review fundamental concepts repeatedly. Instead, they will be able to play with musical fluency and technical ease and express their music without hindrance.

            Music is part of this journey we call life. And if we are constantly setting goals for students which can’t be achieved, they will never receive any joy from it. Of course, we must set goals for them and they must work hard to achieve them. These should be goals which are reasonable and which advance the student both as a person and a musician.

What’s a Studio Policy? And Why Should I Care?

            In the modern music studio, most teachers have a written studio policy agreement to which they expect students and their parents to adhere. Some go so far as to have parents and students sign a contract stating that they will follow the guidelines set forth in the studio policy. In my experience, parents skim over these policies without really reading them. This seems to be a common societal problem when we are given a long list of terms and agreements, we tend to skip reading that to which we are agreeing, and just sign our names or check a box. And in a lot of cases, that may not be too terribly harmful (i.e. updating your phone operating system). However, music studio policies tend to be quite concise (in comparison) and are generally packed with information that the teacher feels is important for parents and students to know, prior to beginning lessons. I will discuss some of the main areas addressed in such policies, and then briefly discuss why such policies are so important for the student, the parent, and the teacher.

            The first thing addressed in most policies is tuition and fees. Of course, teachers expect to be paid for their time and commitment to education. Private music teachers often determine their rates by comparing to other teachers in the same area with similar experience and credentials. Some teachers go on a month-to-month honor system, expecting students to commit to a year. More and more, the case is becoming that teachers determine an annual tuition. Sometimes this tuition is due all at once, or can be divided between semesters or into monthly payments. Some teachers incentivize paying it in one lump sum, by giving a small discount. Because teachers expect a year-long commitment, there is often an early termination fee. Some teachers offer a discount for a number of siblings studying and some do not. Other fees which might be included and usually due at either the beginning or end of the year are book fees, activity fees (generally covers recitals, festival entries, etc.), and reservation fees, to book a spot on the following year’s schedule. This section of the policy also often discusses payment deadlines and late fees. If your music teacher’s policy does not address any of these things, be sure to ask if you want to know.

            Sometimes lumped in with tuition and fees, sometimes a section of its own, we move along to the all-important category of missed lessons. The most important part of missed lessons is that teachers rarely offer refunds/credits for them. Because of the limited nature of our teaching schedules, private music teachers are often quite strict about missed lessons and making them up. Each teacher determines their own policy here, but generally in non-emergency situations teachers will not make up the lesson. Sometimes teachers will make these up if they are given a couple weeks’ notice. In emergency situations, teachers like 24 hour notifications and will generally strive to give the student a makeup. Of course in the case of sickness or death, we don’t always have that kind of notice. Some teachers offer a makeup lessons week at the end of a semester or the school year, where they give one makeup lesson to each student who missed a lesson regardless of the circumstances. Some teachers have a swap list, where parents can communicate with one another and switch lesson times without consulting the teacher. Again, there is an expectation of commitment to the time that has been agreed for the lesson.

            If you come into the teacher’s home or studio for lessons, there are some simple etiquette rules which simply must be observed. Some are common sense: if your shoes are muddy, please remove them before stepping inside. Arrive on time-not more than 5 minutes early, and certainly never late. If the parent leaves during the lesson, he/she should return in time to pick the student up at the end of the lesson. Some teachers invite the parents to observe every lesson to keep track of their child’s progress and so they know what the student should be practicing at home. Some teachers prefer that parents not be present at all, as they feel it interferes with the teacher-student relationship. If parents are present in lessons, it is appreciated that they do not attempt to take over teaching from the teacher. Some teachers permit questions from parents for clarification. Others prefer silent observation/presence. Teachers often have a small waiting area and restroom designated for students and parents. It is impolite to assume that you can go beyond that, if the studio is in the teacher’s home. Students should be clean when they come to lessons; hands clean and not wearing any strong perfume/cologne, but free of body odor. Piano students’ fingernails should be trimmed at least once a week. Long fingernails interfere with good technical development.

            Sometimes teachers outline practice expectations in the policy, but most often these are determined between the teacher and individual students. This allows the teacher to tailor the students’ practice routines to fit their own needs.

