Maybe one of the best things I learned from Randall Faber at a recent conference was how different age groups approach learning.

• Under Seven age group:   Their mentality is “I can DO IT.”  They are more excited about the doing than anything else.  They don’t care so much about progressing or achieving goals.  They just want to have fun.  Activities at the piano and away from the piano are great motivators.  Because they are motivated, they achieve success more readily.
• Seven to Thirteen Year Olds:   “I CAN do it.”  They are motivated by their ability.  Stickers are great motivators.  Acknowledging and reinforcing their competence helps foster great self esteem and motivation in this age group. 
• Adolescents:   “I can do it.”  They are proud of themselves.  Treat them as competent and capable, and they will achieve better success.

I think I approach each of my students with the “I CAN do it” mentality- focusing on and praising ability.  This works well, because most of my students fit in the seven-thirteen age range. 

But I do have a few students under seven and one over thirteen.   I have been so glad to have this insight.  It has opened my eyes, and I am approaching my younger and older students much better, keeping their age appropriate mentality in mind as I teach.

I recently attended  a workshop by the wonderful Randall Faber, author of the Piano Adventures method books.

I want to share some great things I learned from him.

When teaching young children, we need to be aware that when they like something, they want to do it over and over again.   With that understanding, teachers need to adapt to that mentality.  If our students are struggling with a certain technique, a smart way to approach that struggle is to create an activity involving that technique that the student will want to do over and over again. 

For example, if a student is having a hard time with rounded fingers, perhaps a fun chant or rhyme that goes along with getting fingers into rounded shape could be taught.  Or if a student is having a hard time reading notes, a fun game about notes played away from the piano can help reinforce a knowledge of notes.  If the student enjoys the activity, s/he will want to do it over and over again, and if the teacher allows that, the student will benefit.

I’ve always been a huge advocate of games, as they make piano lessons fun.  Having it pointed out to me that children want to repeat fun things over and over again will help me tailor games to be more appropriate for each child.

And how will I know if a student is actively engaged in the activity I have chosen?  Randall Faber also taught to moniter the students’ eyes in order to determine their attention to the lesson, activity, discussion, explanation, etc.

I had a great Students Only Recital this past week. 

My aim in doing a recital just for students was twofold.

1. To make performing less stressful.  The students were slightly nervous when they got to my house.  They would be performing, after all!  But as they walked in, I handed them a number.  They then were allowed to sit wherever they wanted.  Both these factors eased fears, since students are used to sitting in a designated spot and holding a program at regular recitals.  I allowed each student to start with one piece.  When everyone had finished their pieces, I asked if anyone wanted to play another.  Two non-shy hands shot up right away.  Motivated by those successes, several shy hands raised into the air as well.  Mostly everyone ended up playing two pieces- one they had prepared for and one they had not.  These spontaneous performances helped my students feel comfortable around each other.  They were able to actually experience the FUN of performing!
2. To create a cameraderie amongst students.  I’ve said this before.  I think it’s important that students have friends in music.  There are many reasons- they can motivate each other to keep going, they can help each other aspire to be better, they can create music together.  So a large part of my recital was devoted to meeting each other and getting to know each other’s names.

After everyone performed, we sat in a circle on the floor.  We started tap/clapping a simple beat: Hit legs, clap, hit legs, clap… We then went around the room, and said each person’s name in rhythm.

Rebecca

Hit legs, clap

James

Hit legs, clap

and so on.

Everyone did a good job.  My youngest student, a 5 year old, had a little trouble keeping the beat.  However, I anticipated this, and sat next to him so I could help.

After we played that game, we played another silly name games that had the kids literally rolling on the floor in hysterics.  I’m sure you’ve heard this game.  Each person chooses an animal that starts with the first letter of her name.  I was Rebecca Rabbit.  Then, each person goes around the room taking a turn at trying to remember everyone’s name and animal.

Such a simple game, but the silly laughs everyone shared really brought my students together!

I have asked each student this week if they can name everyone who was at the recital.  Everybody (even the 5 year old) has been able to do it!

Have you ever done a Students Only Recital?

My recital was last Saturday.  It was magnificent.  I finally have students who are close to advanced level, so they were able to play some really impressive sounding pieces.  Those students knocked the socks off of my newest students’ parents, which is a great thing.  You always want those new-to-piano parents to know that you’re worth it.

My piece went well (you all helped me pick Brahms’ Intermezzo, and I just adored learning it!), although I played it with the music, instead of memorized.  It’s not my fault, though.  You see, my husband had shoulder surgery about a month ago, and his child care skills were severely reduced for a while.

Consequently, during my crucial memorizing time, I had no one to watch my daughter so I could practice.  All is well, though.  I felt much better with the music anyway!

