I had an interesting experience working with a pianist who was frustrated with the young singer’s lack of precision with whom she was playing for the other evening. I had witnessed this happening for a bit of time, and decided it was time to have a discussion with that pianist. As I began to talk about my teaching process for my singers and how it differs from learning to play the piano I realized that as a voice teacher teaching technique: I am building a piano.

Unlike instrumentalists who sit down to or pick up their instruments to play, we singers are our instruments. If we have a bad day, a string is broken, or the sustain pedal doesn’t work. If we are not well, have allergies, received a bad grade on exam, or were almost in a car accident – all of these experiences affect our instrument. With singers just developing or perfecting their technique, first and foremost their teacher must ensure that all is well with that “instrument”. One would not ask a student to play a perfect piece on their flute with a popped spring, nor would one ask for a pianist to play a perfect piece with the b flat out of tune. So it is with singers. More…

I’ve only had 2 students that I would consider REALLY difficult. The way I define this type of student is like this: They have a really bad attitude, they like to argue, they don’t practice, and they try to insult the teacher with personal remarks. Both of these students started acting like this upon their 10th Birthdays, and I have noticed that students in this age group tend to start arguing more frequently as they develop their individuality. To say it is frustrating is an understatement.

The first student would frequently ask me about my hair, make up and clothing. I would continuously explain that I would prefer to stay on the topic of music. In order to get me to react, she started taking it a step further by criticizing the way I look! Of course this hurt my feelings! I am a human being and not made of steel. I thought about it for a couple days and decided I would put her on probation. Why should I have to take abuse from a 10-year old? More…

Last summer, a friend recommended a book to me called “Brain Rules”, by Dr. Jon Medina.  The books comes with a DVD, which my friend played for me on his laptop during a trip to Chicago.   A bit of a self improvement junkie, I found myself instantly riveted and I bought the book and the audio book shortly thereafter.  Dr. Medina’s book presents twelve rules that people should understand about how their brains work.  The twelve rules are presented in twelve chapters.  At the end of each chapter, Dr. Medina presents several suggestions to implement these rules and (possibly) transform your life.  Some of the suggestions are simple, and some suggest a reshaping of some of society’s current habits and norms.

Prior to reading Medina’s book, I found myself reconciling lessons and answering emails from 1 to 2 hours per day. In addition to that, I would try to squeeze in thirty minutes of exercise plus two hours of daily practice. Never mind teaching a full load of 60 students and group lessons 6 days a week! And then just daily tasks – cooking, cleaning the studio, paying bills, returning phone calls. This is no small task to get all of these items done. Unfortunately, (like most people) exercise was frequently trimmed from the daily to do list when things got hectic. And exercise was the thing that would benefit me the most in navigating this demanding schedule.

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I hope you enjoy this series of fictional scenarios about teaching music, and find it at times thought-provoking, familiar, and even humorous.  We look forward to reading comments by yourself and other teachers at the end, about “what would you do?”

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Anabel is very excited to be taking music lessons.  She is a middle-aged adult and is committed to practicing.  At her lessons she asks many questions, and does what you tell her as best she can.  She takes notes in her notebook to use at home.

She understands your lesson polices, having printed them out from your policies page on your Music Teachers Helper website.  Your policy is that a student has to pay for a lesson if they cancel the same day, or if they don’t show up.

Anabel is very particular about lesson times.  She wants her money’s worth.  She is not overbearing about it, but she lets you know that if you start her lesson 3 minutes late, she does not want to quit on time.  She does not mind if her lesson goes a touch late, however.

One winter day, the day of Anabel’s lesson, there is a snowstorm in the morning.  More…

Let’s face it, teaching private lessons can be tough. You only see your students from 30 to 60 minutes per week, and not only need to fit in as much instruction as possible, but make sure that students remember what you taught and motivate them enough to put it to use in their practice sessions. Writing useful lesson notes can greatly extend the contact that you have with students through the week. Over the last few years, quite a number of articles here on the Music Teacher’s Helper blog have dealt with the issue of creating the most interesting lesson notes possible and in what format to deliver them.

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During a recent conversation with a group of teenage students, I realised that many of my students are unaware of the wide range of careers available in the music industry. I have some students who are passionate about pursuing a career in music, but who don’t have either the desire or the skills to be a performer or private instrumental teacher, and many students who don’t have friends or parents in the music industry are largely unaware of the range of career possibilities.

In the past few years, students of mine have continued on to the following careers in music – More…

What is my job as a voice teacher?