            Another big area often outlined are the activities which the studio has for the year. These can include recitals, festivals, auditions, exams, concert outings, and group lessons. Some teachers require full/partial participation in these. Some do not offer any. This is something of which to be aware when looking for a music teacher. The point of learning to make music is to share it with others. If the teacher does not provide any venue for doing so, that could be a warning sign. However, if a teacher offers so many that it becomes overwhelming, the situation could be just as bad. The important thing to keep in mind, for teachers and parents alike, is that the child must be capable of accomplishing whatever we set  them up to do. So some performance should be pushed, but if the student is new to it, or not a quick learner, they should not be pushed to do too much.

            Most teachers include a section on what is required of a home instrument. Parents should not pursue instrument specific music lessons until they have the instrument. Each piano teacher has his/her own expectations for what the student should have for practicing, and it is important to discuss these with the teacher before committing to lessons.

            So then, why should all of this be important to you, the students and parents? As I have mentioned several times, and I have talked about in previous posts, music lessons are a long term commitment. The lessons are not cheap, instruments are not cheap, and maintenance of instruments is not cheap. I discussed here that music lessons are a very important part in the development of children.

The studio policy is important because it is a teacher’s security. We are independent contractors who have to set aside for our own taxes, retirement, and healthcare. We have to plan this year by year based on our studio enrollment. Once we make our plans, financially speaking, we count on students to stay with us for the entire year. For those teachers who draw it up as a contract, they have a higher level of security against students leaving. At the very least, if the contract is broken, the parents and students can be taken to small claims court. I’ve heard of this happening and the teacher winning each time. However, it causes a lot of hassle for the teacher and parents alike.

For the parent and student it is important to have a studio policy in place, so that the teacher is kept accountable. Some teachers are inconsistent with their tuition, makeup lesson, or other policies. It is essential that the parents and students have something other than a verbal agreement, which they can reference. It is also important for parents because of the outline of expectations for practicing and performing that is set forth. This ensures that the parents’ financial investment in their child’s musical future is not being wasted.

The most important thing to remember when looking to enroll your child in lessons is that you should be committing to at least one year. This post isn’t written with the intent of scaring parents away from piano lessons. Rather, it is to make sure you realize the commitment level that is expected. Music teachers are human, too, and we know that life sometimes gives us unexpected hindrances. Parents might lose a job or get a job transfer. We understand those types of situations are not something that can be foreseen when committing to lessons. As long as the commitment level goes beyond “just trying it to see if we like it”, the lessons will be successful.

My Teacher Told Me How to Practice…But I Forgot!

Many times parents ask me how they can motivate their child to practice. Or if they are practicing enough. Or, my favorite, if I can change up their practice routine. That is what I try to help the student do on a weekly basis. Students come into my studio and seem to have forgotten somewhere in the last seven days how they are to practice. And so I take them to a problem spot and we work on it exactly as I want them to practice that and all problem spots at home. And they come back the next week with the same problem spots. Well, knowing from students who have followed my practice instructions that there is nothing wrong with the way that I want them to practice, I can only assume that they are not sticking to the practice plan outlined for them. And who can blame them? A thirty minute lesson of dedicated, focused instruction contains a lot of information. Far too much for me to write down every week. My hand is starting to cramp just thinking about it. Besides, who wants half of their lesson spent with the teacher writing stuff? I certainly would not! I’ve decided to write out my practice strategies for students and parents to reference at any time, so that what I write down for them can be addressing the specific problems encountered in the lesson. I have divided this up into what I consider to be a few of the biggest practice mistakes made by students and parents when they leave the lesson.

            The first practice mistake students make is waiting too long after the lesson to practice. I recommend a 15-20 minute “cool-down” practice session when you get back home. Go over all the concepts covered and outline your practice strategies. This doesn’t even require touching a piano! Look through your music, review the spots addressed in the lesson, and remind yourself of the solution to the problem.

            The second practice mistake most students make is inconsistent practicing. In order to see faster, permanent results, daily time should be set aside for diligent and focused practice. The amount of time set aside is in proportion to the amount of music assigned and the amount of time needed for you to successfully complete your practice goals. Having daily goals is essential to successful practice. Make yourself solve a couple problem areas daily, leaving time to review passages looked at previously. How much time you spend practicing is less important than how you spend that time practicing. “Smart” practicing is extremely important, which leads us to the third mistake.