I did, however, make one gigantic mistake in preparation for the recital.  I sent out one note announcing the recital to be at 1:30, and another announcing the recital to be at 1:00.  I didn’t realize it until the week of the recital, so all last week was spent frantically calling and emailing everyone of the CORRECT time.  Thankfully, everybody made it on time!  I have delegated recital planning responsibilities to my husband from now on.

How did your spring recitals go?  Any major goofups?  Any great successes?  Did you perform?

I know this isn’t original.  I’m pretty sure I read this in a forum somewhere.  So I am totally stealing somebody else’s idea.  But it’s been SO effective in my studio lately that I MUST share it here!

When introducing eighth notes, tell your student to say “apple” instead of “1 and.”  Quarter notes will also now become “pear.”  This is much easier for a child to do.  Instead of counting “1 and 2, 3 and 4,” they say “apple pear, apple pear.”  Surprisingly, this does not seem to confuse them in the slightest.  And they actually get the rhythms right!  Even successful “1 and” counters tend to get choppy rhythms.  But “apple pear” counters don’t have that problem!

Plus, it’s fun for their families to hear them saying such sill things while they play the piano!

Do you do this already?  Do you have any other silly words you use?

Go here to enter the giveaway!  Ends tonight!

One of my “gifted and terrifed of failure“ students told me he is getting very very bored.  Knowing I could be setting myself up for an unpleasant response, I still decided to acknowledge his feelings and ask him why.  He responded that all his pieces in the lesson books are too easy.

To be honest, they are too easy for him.  He can sight read well beyond the level that he plays.  But I don’t think it is wise to skip levels because he needs to understand all concepts.  I fear that if we skip a level, he will miss something important that will hinder his ability to play a much more difficult piece.  And because he tends to balk at challenges, I am not willing to let him skip concepts and fundamentals. 

Since that is too difficult to explain to an 11 year old, I chose to liken piano to baseball, his favorite subject.  Maybe you can find a way to use a similar comparison with a similar student.

I told him to imagine that he started baseball this year for the first time, and could “knock the ball out of the park” 9 times out of 10.  At the mention of his favorite sport, I could practically see the baseball diamonds glittering in his eyes.  I then told him to imagine that even though he could hit like a pro, he couldn’t catch for anything.  He didn’t like that part of the analogy, and told me he could most definitely catch like a pro.  So we had to change the character in this imaginary story to “a friend.” 

I then explained that the friend would have to start from the beginning- from scratch- to learn all the fundamentals of baseball.  I asked him if he agreed, and he did.  He would never be a great ball player without the fundamentals.

It’s the same in piano.  We have to move through the lesson books so that we can get the fundamentals.  In the meantime, I will give him harder pieces that will challenge him.  But he must get through the basic stuff before we can leave the lesson books in the dust.

He completely understood what I was saying, and completely agreed.  (something that surprised me to no end- because he is NOT one to agree with me on ANYTHING!)

Don’t forget to leave a comment here.  If you do forget, the world will end.  Leave a comment at this post in order to be entered to win a free month’s subscription to PianoMorning.com!  Go do it now!  This post will still be here when you get back!

There’s one thing you should know about me.  I do not like to play sports.  I will attend a sporting event only if it’s free or very very very cheap.  You will never ever ever ever catch me watching a sporting event on TV.  (OK, that was technically 3 things.)

Curiously enough, however, I LOVE sports movies.  I don’t know if it’s the triumph over adversity, the teams pulling together, or the feel good music combined with cheering and chanting, but I can always go for a good sports movie.

Recently, I watched Gridiron Gang with my husband.  Have you seen it?

Just when and where is this going to relate to music teaching, you ask?  Soon, I promise.  Stay with me!

Gridiron Gang is a true story about a juvenile detention center warden who decided to use football as a tool to keep his teenage prisoners from returning to the streets upon release from jail.  He miraculously got the approval of his superiors, and even more miraculously, found a high school league that would allow his team of criminals to compete.  Ultimately, he was successful in helping keep kids off the street after jail.  Some did return, but the majority went to school and got jobs and scholarships.

There is a scene in the movie which reminds me of piano teaching.  The coach, played by The Rock, comes out to practice in full football gear.  He looks ridiculous, as the uniform he is wearing is the same size as what the boys wear.  The players and other coaches stare at him and start to laugh, wondering out loud just what the heck (that’s a much more mild way to put it) their coach is doing in a too-small uniform.

He heads straight for one certain player.  This particular player is afraid to get hit.  Consequently, he gets tackled way too easily and way too often, costing the team valuable points.  He has the potential to be a star, but he can’t get over his fear of being hit.

The coach sets himself up in a defensive stance and tells the player to come at him and knock him down.  (Have you seen how big The Rock is?)  The kid, of course, is scared.  The coach tells him he has potential to be great, but he must overcome this obstacle and move forward.   After several attempts, the kid finally knocks The Rock flat on his back.  He is proud, but more importantly, he has overcome his fear and is a better player because of it.

