As I’ve been contemplating what topic to cover for this last article, it occurred to me while teaching, that it might be beneficial to talk about how I’ve integrated my home studio into my music lessons, and how it has affected my students for the better.

As well as being a music teacher, I’m also a composer/recording artist and so I have a studio in my home.  Many parents and students have asked me “Why do you need two keyboards?” or “How do you record all of that right here?”, as well as many other curious questions pertaining to what goes into recording music from a home studio.

To answer some of these questions, let me start off saying that my studio is all digital.  This means that I do not record any live audio with microphones at my home studio.  That requires an entirely different set-up and I usually go to a hired studio in order to record such music.  A “digital studio” is done through the use of MIDI (Musicial Instrument Digital Interface) as well as some audio cables (which I don’t use but some people do).

Some of the pieces of equipment that I have in my home studio is a 6 foot Kawai grand piano, violin, guitar, a Kawai CN270 digital keyboard (which has a very real action touch and I record piano recordings from this keyboard), a Kurzweil PC88 keyboard (a fancier keyboard with many ‘bells and whistles’ including a modulation wheel, which is essential when recording virtual instruments), 8″ Yamaha Studio Monitors, a Dell computer (with an extra amount of RAM and hard drive space, which is essential for music software), extra hard drives, and probably the most important thing is a valuable array of music software and virtual instruments (soft synths)  that I’ve collected over the years.

One thing that I do with all of my music students is record them.  Any time they perfect a song, we move from the piano over to one of the keyboards and record. 

This has been very beneficial for them in many different ways:

- For one thing, it allows them to have a collection of songs on a CD that they recorded themselves. 

- It also allows them to go back and listen to how their skills have improved from their first recording to their most recent. 

- Recording also helps them to overcome the fear of performing because as they continue to record more and more songs, they diminish nerves. Being recorded  without an audience helps them learn to tap into their inner expression and just play from the heart., and eventually translates over to live performances as well (for recitals, etc.).

- I also have my students record their recital songs before an upcoming recital and do “Self Critiques”. This is where they listen to themselves and write down things they need to work on. It’s been amazing for them to be able to hear what they sound like outside of their own head, and has pushed them to work very hard.

Over the years of allowing my students access to my home studio, I have been able to assist students in entering composition contests, making their own albums, and the best part has probably just been being able to open their eyes to whole new world of music that they may have otherwise not been been exposed to.  I have several students now interested in building their own home music studios so that they can continue the journey of writing/recording their own music.  They now know that learning to play the piano isn’t just learning songs out of a method book, but that they can be part of the imagination and creative process of music.  They can arrange songs, add different instrumentations to the recordings, and learn how to edit as well.

I have one student in particular who recently won a state-level division of a “Reflections” competition for middle schoolers, where she composed her own song, recorded it and submitted it along with the sheet music as well.  While she did all of the work on her own in the composition process, I was able to help her record and notate the sheet music from my studio.  The experience only sparked an interest in her, and her parents have now been helping her to set up a basic studio in her room. 

If you think your child or student would be interested in setting up a home digital studio as well, I can suggested a few pieces of key equipment:

- A Digital Keyboard/Piano.  This is essential, and you will want to be sure you get one that has both audio and midi outlets/inlets.  This way you can connect the keyboard directly to a computer.  You don’t need an expensive keyboard, but I would suggest making sure you find one that has all 88 keys.(as they come in various forms with lesser amounts of keys). 88 keys is especially essential if your child/student is a pianist.  You can find decent keyboards for under $500, such as this portable digital keyboard. For something more piano-esque and slightly more expensive, I would suggest this digital piano.  The difference between a digital keyboard and a digital piano is that the keyboards tend to have more sounds and synthesizers, and usually are portable. You need to buy a stand to put it on, as well as a bench.  Digital pianos usually come on their own stand (screwed together, so not easily portable) and do not have all the fancy buttons and gadgets.  As you noted earlier, I have both in my studio and they both serve two different purposes. I have found that the digital pianos are better for pianists because the keys are usually weighted, wood, and play/feel much more like a real piano.  A digital keyboard will feel lighter, more plastic-like but with the benefit of being able to record a wide variety of sounds and instruments.

-  A Computer.  This can be a laptop or desktop, whichever you prefer.   Since I am not a travelling performer, I have a desktop that stays in my studio. However, some musicians prefer laptops so that they can be more mobile.  You will want to be sure you have a decent sound card as well, and depending on how much software you plan to invest in, you will want extra RAM and hard drive space.

- Software.  Let me first say that you do need software to record.  At least on a very amateur basis.  In fact, the  2nd keyboard that I suggested above has the ability to record mulit-tracks within its own built-in computer.  So for beginners, that is a great place to start.  That keyboard also comes with some basic software that you can put on your computer in order to transfer your recordings from the keyboard’s internal computer to your own computer.  However, neither the keyboard or the software it comes with allows you the ability to edit your recordings and has limited midi use. 

When I first started out, I used a free software called Audacity.  You can download it here. It is very basic, but very helpful.  You can record audio with this program (run an audio cord from your keyboard to your computer and it will record whatever synth or piano sound your keyboard is outputting).  You can also splice, change volume levels, eq’s, add special effects, add fade-in’s/out’s, etc.  But again, Audacity does not work with MIDI.  If you are wanting to get into using virtual instruments (soft synths) then you would need to go to the next step up and purchase a DAWS program (Digital Audio Work Station), such as Cakewalk, Sonar, ProTools, Cubase, etc and that is the pricepoint where a studio starts to get more expensive and more on the professional level.  There are many programs out there, and most even offer a LE version to get you started.  (I personally use Sonar Producer 8).

I don’t want to get into too many details regarding the benefits and differences of recording with MIDI, but to explain what exactly midi does – it basically is a way to record music that has the flexability of changing what you recorded into any instrument that you wish.  For example, you can record a piano part and change it into sounding like a harp.  Midi obviously requires that you have the necessary software programs to translate your tracks into these other sounds, which again, gets into a whole other arena of music studio software that I’m not going to go into for this article as I’m trying to keep this information basic.

Another piece of software that might be beneficial, is a notation program.  Some DAWS have the ability to print out notation from MIDI, but not without much editing. Those types of programs were not designed to be notation programs and so that aspect of them are very limited.  I would suggest referring to a previous article I wrote regarding notation programs for further help on this topic, as I suggested a few different freewares available as well as professional grade programs.