          Piano (or any instrument/voice) practice is mentally taxing because we must constantly be thinking. Students often forget this and resort to a tendency to try to “play” through pieces rather than “practice” them. You must discipline yourself to isolate areas that are giving you difficulty, whether it be technical or musical. If the problem is technical, can you figure out what is wrong? Perhaps you are using the wrong fingering. Perhaps you aren’t allowing your arm weight to release into the keys. Perhaps you are not allowing the arm to move in/out, up/down, or from side to side as it needs. Perhaps you are slumping. Perhaps your wrist is out of alignment with your arm. Perhaps your fingers are curled or collapsed. Any one of these, or a combination of them, could be happening. It is important to check thoroughly and make sure you figure it out. When you do isolate the problem, practice it in isolation. Play the 3-4 beats surrounding the spot, making sure to end on a beat. Once you have it fixed, try to play it correctly 5 times in a row. This helps to solidify the correct way in your mind and in your muscle memory. If the problem is musical, practice the piece in phrases. Know how you want each phrase to sound. Be aware of the preceding and following phrases and how they relate to the one you are fixing.

Every time a problem arises, you must run through that list to discover what is happening. Once you isolate the root of the problem, you must focus on the solution to the problem, and not the problem itself. So, it becomes not only about thinking, but about how we think? Let’s say you’re playing a wrong fingering (a simple example), it’s not enough to just know that you are messing up the fingering. You must know exactly which finger(s) is to play and the note on which it is to play. And that is where you focus your thinking to solve that problem. Perhaps for one problem that isn’t such a taxation on the brain. However, for the multiple problems that arise in a piece it can get very tiring. It’s best to divide daily practice into segments no longer than 30 minutes. To get the brain to focus for even this amount of time can be difficult.  This relates back to the second practice habit; if you are practicing with your brain, you will be able to accomplish a great deal more in a short amount of time than if your brain is not actively engaged.

            The last, and perhaps most important, mistake to address is the habit of students and parents to forget to be patient while practicing. Music making is an emotionally tiring activity. The emotional portion of it comes at us from two sides. The first side is from the need to tap into that raw human emotion and incorporate it into the story which we are trying to communicate. The second side is the “superficial” emotional reactions which we have to the music we are making. I call them “superficial” not because they are invalid, but because they are subject to the success or lack thereof which we are experiencing in trying to achieve our musical goals. These emotions are the frustration associated with failure and the joy and love associated with success. These emotions are often the cause of children quitting lessons too soon; they haven’t experienced the love and joy that come from successful music making.

            Practice sessions and lessons alike must be a balance of disciplined hard work and patience as we work toward musical goals. If you are experiencing trouble with a problem spot in a practice session and you simply cannot solve it, leave it alone. Bring it to your lesson and let your teacher help you fix it.

There are so many things to say about practicing…and I will continue to say them as this blog moves forward. However, for the frustrated parent and student trying to make it work at home, this will hopefully provide some encouragement and some ideas for how to make it work. Piano lessons are a huge commitment and we piano teachers appreciate all of you parents who are willing to dedicate the time necessary, not only to get your children to lessons, but also to making daily practice happen.

Piano Lessons: An Essential Part of Being Human

            “Why should music be a part of a child’s education?” That is a question asked and answered by a myriad of books, articles, and blog entries. Have no fear! This post will ask and answer a different question: “Why do I teach music?” This is not a defense of the music teaching career path. This literally is the answer to why I, Seth Thomas, teach music. If the answer was simple enough to put into a single statement, there would be no need for the post. However, when put most concisely, the answer would be that I teach music because I believe it to be a vital part of the human experience.

            In the simplest elaboration on that statement, music is something most humans experience from the womb until the day they die. Even those born without hearing have been shown to feel the vibrations produced by certain types of music and the emotional impact it has on them. Music is a part of everyone’s life. Of course, this statement is true in the general sense of most people listening to the radio or recordings. However, we must broaden our definition of what music is. Our ears are accustomed to the music that has been handed down through the tradition of Western Art Music. Jazz, Rock, Pop, and even Rap have their roots in Western Art Music, or, as many call it, “classical” music. However, convincing many classically trained musicians to include these genres in their definition of music is difficult. In the same vein, it can also be difficult to convince those both trained and untrained that the music of other cultures is music.

