It’s finally summer here.  We had rain nearly every single day in the month of June.  It energized me beyond belief.  Now that we’re approaching 100 degree weather, I’m feeling the motivation being sapped from my body.

Will you share a happy story from your week with me? 

 It could be about music or teaching if you want, but it really doesn’t have to be.  I just have a suspicion that many of us could benefit from some happy stories today!

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Ok.  Parents present during lessons.  What’s your take?

Some parents are completely fine.  They sit and read while I do what they pay me to do: teach their child. 

It’s the Other Parents I want to talk about today.  (Notice how Other Parents is capitalized.  I have a feeling they exist in nearly every studio, and therefore, need a name.  Names are capitalized.  That’s what I learned in school, anyway.)

These Other Parents seem to think that their children cannot answer for themselves.  Their children also need constant parental reminders on how to position their hands, how to hold a whole note, and how to crescendo.  Never mind that they are interrupting the perfectly qualified individual sitting next to the child, giving correct advice.

These Other Parents are also completely oblivious to the negative results of their constant interference.

I know I need to get a backbone, and tell them to hush up!

But will somebody please tell me HOW?  I don’t want to kick them out of my studio completely.  As a parent, I at least want the option to be present during lessons and other similar activities.  I just need to know how to tactfully tell these parents to stop interfering.

Do you allow parents in your studio?

Despite all efforts by me and his mother, one student of mine will not practice.  My incentive program doesn’t incentify him.  (don’t look it up.  It’s not a real word.)  His mother allows screen time (video games, tv, computer) ONLY after lessons, and recently she started making him pay her for lessons if he doesn’t practice 4 times!

This student is really sweet and good natured.  I love teaching him.  He’s also smart and very capable.  He enjoys performing and playing a finished product, but he just doesn’t want to work for that finished product.  How do I help him get the motivation he needs?????

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How do you handle awards?

I have a few students receiving awards for participating in MTNA programs this year.  I want to hand those awards out at our recital a couple weeks from now.  I feel those students deserve public recognition.  I also hope that other students will be more interested in participating in programs next year when they see their peers getting awards.

My concern, of course, is this: What about the kids who will receive no award?  Will they feel bad?  Will their parents feel bad?  Should I make up some studio awards- such as Most Improved, Excellent Sight Reader, etc. so that every student gets some sort of award?  But will that cheapen the “real” awards?

What is your take on handing out awards publicly?  How have you done it in the past?

As my daughter gets older, it’s getting harder and harder to squeeze practice time into my days.  She does really well when I teach lessons, but she isn’t too excited when I sit down at the piano myself.  You see, the piano is HER toy!  She loves to sit and play.  If I am in HER seat, she is not too happy.  Most of the time, I just practice anyway, while she pounds the keys right next to me.  And while she adds a great deal of tinkling and pounding sounds to my lovely Brahms piece, I’m not sure the end result is what Brahms had in mind when he composed!

Here are my three (and only three) tips I have for practicing with a toddler.  Please share your tips if you have any!

1.  Set a specific time you will practice each and every day.  Making it routine will be good for you, but will also eventually help your child deal with your practice time.  Eventually, your child will come to understand that this is just what Mommy or Daddy does at this time of the day. 

2.  Start early!  Put your baby next to the piano and practice while your baby is a newborn.  Your child will grow up knowing that Mommy or Daddy plays the piano.  It’s just what’s done.

3.  Practice when your spouse is at home.  I practice while Daddy does bathtime.  I get 15 minutes of practice each night.  It isn’t ideal, but it’s better than nothing!

Sadly, those are my only tips!  Do you have better ones?  Please please share!

Aaarggghh!!!  Do you deal with this?  Sometimes a student will skip a line or measure, and when I ask him to go back and play it, he tells me he already played it.  He INSISTS he played it, even though he most definitely did NOT!  It is one of my biggest pet peeves, and it’s hard not to act like a little child and stick out my tongue at him!

What do you do when students do this?

Does anybody do “report cards” for private lessons?  I am mulling it over, and wanted to get some input.  My purpose in doing report cards would be so that I can have a “parent/teacher conference” to go over each students’ strengths and weaknessess.  That way, I would be able to get parents involved where they need to be, get them uninvolved where they shouldn’t be, and answer questions or concerns from parents who may feel too shy to question what I do.

The items on my report card would include

1. Tempo/Rhythm
2. Note Reading
3. Dynamics/ Articulation
4. Practice
5. Hand Position/Posture
6. Pedal Use
7. Scales, Arpeggios, Chords
8. Theory
9. Behavior

Am I missing something important?

I ADORE these two pieces: Brahm’s Intermezzo in A Major and Chopin’s Nocturne from Op. 55, No. 1. I only have time to learn ONE to perfection before our spring recital. Please help me choose! Listen to each, and tell me which is your favorite! Pretty please!

Brahm’s Intermezzo (not the best sound quality, but still FABULOUS!):

Chopin’s Nocturne

Thank you all for such awesome suggestions and motivations for my current issue.  I’m excited to try your ideas, and will let you know what works!

Lately, I have been working really hard on rhythm with most students.  Many of them do not have metronomes at home, and I am positive that if they did, they would do better with rhythm.  Do you require your students to have metronomes?  I am considering making it a requirement this next school year, but wonder if parents will be annoyed at having another required expense.  How has it worked in your studios?

*Sigh* What do you do when you have an incredibly gifted student who doesn’t want to try?

I have a 10 year old student who is so naturally gifted. The piano comes so easily to him, but when it’s time to try something that won’t come naturally, he becomes so difficult to work with. He tells me he doesn’t care and he doesn’t want to try. It’s awful. His mother tells me he wants to quit, but she won’t let him- YET.

It breaks my heart! What have you done that has helped similar situations?