With the continued advancement in technology, more and more younger students are getting interested in music and technology.  It is both motivating and exciting for them to be able to create music using the advancements available today for home studios.  What I have covered here is very basic, so if you have any more detailed questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email me directly at (jennifer@jenniferthomasmusic.com) and I’d be happy to help. Thanks again for a wonderful experience here on the Music Teacher’s Helper Blog as an author, and I wish you all happy music making!

My mother, who had always been well versed in classic movies, had a rather large library of old musicals.  Despite growing up as an adolescent in the 80′s and 90′s, I was raised watching actors like Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Audrey Hepburn, Rosemary Clooney and more. 

The most impactual moment of my musical training happened to me while watching the 1945 classic movie “Anchors Aweigh” with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.  About halfway through the film, there was a scene where the two actors (playing the parts of Navy Sailors) were trying to chase down a famous pianist/conductor named Jose Iturbi.  They ended up sneaking into the Hollywood Bowl, sliding down a dirty hillside and running down rows of bleachers and chairs all the while the most magnificant thing was happening on the stage…

There, on the huge stage of the Hollywood Bowl, were 17 grand pianos in a half circle, with Jose Iturbi on the central piano playing and conducting. They were all simultaneously performing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.  All at once – like a massive hive of bees just buzzing. away collectively.  It was truly amazing.  Some of the pianists were even children, maybe even the same age that I was at the time.

I must have rewound and watched that scene of the movie dozens and dozens of times. I was completely mesmorized. 

Shortly thereafter, my mom bought me a copy of the sheet music for the Hungarian Rhapsody. Despite the fact that it was well beyond my playing capabilities at the time, I wanted to learn that piece of music so badly.  I would spend hours a day practicing that song. Then I would go and watch the scene from the movie again. Then go practice some more.  It was like this massive adult sized challenge and I was determined to conquer as a little 12 year old.

It was the moment of my life when I realized that music was neither hard or impossible.  It just took a lot of hard work and dedication. Afterall, they were just notes on a page. And thus began my passion for the piano for years afterwards, leading to college, competitions, and now teaching and recording.

I will sometimes dig out that same movie scene and play it for select students who need to see something truly inspiring – which brings me to this post topic.  There are actually many wonderful music-themed films out there that can be inspirational for students to watch.   Just as it is beneficial to take students and children to concerts where they can experience live music, movies can be beneficial as well when they have a strong motivational message.

Here is my own personal top 10 list of movies about music, with number 1 being my most favorite. I have watched all of these films, and have written my two cents about each of them.  All the movies are either G, PG, or PG-13.

#10.  The Competition (1980, PG, Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving) - This movie probably wouldn’t jive too much with the younger generation – as there are plenty of bell bottoms and crazy hair do’s to be seen.  But there are some really worthwhile scenes at the end during the “competition” (hence the movie’s title).  The movie is about two pianists who are competing in a national piano concerto competition to win money and launch their careers as concert pianists. Though they despise each other at first, they of course fall in love at the end.  I did get a kick out of watching the actors trying to fake like they are really playing the piano throughout the movie.  However, Amy Iriving really does perform the 2nd movement of the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto, which is impressive.   Like I said, the scenes towards the end during the competition are really fun to watch and I think very inspirational for aspiring pianists. As a side note – I think the ratings back when this movie was made were a bit more relaxed. Even though it’s PG, I would probably give it a PG-13 rating today.

#9. The School of Rock (2003, PG-13, Jack Black) – This movie is fun for the younger kids, being that the main characters of the movie are middle schoolers.  Jack Black is funny, sometimes obnoxious of course, but I really liked how he was able to draw out the best qualities of the students and make them shine.  It shows any child that they can do something if they work hard and put their mind to it.  The plot of this movie revolves around Dewey Finn (Jack Black) who gets fired from his band, who then takes a job as a substitute music teacher at a school under a false identity.  He takes a class of uptight private school students and forms a band and has them compete in a “battle of the bands”.

# 8.  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995, PG, Richard Dreyfuss, William H . Macy, Terrance Howard) -  I really did like this movie when it came out, but I can’t say I was as crazy about it as everyone else.  I seem to remember a huge buzz surrounding this film, and as a musician I found it good, but not great.  But I do like the movie (it’s just not my most favorite). With that being said though, this movie has a really touching message.  Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) is a professional musician who would like to spend more time composing ,but to pay the bills he takes up teaching at a local high school. Little does he realize how little free time there will be as a teacher. Initially, he is frustrated at his inability to get through to his students but over time, he becomes quite competent at his profession and in fact has a number of successes. At home, he is devastated to learn that his infant son is deaf and struggles over the years to develop a relationship with him. When, after 30 years of teaching, the music program at his school is canceled he wonders what, if anything, he has really accomplished in his life. Friends and students, past and present, show him just what he has meant to them.  The part about this film that really struck a chord with me, was his relationship with his deaf son.  It was tremendously hard for him to have music be such a big part of his life, but he couldn’t get his son to hear or understand it.

#7.  Copying Beethoven (2006, PG-13, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger) – This film was great, in my opinion.  It’s the story about the last portion of Beethoven’s life as he struggles with hearing loss.  He hires a copiest to transcribe his music while he notates it to her.  The copiest (Diane Kruger) is continually put down throughout the movie by Beethoven, but in the end you can see how important she becomes to him.  He eventually becomes quite humbled and thankful to her for all that she does for him.  Being an aspiring composer herself, it was neat to watch the lessons that she learned from Beethoven, the master himself.  While some of this film is obviously ficticious, it’s fun to get a peek into what Beethoven’s final days may have been like.

#6.  Shine (1996, PG-13, Geoffrey Rush) - First off, I have to say that this movie has one of the most beautiful classical soundtracks ever.  And if you were never a fan of Rachmaninoff before, you will be after seeing this film.  This is a true story based on the life of pianist David Helfgott.  In some ways, it resembles the recent 2009 movie The Soloist (Jamie Fox), being that it is about a music prodigy who suffers from a handicap, only later in life to deal with that handicap and still make something beautiful from their gift of music.  David Helfgott was a very promising music student in Australia who was heavily driven and abused by his father. He receives a scholarship to study oversees at a prestigous music school, only to suffer a breakdown and return to Australia and live his life in an institution.  Through a series of twists, he is discovered playing the piano in a bar and eventually returns to the concert stage performing the piece that he is most famous for – the Rachmanoniff 3rd Piano Concerto.  This movie touching and inspiring, though I wouldn’t recommend it for young kids.  There are some scenes towards the beginning that deal with abuse that might be a little frightening.  There is also one scene with brief nudity as well, if I remember correctly.