I have decided to define myself is as a voice teacher.  I believe that everyone has the RIGHT to sing.  Research has shown that human beings are born to be musical.  Even more, humans are born to be singers (see Daniel Levitin’s book This is Your Brain on Music).  This means that EVERYONE can sing.

As a voice teacher, it is NOT my job to like or dislike your voice.  It is not my place to help you “be famous.” It is not my job to decide whether you can have a career or not.

It IS my job to help you to sing to the best of your physical ability.  It IS my job to give you information about how your instrument (your body!) works and how best to affect it.  It IS my job to change my teaching style to best suit each student individually in order to maximize their potential.   It IS my job to make singing fun and enjoyable.  It IS my job to encourage you to let your voice out and be free.  It IS my job to give you all the information you need in order to reach both your short-term and long-term goals.  It IS my job to help my singers learn how to practice effectively and affectively – what do they need to do in order to teach the body the HABITS of an effective singer?

Singers must be “mental” in order to sing well.  The main function of the vocal chords is to manipulate the air (th More…

Last month I listed the benefits of adding a lab to your lesson and provided a general overview of lab ideas. This month I will list and describe specific pedagogical software (programs designed specifically for student learning of musical concepts) that I use throughout the year.

Generally, software can become an immediate favorite with me and my students, seem to date itself quite quickly, or seem useful but with limitations. Most of the programs I own fall into the following categories:

Can I Play It Again? (Games that Teach)

Piano Wizard

http://www.pianowizard.com/ This unique game is reminiscent of Guitar Hero but provides excellent sequential steps to reading from the grand staff, hands alone and hands together. The success of the program lies in how well it disguises learning with graphics, animation and action. Students with NO prior piano experience can easily play this game–it is loved by students of all levels.

Groovy Shapes (ages 5-7), Groovy Jungle (ages 7-9) and Groovy City (ages9-11)

www.sibelius.com/products/groovy/shapes.html The set of three programs offers lessons in music notation and terminology and then provides unique ways to create and compose with the material covered in each lesson. The graphics captivate students and the inspirational format for making original compositions lures them into the world of musical creativity. These programs allow input from a MIDI keyboard for further creative options.

Do I Have To? (Lessons that Teach)

Children’s Music Journey Vols 1-3

http://www.adventus.com/store/childrens-music-journey/ This series is a marvelous teaching program for elementary pianists (preschool to 8?). The curriculum is designed with diligently- sequenced steps to learning and applying reading and composition skills. Students enjoy meeting their various on-screen “teachers”  (famous composers) and listening to their famous compositions while learning the rudimentary basics.

Alfred’s Essentials of Music

http://www.alfred.com/Products/Essentials-of-Music-Theory-Software-Version-20-CD-ROM-Student-Version-Complete-Volume–00-18833.aspx Even though students may consider these a little dry, the lessons cover essentials and are great tools. If a new concept is being taught during a lesson, I will assign lessons from this software to reinforce what was taught–never hurts for students to hear explanations from a different “teacher”. More…

“… When samurai warriors train to perfect a deadly technique with the sword, they come to understand the fleetingness of life. This is why master samurai speak of wielding a “life-giving sword…

Understand and respect the depth of your instrument’s power. The guitar has the capacity to save lives; it has given many a desperate person reason to go on. Use it’s power wisely.”

- Philip Toshio Sudo, “Zen Guitar”

We used to have a local monthly student open mic at a music store I teach at. Students were encouraged to form bands and perform in front of their peers and teachers. The open mic grew, and due to the event’s popularity, the students were limited to two or three songs.

As my students’ bands stayed together and continued practicing, their set lists grew. Several bands eventually had set lists that were 45 minutes or more. These bands needed to be challenged. I started taking a few select bands to a restaurant in Northern Virginia to play at open mic events, and mix with adults. This got me thinking about the kids playing shows in better venues. With those experiences in mind, I decided to create a “Kids Rock” program, a program to get youngsters gigging in better venues.

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February is Black History Month. This is an excellent oppurtunity to teach your students some history of American Music. Our own American music style goes back to the days of slavery when Africans carried over their own folk music and merged it with the European classical and folk music that was brought here by the white folks. This is an awesome opportunity to teach a little history in your lessons.

I grew up in the southern part of the US, and Black History Month was always a very important time in our schools. Because of this, I grew up singing and playing many important songs from the pre-civil war era as well as the jazz age. I’ve compiled a list of songs you might want to consider teaching your kids this month, in honor of this special time: More…