How does this relate to music teaching?  Sometimes we ask our students to do really ridiculous and incredibly challenging things.  But we KNOW what our students need.  We KNOW that this really ridiculous exercise is going to improve some type of technique to make our students stronger players.  Sometimes the parents watch us and wonder what the heck we are asking their kids to do.  But we KNOW how to reach those kids because we are their teachers.  We are musicians.  And we understand that proper fundamentals are the only way to get the desired result- and sometimes we have to get a little ridiculous to teach those fundamentals.

I once donned martian antenna for a “Space Day” to get my students excited about learning and remembering space notes.  I often send my students home with really awful sounding warmups that cause parents to question if their children are truly practicing right.

What have you done to make a point?  When have you started something that seemed so backwards to your student, but ended up being just what that student needed?

Actions often speak louder than words.  At the advice of a reader, I’ve been video taping some of my students during lessons, then playing the recording back.  It has been a tremendous help for some of my students to SEE what I’ve been talking and drilling about for so long. 

The student who plays with flat fingers?  Now, she SEES the flat fingers and understands what she needs to work on.  The student who plays much too quickly, causing the piece to come out sloppy?  Now he SEES his fingers flying across the keys without control and HEARS the missed (and extra!) notes.  The student who plays much too slow and with no feeling?  Now she yawns as her piece is played back to her.  She knows what to do to make her piece more interesting.

Do you use video recording to assist you during lessons?  What successes have you found?

I read a lot of parenting books, parenting tips, and parenting magazines.  Consequently, I have a lot of theories floating around in my head that I sometimes try to use with my piano students.  One of my favorites is the concept of positive talk. 

Positive talk is about avoiding negatives when you discipline.  For example, with a toddler, instead of saying, “Don’t hit,” you say something like, “Be soft.”  When you say, “Don’t hit,” the toddler doesn’t understand why she can’t hit.  In fact, she doesn’t even know what to do instead.  Saying “Be soft” helps her to learn an appropriate action in place of hitting.  And it’s done in a positive way.  Instead of saying, “Don’t walk down the stairs,” you say something like, “Remember, we crawl when we go down the stairs.” 

I’ve used both types of talk with my toddler.  Inevitably, if I say to her, “Don’t walk down the stairs,” she is going to take a giant step on those stairs.  She’s not being naughty.  She just thinks the idea of walking on the stairs is a great idea.  She didn’t register the “Don’t” part.  She just heard the “walk down the stairs” part.  I, in fact, GAVE her the idea to walk down the stairs by telling her not to.  Conversely, if I say, “Remember to crawl down the stairs,” she hears the good idea of crawling down the stairs and does it!

So, in piano lessons, I try very hard to avoid negative directions.  Instead of saying, “Don’t play soft where it says Forte,” I say, “Remember to play loud where it says Forte.”  Saying, “Don’t play soft where it says Forte” tells my student what NOT to do, but my student may not understand what TO do in it’s place.

I have one student who constantly looks at me WHILE playing.  I think he just wants assurance that he’s doing things right.  However, he makes many unnecessary mistakes simply because he isn’t looking at his music.  I used to say, “Don’t look at me while you play.”  But that just reinforced the negative behavior.  Even though I was saying “Don’t,” I was actually giving him the idea to continue to look at me, since I was using those words.  Now I say, “Keep your eyes on the music.”  He’s not perfect about it every time, but he’s getting better.

Instead of, “Don’t drop your wrist” or “Don’t play with flat fingers,” say, “Remember to keep your wrist up” or “Think about curved fingers.”

Instead of, “Don’t slouch,” say, “Sit up nice and straight.”

Instead of, “Don’t play too fast,” say, “Keep it slow” or “Think slow while you play.”

Can you think of negative behaviors you may actually be reinforcing with your language?

Do you have students who hate taking the time to figure out their starting hand position? I have a few of those, and they always end up guessing about their first notes and fingering. I’ve been trying to encourage them to think about the notes and fingers first by asking them to TELL me the name of the first note BEFORE they play it. This doesn’t seem to work. They hear me say, “TELL me the name of the first note,” and their hand immediately goes to the piano to find the note. They aren’t able to TELL me. Yesterday, I tried something new.

I asked my student to put her hands in the air. Then, I said, “TELL me the name of the first note while you keep your hands in the air.” She did so. Then, I asked her to play the note with her nose, while keeping her hands in the air. She LOVED that. Then, I asked her to hold up and wiggle the correct finger for that note. Only then could she put her hands into position.

It worked each time! She loved the silliness, so to her it was just a game. But, really, she was actually doing what I’ve been trying to get her to do for so long.