#5.  Phantom of the Opera (2004, PG-13, Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, Minnie Driver) – I really loved this movie and own it.  I have many professional vocalist friends who criticize the movie (comparing it to the stage version), however, given that I have never actually seen the Broadway stage version, I feel that I was able to watch this movie from an unbiased point of view.  I think this movie is very beautifully done and can be inspirational for any aspiring vocalist.  It’s wonderful to see one of today’s young actresses (Emmy Rossum) have such a talent in singing, and not just in singing but in Classical singing. Though the story itself is a love story, the movie is full of eye candy to behold –  beautiful constumes, sets, and lovely and inspiring music.

#4.  Amadeus (1984, PG, Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham) – I actually just recently watched this film again, after not having seen it in about 7 or 8 years.  It affected me entirely different this time. I of course still loved it, but embarrassing as it is to admit there were scenes that actually made me shed a few tears!  This film won 8 different Oscars the year that it came out, as well as 32 other wins and 13 nominations.  This film is about the life of Mozart, as being told from fellow music collegue Antonio Salieri, whom, in this version they make it appear as though he (Salieri) aided in Mozart’s untimely death.  The biggest thing I appreciated about this film, was how it made one feel as though one was actually living in the 18th century, and this really was the type of music that was popular.  As you watch the film, you start to understand why operas were written mostly in Italian, or why there were certain rules pertaining to Classical music.  It just makes sense.  This film is both educational and fun to watch.  There are some scenes that might not be particularly suitable for young kids. In particular, at the very beginning there is a suicide scene in which Salieri tries to kill himself but fails.  There is also some language during the very first scene when they introduce Mozart into the story.

#3.  Anchors Aweigh (1945, G, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra) – Even though, as I stated at the beginning of this post, that this movie is a favorite of mine, it’s been bumped out of #1 position every now and then over the years as other movies come out.  This movie is also not what I would consider a music movie, in the sense, that there is really only a scene or two that have to do with music (not including all of the songs that they sing, because afterall, it is a musical).  However, having said that, this movie is just good old fashioned clean fun.  Even my husband loved watching this one, and he’s not a fan of old musicals.  The story is about two sailors who go on shore leave in Los Angeles, in the hopes of finding dates.  They meet a little boy who runs away from home to join the navy, and they are put in charge of escorting the boy home.  Upon arriving at his home, they discover that his guardian is a beautiful young woman who is his aunt.  For the rest of the film, Gene Kelly tries to help Frank Sinatra woo the lovely aunt and help her launch her music career by lying and saying that they are close friends with composer/conductor Jose Iturbi. They of course find themselves in all sorts of messes and there are lots of laughs to be had.  Again, my favorite scene is the Hollywood Bowl scene as they are trying to chase Jose Iturbi down.  by the way, Mr. Iturbi actually was a famous concert pianist back in his day, and often performed with his sister as a concerto pianist duo team.

#2.  Music of the Heart (1999, PG, Meryl Streep) – I absolutely loved this movie. Simply adored it, I tell you.  The message is great, the acting is great, and best of all the music is great as well. This is actually another movie based on a true story.  Meryl Streep plays a music teacher who fights the school board in order to implement a program within an inner city Harlem school to teach young students the violin.  It’s a very touching story – as you see this woman actually put her own hard earned money into purchasing instruments for the kids, and spending so much love and energy teaching them.  My absolutely favorite part of the movie is at the end when her students are invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.  This movie is so inspirational and definitely worth watching – for all ages.

#1.  August Rush (2007, PG, Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Robin Williams) – And here we are at the number 1 spot.  August Rush is truly a wonderful movie and deserves so much attention.  I have to give it kudos first off for the fact that it’s PG.  There aren’t many PG movies these days that aren’t only made for kids.  This is one that adults can watch and really love as well.  Again this is another movie where there is a beautiful soundtrack that goes along with it.  The story is about a Julliard cello student (Keri Russell) who meets and falls in love with a band singer/rocker (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and spend one beautiful night together.  The movie bounces back and forth between the past (the unfolding story of the parents, Russell and Rhys-Meyers) and the present story of an orphined child who is trying to find his parents.  He turns out to be a music prodigy and through many twists, including playing on the streets of New York for money, he ends up at Julliard as one of the youngest students on campus and is invited to debut his composition for symphony with the Philharmonic.  It is his hope that if his music can be heard, that his parents will hear it and they will eventually find each other.  It’s a very touching story, and there is some really amazing music in this film- including the fancy fingerwork of guitarist Michael Hedges.  Definitely clean, and definitely inspirational for all ages.

I’ve had this discussion with my own students’ parents many times.  Some parents really push their kids, and some have little to no involvement at all.  What are they doing wrong? What are they doing right? These are things they ask me. 

I personally do not think that there is one right answer because every person is unique.  For example, I was a very self-motivated child and never had to be told to practice.  I just did it, and excelled at it. However, I know that some of my students don’t progress with this type of method in the home and practicing does not happen.

It can be true of the reverse as well though.  Some children may need to be reminded or pushed to practice, and therefore they excel with that type of motivation.  Whereas other children, when pushed too hard, back away or rebel.

Here are some things that I have found to help me with my students, as well as advice that I would offer to parents. 

What can the parent do to help the child?

1. Know your child and what type of motivation will work for them.  If the child is very self motivated, that is great!  But it doesn’t mean that they don’t want your involvement.  Be pro-active to step in the room while they are practicing and compliment them, or give other types of positive reinforcement. On the other hand, if your child does need reminders, be consistent with them.  Help them to know that it’s important every week, not just the weeks that you remember to step in and say something.  I have one student who earns allowance money when she practices, but the method only works when her parents are consistent in motivating her.  I’ve seen weeks go by when she didn’t practice because her parents were not being involved enough.
2. Help the child see the value in music.  I know it is hard for an 8 year old to imagine what his or her life will be like when they are 25 years old, but I can’t count how many times I’ve heard adults say to me “I quit taking piano when I was young and it was such a mistake. I wish I could go back and take lessons again.”  Parents can help children know the value that musical talent brings to society.  Take them to a symphony concert, or to a musical that would inspire them.  Help them to be aware of future opportunities where they could be of help with their talent.  I’m not saying that you should tell your child that they need to work hard so that they can be a concert pianist.  I’m merely saying that there are so many valuable experiences to be had in music, including service opportunities within the community.
3. Set up a reward system.  Now, again, with what I said earlier about different personality types, this may only be necessary for those students who need a little extra motivation.  I used to do a point system in my studio where the students could earn points every week for things like showing up on time, keeping their fingernails trimmed, practicing, etc.  At the end of the month, depending on how many points they earned they could choose a prize out of the prize box.  More points afforded them more valuable prizes than lower points.  Another example – right now I have a student who has an agreement with her parents that they will pay for her piano lessons only if she practices.  If she fails to practice, then she has to pay for her lesson that week out of her allowance money.  This might seem a bit on the negative side of motivation, but again, for some students this is what works for them (and I know personally that this is the only method that her parents have tried that has actually worked). 