Supposing the reader agrees with me thus far, I would go even further and state that the sounds we hear and make every day are music. The traffic, the sound of footsteps as we walk, the whirring of the computer as we check our social media, our neighbors talking to each other from their balconies from building to building, or a baby crying in the store as we do our grocery shopping. Perhaps it seems absurd to categorize these things as music. Perhaps even a little hippie-esque of me-which, for those of you who know me personally, is not me at all. However, all of these sounds include rhythm (the fundamental element of all music), pitch, and most importantly a story. All good music must communicate some form of story to the listeners-and it does not always do so with words. As the old saying goes, “Art imitates life”-although, I would take it further and say, “Art is life.”

            Now that music has assumed a larger definition, we can divide it into four categories. The two main categories being: 1) organized music- in other words, music that is generally thought of as music; be it classical, popular, rock, cultural, and so on- and, 2) unorganized music- that is, those everyday sounds not generally thought of as music. Each of these categories is then divided into two sub-categories: good and bad. This is where I, as a teacher, enter the scene. With all of this musical information surrounding us, it is easy to become overwhelmed. As a teacher of music, my job is to help shape students’ understanding and taste of what is good organized music and what is bad organized music. Beyond that, however, it is my responsibility to help students sort out the unorganized music and bring that into their interpretation of organized music. Again, I teeter on the edge of sounding like something I don’t brand myself as: a life-coach. Although, there are many great life lessons to be learned from music study: self-discipline, meeting of deadlines, prioritization, patience, communication, and managing nerves through preparedness, to name a few.

            As a music teacher, I hope to shape my students into good human beings who live musical lives, whatever their chosen career. Of course, as they study with me, I want to see them achieve great things at the piano. And as they grow and learn as musicians, hopefully they will grow as humans. The amount of time required to practice in order to perform a piece in a masterfully artistic manner develops strong habits of self-discipline. Students who start music lessons at a young age and continue through high school, develop a strong sense of responsibility and understanding for long-term commitments. More than most people, they understand the importance of following through on what they have agreed to do. They must develop a tremendous amount of patience, as it can take months to polish and perfect a piece for a performance that lasts only a few minutes. They must learn to communicate their musical needs to me, as well as understand how to pinpoint and verbalize their technical difficulties. From a young age, they learn the value of making a good impression in front of a group of people. They also learn how to prepare themselves and deal with nerves and anxiety in a healthy manner.

            The acquiring of the “commitment-follow through” relationship develops something which is severely lacking in modern society: a good work ethic. Very few children have to earn anything anymore. Our “no child left behind” mentality has shaken the system of earning rewards through honest, hard work. Music is one of the few experiences in which children have the opportunity to experience the benefits of putting in the time and effort necessary for success and the consequences of failing to do so. Not all music students will go on to a career in music. However, hopefully all music students will go on to have a career. And, regardless of what that career is, there will be performance expectations which have benefits and consequences attached to them. Someone who has trained to be successful is more likely to reap the benefits than someone who has been trained to receive rewards for doing nothing.

            As students learn from me, they will be challenged along the way to do yet another thing that is lacking in modern culture: think. Rather than always telling students what is right or wrong, I like to let them experiment and discover for themselves what works. Of course, I guide them along the way and help to shape their way of thinking, but it is they who must do the thinking. And probably my most important job as a music teacher is allowing students to think for themselves. Sometimes students’ thought processes are completely the opposite of what mine are. That does not make them wrong. When this occurs, I have them explain why their train of thought led them to whatever conclusion. It is equally enlightening for myself and the students, as they oftentimes don’t think about why they give the answer they do. And so, by developing these critical thinking skills, the student learns to discern the good and the bad in both the organized and unorganized realms of music.

            There are so many great reasons for me to teach music: the joy it brings to the students and those that hear them play, the understanding of the structure and form of music, the knowledge of various cultural backgrounds, and the rich history associated with much music. These are all things I love about music. And I love them because they are a part of what helps me shape young humans into a thoughtful, disciplined, committed future generation who will make the world a better place.