What can the Teacher to do help the student?

1. Be their biggest cheerleader.  I am a big fan of positive reinforcement with children and teenagers.  With everything they have to deal with these days, they really need a cheerleader.  Teachers really need to take off their critical hats quite often and look for any positive thing that the student is doing right and praise them for it.  I think we as teachers sometimes listen to our students play and hear every tiny mistake and we work them until the song is eventually perfect.  But there are some students that will never play that song perfect as hard as you work them, but they are playing it the best that they possibly can.  As a teacher, you need to recognize this and praise them.  Positive comments and reinforcement only encourage students to keep working hard and practicing.
2. Competition.  Now this might not work for all students, but I do know that some students can be very competitive.  Every time it is getting near recital time at my studio, you can feel this pressure in the air and the students are either working really hard on their recital songs, or so far beyond trying that they want to give up entirely.  For those ready to give up (or for those only giving a mediocre attempt at their songs), I will sometimes casually mention that “So and so has been working really hard on her song for the recital, and wow I think she is about the same age as you.”  I try to plant this little seed in their head as non chalant as possible, but I always see them back the next week with a song that has been practiced to death.  Kids can be competitive, and they like to win.  If they know that their peers are trying hard, then gosh darnitt they will try hard too. Along with planting “seeds of competition” in their head, you could also hold a real competition with your students.  I’ve had practicing competitions where the student who practiced the most hours for a certain period of time would get a prize.  We hold a prize ceremony and masterclass and present the prize.  It’s      amazing how much harder the students work when there is a prize at stake, as well as competition with their peers.
3. Expect their best, not your best.  This kind of goes along with some of the things I mentioned in #1, but more specifically, knowing when to “have a chat” with your students about practicing.  I will be the first to admit that I love to have a fun atmosphere with teaching.  I want my students to have fun and enjoy the music that they are learning and love coming to lessons each week.  But with that sort of atmosphere sometimes comes a sense of “I don’t have to work hard” from certain students.  Of course this is not true, and when I see a need to bring it up, I will “have the chat” with students.  This chat usually involves me letting them know how much I do expect from them, how impressed I am when they do practice, and what a difference it makes.  In a nutshell, I let them know that they are capable of much more than they are giving me and I want to see that from them.  I don’t expect them to give me perfection, but I do expect them to give me their best.

Do you have any ideas or comments to add to this topic?  I would absolutely love to hear any methods that work for you as either a parent or teacher.  Please do share.

With the continual advancements in technology, the way that we create music, share it, and teach it is so incredibly different than how it was only just 10-15 years ago. 

Meet Kathy Parsons – a piano teacher from Florence, Oregon who recently relocated from the San Francisco area.  Not only does she teach, but she heads a website called www.mainlypiano.com where she writes music reviews for a plethora of renowned musicians.  She has had the pleasure of working with artists like David Lanz, Suzanne Ciani, and Spencer Brewer to name only a few.  

And what is even more intriguing, is that despite having recently left California to move an entire state away to her Oregon coastal home, Kathy still teaches a good number of her Californian students by way of modern technology and the internet. 

How is this done?  Find out as I share my interview with Kathy Parsons on how she utilizes technology to advance her teaching studio… 

JT:  You have been teaching piano for many years. How did you decide to become a teacher, and was it something you had always planned to do? 

KP: As a young person, I divided my time fairly equally between the piano and visual arts. My plan was to teach piano and continue doing my artwork part-time, but, as so often happens, life had other plans. I have been a full-time piano teacher for 27 years and part-time for the past two. I’ll have my 29^th anniversary in January. I’d say it was more of a calling than a plan. 

JT:  You recently relocated to the central Oregon coast.  While this was a huge undertaking for you, you managed to come up with a way to retain some of your piano students despite living in a different city. Can you explain how you were able to do this?  

KP: When I decided to move from the San Francisco Bay Area to the central Oregon Coast, I knew it would be difficult to find new students and I hated to leave some of my students in CA. I was talking to one of my adult students about moving one day, and she told me about her video chat conversations with her brother in Spain over Skype. I had never heard of video chat at that point, so I started doing some investigating since this student was confident that we could continue lessons that way. I have some good contacts at Yamaha in the academic division, and they were kind enough to put me in touch with their “internet guru,” who was doing online lessons. He sent me some very helpful info and once I understood the basics, it was actually easier to work things out on my own.   

I started talking up internet lessons with my students and their parents before I moved. When I left CA, it sounded like close to twenty of my existing students would continue lessons over the internet, but once we got down to reality, only a few followed through.  

JT:  Did the thought of using the internet and video seem intimidating at all?  How was the learning curve? 

KP: Starting anything this new and different is intimidating, especially when so few other people have tried it. At the same time, it is very exciting to be a trail-blazer of sorts. Learning how to do remote lessons was really fairly easy – it was convincing the parents to try it that was difficult. Early on, the pianos sounded like they were under water, which was obviously a big problem. The video feeds had good and bad days, and initially, the service froze up quite often. The service has improved tremendously over the past couple of years. 

JT:  Is there a specific internet service or software that you use in order to teach this way?  Can you list the equipment involved? 

KP: I have been using Skype, iChat, and Google video chat services. They all have good and bad points. iChat has the clearest video by far, and the sound quality is usually quite good. For Mac users, it seems to be the best option. Google’s video chat seems to be very stable and the sound quality is really good. The video is so-so, but adequate. Skype is very good, but is prone to freezes and dropped calls from time to time. Skype and Google are both free services. 

Most laptops now come with cameras built in, so that makes it easy. Students who don’t have those use the separate webcams. On my end, I’m using a MacBook laptop with a 13” screen. I hope to upgrade to a bigger screen next year, but the 13” screen is fine. The most important ingredient seems to be a fast internet service. I’m using wireless broadband and am very lucky to be working with a small local company called OregonFast. They are very interested in what I’m doing with the technology and have been extremely helpful and supportive. 

 JT:  Okay, so I’m starting to understand what equipment it takes to do this, but, explain this to me:  How do you have this set up?  Both you and the student have pianos at each end of the camera.  The student plays as you watch, and vice versa? 

KP: Yes. When I am talking to students or watching or listening to them play, I have the camera aimed at my face. When I am playing for students, I angle the camera so that it is on my hands. Students have their cameras positioned so I can see exactly what they are doing. On the screen, from my end, the video of the student fills most of the screen, and then there is a smaller box inset so I can see what they are seeing from their end. 

JT:  Do you charge the normal amount for these lessons?  I thought perhaps they might cost a bit more because of the equipment involved, but I don’t know. 

KP: I have been charging the same rates I was charging before. I used to travel to lessons, so even though there are some expenses on this end for lessons, I’m saving a lot of travel time and gas. 

JT:  Do these types of lessons take the same amount of time as traditional in-person lessons? 

KP: Yes. I still do 45-60 minute lessons weekly. 

JT:  How do your students enjoy doing lessons this way? Were they pretty open to the idea?

 KP: My students seem to really enjoy online lessons. One of my adult students absolutely loves that she can do her lessons in her pajamas after work! My youngest students right now are twelve, but they have been doing lessons online for a couple of years. At least for now, I wouldn’t take any very young beginners. I think the teacher should be there and very hands-on for beginners. The kids I have now started with me when I was in CA. My adult students say they think this is just as good as having me in the room with them. In some ways, it ’s actually better since it is so focused and adult students don’t seem to get nearly as nervous. 

JT:  Have you obtained new students through this method, or do you only retain the previous students? 

KP: I started the mother of one of my younger students online once she could see that it was working well for her daughter. So far, I have only started one student who found me on my website. He is a retired man who lives in Wisconsin. We’ve been doing lessons for about eight months, and he says he just loves it. 

JT:  Do you feel that you are able to teach as effectively using this method as you would if you were right there in person?  For either/or, can you please explain the differences, pro’s, con’s, etc.? 

KP: It’s a little hard to say because I was getting very discouraged as a teacher in CA. There is just too much competition for time and students seemed to be less and less willing to practice enough to advance very well. I’m not sure if I’m enjoying teaching online more because it is going well or because I’m no longer teaching 43 lessons a week! For adult students, I think this method is just as effective as being in the room. They don’t seem to get nearly as nervous, which is a plus. I feel there is still a very big distrust of the technology from people who have not tried it. This will change over time, but right now it’s a bit of a hard sell. 

JT:  Do you think that this method will be the “way of the future” in the teaching world?  For example, perhaps instead of searching for a local teacher, a person would just be able to go online and take piano lessons from a music professor in Italy. 

KP: I think that’s possible, but piano teaching seems to be very tradition-bound in a lot of ways. I saw a demonstration awhile back where a pianist in NY was playing a Yamaha piano with a computer hook up to a piano in Los Angeles with the same hook up. The pianist in NY was actually able to play the LA piano remotely. It was astounding! The keys on the LA piano moved, as did the pedals! With that technology, there would be very little difference in doing lessons in person or remotely, but not a whole lot of people have the kind of money it would take buy the equipment. 

JT:  Well thank you for taking the time to talk with me, and for giving your perspective and valuable insights to the readers of The Music Teacher Helper’s Blog. This has been very fascinating for me, and I think it will be equally so for other piano teachers out there as well. 

If you have any further questions for Kathy Parsons, you can contact her via her website at www.mainlypiano.com 

Kathy Parsons has been teaching piano privately since January 1981. Based in Hercules, CA (SF Bay Area) until the summer of 2007, Kathy has taught students from the age of 5-66, enjoying them all. Now located in Florence, OR, she is continuing to teach via the internet (explained here). 

Kathy grew up in Oakland, CA, and started playing the piano at about age 5. Art and music were always the driving forces in her life, and she graduated with a BFA degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1974. Once she started teaching piano a few years later, music became her driving passion. She started writing a monthly newsletter for her students that opened a variety of doors, allowing her to communicate with many composers and artists, especially as the so-called “new age” piano style began to grow. Finding new age to be a bridge between pop and classical music, Kathy discovered that students of all ages could readily identify with this style of music. As sheet music came into print, Kathy incorporated the best of it into her teaching repertoire. She also mixed contemporary composer bios and interviews into her newsletter along with the classical composers, and eventually started doing in-home student workshops with some of her favorite contemporary composers. The list of artists who have performed for and worked with Kathy’s students is impressive, and includes David Lanz, Suzanne Ciani, David Nevue, Robin Spielberg, Kevin Kern, Spencer Brewer, and many others. The newsletter and online music newsgroups in the mid-90′s led to Kathy becoming one of the staff writers for the print version of Bill Binkelman’s “Wind and Wire” magazine. When that was discontinued, she was offered a place to continue writing CD reviews and artist interviews on the site that became Solo Piano Publications. She was the primary writer for that site until early 2008. She then set up her own site (www.MainlyPiano.com), which allows her to expand her endeavors into other areas. 

Kathy moved to the central Oregon coast in July 2007, looking for a quieter lifestyle and to be closer to the ocean and nature. She continues to teach and write, and is looking forward to expanding her online presence.

It is within the latter, the world of performing and recording, where I have the opportunity to meet many other artists in the entertainment business who do the same thing as I:  Compose music, record it, distribute it, and perform it.

You might be very surprised to hear though, how great the percentage is of performing artists out there who a) have never had any formal music training, and b) do not read music.

This is where you come in as an educated music teacher.

The selling of original sheet music is a nice source of income for recording artists – both independent and record label alike.  Though, for non-music-reading independent musicians who do not have someone to automatically transcribe for them (as most record label artists have), they end up hiring a transcriptionist to produce their sheet music.

I personally know many artists who pay anywhere between $50 – $200 to transcribe a song, or between $25 – $50 for someone to proofread transcriptions (meaning they do their best to transcribe it on their own, and then pay a professional to look it over for mistakes).

With the economic downturn this past year in the United States, there are many people who are either searching for jobs, or are simply looking for additional ways to make supplemental income. For you music teachers who have knowledge and experience in notation, offering transcription services is one way that you can earn supplemental income. In fact, many transcriptionists are actually music teachers.

Why?

Because we as music teachers are great at reading music, are keenly aware of mistakes when we hear or see one (in music), and need I mention that we also know our theory.

How Can You Get Started in Sheet Music Transcription?

• Having knowledge and skill in notation is key here.  But also having the ability to hear a song and write it down is also very essential. In other words, to learn music by ear.  Most artists who hire out a transcriptionist only have their recordings to offer as a means of getting the music down onto paper.  So you would need to feel comfortable listening to someone’s song and figuring it out from there.  Some however, are able to provide you with a midi file that you can pull directly up into a notation software program and edit from there. Which brings me to my next point…
• You will need a reliable notation software program.  Two of the most commonly used programs are Finale, and Sibelius. For the full versions, these run between $530 to $600, but you can purchase scaled down versions for less.

Screenshot of sheet music within Finale

Finale offers a freeware program called Notepad, which operates much like the full-fledged version with the exception of certain key tasks that a more advanced user would require, such as the ability to change key signature mid-song, or time signature, for example.

Sibelius has a freeware program called Scorch, which I wouldn’t even consider a notation program at all – as it merely only has the capability of displaying music, playing music (through a midi file), and transposing music to a different key .

Aside from these two mainstream notation software programs, you can Google “Free Notation Software” and find an array of various freewares that could work for you, or at least to practice on.

• Finally, you will need to get the word out that you are available. This is a day and age of social networking – use it to your advantage.  Use Facebook, Twitter, etc. Create a blog or website. Perhaps offering a special discount or even offering your services for free initially, to attract customers and to build your clientele.  Broaden your network by seeking out independent artists (particularly pianists) and “friending” them.

There are so many possibilities with this and it really is a skill that is in need. Not only does it benefit you for financial reasons (and to keep your skills brushed up), but it also greatly benefits the artist who needs your services.

It is yet another way for an educated musican to make use of their valuable skills.

This morning I had a “meet the potential student” interview. You know these types of appointments. The parent brings their child to your studio to meet you and to discuss the possibility of taking lessons. You chat, you get to know each other, discuss books, lesson history, personalities, and the list goes on.

I’ll be honest. These “interviews” are not something I particularly enjoy doing.

While the parent comes under the guise of simply wanting to meet, I know that the real reason they are coming is to check me out; to see if I am a good enough teacher for their child, to probe me with dozens of questions, and sometimes, to get a sample lesson.

The ego inside of me, being the quick defender it is, usually responds to these appointments with a mental “What? They’re not going to just automatically sign up for lessons? I have to prove myself?”

Upon checking my attitude while preparing for today’s interview/meeting, I was taken back to the summer of 1999. I had just finished junior college and was applying to get into a 4 year school. I was about to experience my own such interview, but where I was instead the student, not the teacher…

I was busy working a summer job and awaiting college acceptance letters, and decided I needed to keep up my piano skills - since I would be continuing on as a junior music student, hopefully either in the Fall or Winter semester.

In an effort to do this, I sought out a piano teacher from the college that I was awaiting acceptance into.

Having just come from a junior college where my teacher was the Dean of Piano Studies, I automatically assumed I was prime material for one of the top college professors at my soon-to-be new school.

Oh how incredibly wrong I was.

The following 2 weeks consisted of me placing phone call after phone call to various piano professors in the music department, only to be subsequently directed to another teacher.

“I don’t accept non-students.”  or “I only take piano performance majors who are seniors.” or “You could not afford me.” were some of the answers I received.  One even told me, in so many words, that while I may have been “big fish” at my junior college I just a small guppy at a 4 year school.

One could say, that I had started at the top of the totem pole and was nearing the bottom, and running out of options. Fast. And I was starting to feel a tad bit of hopelessness.

Then, finally, I made contact with a teacher who agreed to meet with me. Excitedly I scribbled down the directions to his teaching studio at the school. Our appointment was to be on a Friday, late in the afternoon.

The day came, and I gathered my books, drove to the school, parked and started walking up to the Music Building. I walked in the door and looked around and noticed that his studio number was down a level.

So down the stairs I went. 

And then another floor.

And another.

I passed what I thought was the bottom floor which had the practice rooms. But nope. 

Down another.

I finally reached the basement. I looked down at the piece of paper with his studio number. Sure enough, this was the right place. 

I proceeded to walk down a floor-to-ceiling cement covered hallway with bright fluorescent hanging lights. At the end of the hallway it was dark, and I was really hoping that I wouldn’t have to venture down that far. I could hear each step echo as I walked.

Then, I saw a door with a window and a light on inside. I peeked in and saw a small grand piano and a man inside. 

Feeling nervous, but excited, I knocked.

“Enter.”, said the man with a thick Italian accent.

I went inside and introduced myself. He didn’t say much, but went straight on to ask me what I was going to play for him. Yep, I already pretty much felt like I was wasting his time.

“The Muchynski’s Scherzo”, I replied as I proceeded to get my music out of my bag.

“You will not your music. Play.” He ordered.

Okaaaaaaay, I thought to myself as I sat down at the piano. Good thing I had this one memorized.

I inhaled a deep breath, paused to realize how much I felt like I was playing for a competition more than a potential student interview, and then proceeded to play my piece. 

I managed to get through about half way through my song and then heard, “I have heard enough. I’ll take you. These are my fees. When can you start.” (with no question mark at the end of that).

But wait, I don’t know if I want to take from him yet though…but then again he is my last choice, I thought.

I looked down at the paper he gave me which included his fees. My eyes got extremely large, I gulped, then proceeded to thank him for his time and told him I would be getting back to him.

And that was the end of that. And as you probably rightfully guessed, no I did not end up taking lessons from Mr. Basement Floor Music Professor. (It turned out that I could not even afford the very last possible teacher in the school who would teach me, nor did I feel that it would have been a “good fit”. )

Despite what I think though (or how much I complain), these types of interviews are usually essential and helpful for both the teacher and parent to determine if lessons would be a good fit. Not only do I not think  Potential Student interviews need to go as quickly and awkwardly as mine did, but I believe they don’t have to be something where either party feels nervous or uncomfortable (Again, yes, thank you to ‘Mr. Basement’).

Yet oddly enough, here I am 10 years later, and find myself in a position not too different from this piano professor I met with.

Conducting student-parent interviews do take time out of my schedule for which I don’t get paid (remember the shortness of the professors conversation). 

Yes I would much rather gain students based on my merit alone, but again that is my ego speaking. (Mr. Basement automatically considered himself well qualified, yet didn’t give me the chance to ask him any questions or learn about him).

Here are a few points to remember when meeting with potential students and parents:

1. Instead of viewing the appointment as the parent interviewing you, turn it around. Remember that this is your studio, and you ultimately choose your students.

2. Have a list of questions ready that you would like to ask both the student and parent. What are their expectations from a music teacher? What are their goals with lessons? Do they want to participate in competitions (you may not provide that, while another teacher does)? 

3. Try to make the student as comfortable as possible. You want them to feel that it is a safe and fun environment.

4. Be prepared to listen to the student. Students want to shine, so allowing them to play will not only boost their confidence, but will help them realize it is okay and comfortable to play in front of you.

5. Make sure that they are aware of any studio policies that you have prior to their signing up for lessons.

6. Don’t just assume that the parents knows everything about you. Sure, they may have gotten your name from a friend who said a few nice things about you, but it might be a good idea to at least let them know a little more about your teaching history, style, expectations and maybe even some personal things if you choose (so they can get to know you).

7. Finally, just be yourself! While you may be trying extra hard to gain another student, remember that you want to be sure they are getting an accurate feel for your teaching style and personality. Otherwise, when it comes time for lessons, they may feel you were not the same teacher they met with previously. 

Hopefully some of these tips will help you out, no matter if you are a basement teacher or a top of the totem pole one. We could all use a little reminder.

Comments or more suggestions to make Potential Student Meetings more enjoyable and valuable?

Most piano students take lessons with the intention of being solo performers, without realizing that at some point in their years as a pianist, they will undoubtedly be asked to take on the roll as an accompanist. The piano is the most commonly used instrument to accompany both vocalists and instrumentalists, and all great accompanists you see today, at some point in their training, had to learn the art of accompanying.

You notice I used the word “art” when referring to accompanying skills. Just because you can play the piano well, does not mean that you can accompany well. It truly is an art form that takes much hands-on experience to learn and perfect. I love what the great American accompanist Irwin Cage said, “There are many great accompanists who are very good pianists, but there are not many pianists who are good accompanists.”

We as teachers can provide our students with opportunities to learn and practice this skill while in their early years during lessons.

I will list a few suggestions of ways that you can help your students learn to accompany:

• Include simple vocal music as part of their practicum. These can be hymns, patriotic songs, Christmas tunes, or popular music from the radio (as most of my teenage students prefer). Even if you don’t have the best voice, you can sing along as they play the accompaniment part to train them how to keep up with a vocalist. Be sure that they know how to find and play an introduction, and know how to skip ahead to catch up with you if they make a mistake.

• Invite students to accompany other students for recitals. This is a great way for young pianists to get a hands-on experience accompanying in a public setting. If your studio is piano-only, they can accomplish this task by either playing duets with another student (or you), or if they are advanced enough they can play orchestral reductions for large scale pieces such as concertos. For multi-instrumental studios, young pianists have a great chance to play for stringed instruments, brass, or woodwinds. You can also coordinate with other instrumental or vocal teachers in your area to have your students accompany at their recitals.

• Encourage your students to volunteer to play at church or school. There is always a need for accompanists in these settings, whether it is for choir practice, or running through music for the school play. Typically a pianist need not to be an advanced level either, but just have the ability to play parts and fill-in where needed. This is a great opportunity for young accompanists to learn to play parts and follow an ensemble.

• Have your students be included on a call list for festivals. For your more advanced piano students who perhaps enjoy the limelight a little more and dread the thought of accompanying, this is a perfect opportunity for them. Most high school aged students do festival competitions each year and are always looking for accompanists. In this situation, the accompanist is as much an equal partner in the performance as the soloist. This somewhat-high stress performance situation can refine the skills of any advanced player wanting to fine tune their ability to perform in an ensemble. Not to mention, accompanists are usually compensated generously for their time in these types of opportunities.

Perhaps the most difficult part of teaching your piano students to accompany, is helping them to realize that they are not the “star of the show” in these performances, but are no less important. The accompanist is a vital part of the performance. They can make a performance a huge success, or completely throw it off.

Lastly, I present to you my list of ten great attributes to obtain as an accompanist. My “10 Be-Attitudes of Accompanying”:

1. Be a great Sight reader.

2. Be able to play without always watching your hands

3. Be able to play while watching a conductor, or soloist.

4. Be an active listener, and watcher.

5. Be able to match the soloists style and phrasing.

6. Be a team player, instead of the “star”.

7. Be able to ad-lib if necessary.

8. Be able to voice properly (If the soloist is in a high range, bring out the lower range of the piano more).

9. Be able to skip ahead or vamp if a soloist gets nervous and jumps a few measures.

10. Be the best pianist you know how to be.

May you be able to turn your fine little pianists into fine little accompanists as well, and have fun in the journey.

But here in the real world, we teachers are usually not as organizationally refined. I’m even willing to go out on a limb and say that music teachers, at least the honest ones, are naturally faulted in this and predisposed to a free-spirited chaotic side.

Let’s face it: We’re artists. We’re creative, we’re passionate, and detail management is not exactly our forte. I will be the first to admit that I am the epitome of disorganization.

Allow me paint you a mental picture of my teaching studio, as it was 4 months ago…

A half dozen pink colored sticky notes stuck to the side of my grand piano reminding me of this week’s “To Do’s”. Random piles of sheet music, binders, and manuscript books. A stack of checks from parents sitting under a pencil-filled coffee mug to deposit for this month’s lessons (and only mental notes to remind me later on which students have and have not paid yet).

And that’s not all. The biggest, baddest sin of all is my forgetfulness to write down changes in lesson scheduling on my monthly calendar. “Why is Suzy here for her lesson today? Her lesson isn’t until Thursday. Oh, that’s right…”. I’m somehow still convinced that as an early-30’ish year old adult, my brain can still successfully function as a mental day planner.

Well, perhaps this worked in my teens and twenties, but now days? Nu uh. Nope. Not a chance.

I know, I get it. I’m a piano teacher, a violin teacher, a recording artist, a performer, not to mention a wife, a mother, a cook, an active blogger, a wanna-be fashion designer, and home-beautifier.

So I have a few things on my plate. But it’s a good excuse for my lack of studio “housekeeping”, right?

Wrong.

A few months ago, I finally decided that enough was enough and that I needed some help. I was on a mission!

I hopped my savvy little computer fingers onto on my favorite search engine and started doing some hunting for a better way to track my schedule, the student practice logs, and for some fun music games to play at my upcoming pre-recital party for the students.

I came across many-a-useless sites that offered help for teachers, yet didn’t really seem to have that ingeniously unique something I was looking for. I just couldn’t imagine that someone out there hadn’t created what I needed after all this time. Other teachers have had to of had these same thoughts…right?

And then it happened: I found what I was looking for. It was as if the clouds parted and golden rays of sunlight beamed down onto my computer screen as angels sang Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. My eyes danced and my heart leaped in giddy delight.

A program that not only did the things I was looking to accomplish, but much more.

It tracked my teaching income and expenditures, tracked music that I loan to students, allowed me to enter lesson notes, send emails to parents and students (automated if I wished), enter student’s repertoire, schedule lessons, keep a calendar (that both students and parents could view as well), send invoices and receive payments online, and (drum roll please)…I even got my own website that I could tailor for my own studio.

Enter Music Teacher’s Helper.

I have been using this program for 4 months now and am thoroughly tickled with delight to find myself so incredibly organized. And I am having fun doing it!

Imagine, if you will, a new and different picture of my studio these days…

A clean piano. No sticky notes. All appointments and reminders have been entered onto my website calendar, and I even receive email reminders daily of upcoming events (as are the parents).

After each lesson, I log into my Music Teachers Helper and type up my lesson notes and thoughts on how the student did. I can send these notes to the parents if I wish (which I always do) so that they can be aware and involved in their child’s lesson.

When I receive a check, I immediately enter a payment into my transaction log and generate a “thank you” email to the parent. They also have a unique log in and password so that they can view their transaction history as well.

I never miss a student’s birthday anymore because they’ve all been entered into the birthday tracker.

Loaned a book out? No problem. I’ve entered it into my lending library with a due date. Email reminders will be sent to the student about returning the material.

I no longer have to probe Suzy for her practice report because she logs in and enters it into her personal practice log where I can then view it.

Needing ideas for recital games, studio advice, or how to be a better teacher? I get a wealth of information from the Music Teacher’s Helper Blog (which is where I found the idea to make piano-shaped cookies and decorate them for our Christmas piano recital party).

And this is only skimming the surface of what this program can do.

At the end of the day though, I do have to say that in some small way I feel like I’m cheating. I get so many compliments from parents about my organizational skills! If they only knew, right?

I guess you could say after all that there is such a thing as a perfect world with perfectly organized and composed teachers. Or at least now I’ve cracked the code on how they do it. I’m still working on the impeccably shined shoes though.

Now if I could just figure out where to find a program that will cook for me, babysit, clean my house…

Perhaps for these seemingly impossible students, all they require is a teacher who understands their learning style, adapts to it, and communicates through it.  In other words, a teacher who is able to chameleonize.

How do you identify a student’s learning style?

I personally love the animal personality typing that Keith Golay presented In the Autumn 1990 edition of Keyboard Companion.  He identifies four main types of students/teacher learning styles:  The Ape, The Bear, The Dolphin, and The Owl.  I will summarize both the teacher and student personalities, and include the suggested teaching stradegy for each learning type.

The Ape

Teacher Characteristics: The Ape teacher is almost always enjoyable.  Will put on a great show and do a great deal of demonstration and hands-on activity.  Tends to de-emphasize mechanics, theory, and personal relationships, and focus instead on being spontaneous, and on “expressing” the music.  Want students to develop a grace, or a flair for playing.  They are the best at getting students to improvise.

Student Characteristics: Our little Apes are definitely hazards as students.  They don’t want to sit still, don’t want to practice scales, don’t want to pay attention.  All they want to do is play the piano, and they want you to show them playing which is stimulating and exciting.  Chances are that you won’t get many apes, but if you can handle them, you may find the opportunity to unleash extraordinary musical potential.

Teaching Stradegies:  Make playing the piano fun!  You must adapt to this student’s need to be great and to have fun here and now.  Model and demonstrate, then he or she will mimic.  Once the action is taken and found enjoyable the thirst for more information in order to pursue the fun will follow.  You may not have the kind of program that’s compatible with this student – find out early and don’t waste everybody’s time.

The Bear

Teacher Characteristics:  Tend to be traditionalists in music education.  Stick to the basics.  Get the mechanics down!  Their first objective is to make sure that every student they teach is a good citizen – that students sit quietly, follow the rules, pay attention, and practice diligently at home.  Strong believer in skill and drill.  Most likely, there will be a strong emphasis on memorization and on playing scales.  Spend the lesson sitting next to the student on the piano bench seeing to it that the student doesn’t skip a beat.  Teaching improvisation will be difficult for this teacher due to a strong reliance on structure and mechanics.

Student Characteristics: Bear students want to be prepared for their lessons, want to do as they are told, like to pay attention, like to do their scales, and are good at memorizing.  But if they have no real interest in learning music, they may be quite difficult to motivate.

Teaching Stradegies: The standard “skill and drill” approach will be very successful, but don’t overload.  Perceived failure will demonstrate in a big hurry.  Problems will also come when you are ready to have this student interpret or improvise.  Appreciate that such a student will find these activities stressful and show the way carefully.

The Dolphin

Teacher Characteristics: Live in another world.  They tend to be the progressives.  They want new ideas, new techniques.  And they want students to be creative and spontaneous.  They have a primary objective, too – to make sure that their students become better human beings and learn to enjoy expressing themselves through music.  This teacher strives for a personal relationship with each student, and seeks to develop the potential that resides deep within the student.  The emphasis will be more on the student gaining an understanding of music than on the mechanics.

Student Characteristics: Dolphins are well-motivated, high-acheivers too, but only to the degree that they have a good personal relationship with the teacher.  Also, rather than just a brilliant technical display, or exciting performance, they want to use the music as a form of self-expression to communicate their inner feelings to the world with music.

Teaching Stradegies: Recognition is very important.  These students love to perform if they get strokes for the effort, if they know that the teacher thinks they are something special.  But drilling bores them.  Show this Johnnie how to create his own music and he will soar.

The Owl

Teacher Characteristics: The Owl teacher is more cool in his/her approach.  The focus will be on how to analyze and interpret a piece of music, and on how to accurately express the intention of the composer.  The personal relationship with the student will be de-emphasized and replaced with the importance of gaining insight.

Student Characteristics: Owl students want to do more than just memorize.  They want to learn the theory behind what they are doing, and they want to perfect their skills to the highest degree possible.  They have an interest in gaining insight into the structure and function of a piece.  They will enjoy learning about the different compositional styles and impact these styles had on the development of music in culture.

Teaching Stradegies: The teaching should be theory-oriented, with the emphasis on musical structure and on music’s beautiful precision.  Great technical skill can be fostered in the exploration of its precise structure.  Be organized and be sure the student understands where he’s headed and why.

Understanding and exploring both yours and your students’ learning styles will help everyone get more out of lesson time and further progress.  Not to mention you will find yourself being able to tackle those “hard to teach” students with more confidence.

In Part II of this topic, I will go into other types of individual learning characteristics such as a student’s modality preference (Is he/she a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner?).