Music teachers, this one's for you.
Let me begin with asking you one question. Why do your students quit? There can be so many reasons but let's bring it down to the main reason, or the main element of teaching in that sense now, ok?
Not many students think this way, but in a pedagogical point of view, most students just rely on their relationship with their teachers only.
Plain sympathy.
Well, obviously. If you're not sympathizing with your teacher, how can you learn anything the way you want to, right?
Right.
But what if you're teacher can't be there for you all the time? What if they gotta change of life, what if they wanna do something else or they don't feel like teaching anymore.
You'd likely to quit now, wouldn't you?
I gotta mind you. This wasn't always the case.
Back in my day, and still to this day, there are many teachers who can't bring out the motivation to keep their students until they reach their full potential. Most say it's usually because of money matters, if you live in where I come from. And that's a valid reason.
But in order to teach someone an instrument, even though some think of asking their pupils in the beginning about it, many teachers forget 'why' these folks wanna learn it in the first place.
I had a pretty bad teaching experience once with a group of theater pupils. Well it wasn't completely terrible but still... I feel like I failed them as a teacher just because I couldn't make them search for their 'how', so that when the whole learning period was over, they would need very less of me. I guided them, I showed them my repertoire of exercises and relaxation techniques but that was all I could ever do.
Even though we had a session before we began; we had a conversation where we talked about why they wanna use music in their production - and that was a very awkward conversation I gotta say, because they didn't expect me to ask that... And that wasn't on them, that was on me but - I gotta admit, that month, wasn't the most prideful time I had as a teacher.
Anyhoops the thing is, there is this one other perspective where teachers think their student is just not... meant for this. That's the one that gets on my nerves the most. It's easy trying to blame teachers for that, but I know that, that's not the case.
The thing is, I was one of those students.
They say you master at something if you practice it for like 10.000 hours, right? (I think that's a pretty round up number and not applicable to everyone but still..) Now imagine that, you practiced for 9.000 hours straight (metaphorically) and for 9.000 hours, everything was like, PLAIN WRONG. No right kind of tonal control, no breath work done the right way, just plain 'I do as I'm told' or 'I do as I've been showed' .
Some people were like 'Maybe you could try something else and like not... singing?
(o.o) .... "Umm, nope", I said.
I think I'm making progress..."
I gotta tell you, all I had was this one thing in my head and in my heart to keep me going.
And that was, plain emotion.
Now you may think "Well, you had it in you, girl. Not everyone's got the strength and will to keep going in your situation..."
I'm sorry, but no. There are so many people like me out there. So many students, waiting in plain sight and keep getting hurt with the feeling that they're just not good enough. I know for one, that's not the case.
Now I suggest that my professors, teachers and musician friends to keep their minds open each time they see a struggling student. I know you're saying that "practice makes it perfect". It's not some sort of a genetic advantage of having that musical gift more than the others, it's just a matter of practice, right?
I know, you say that all the time, but can you keep your promise? How they practice with you, on your own time is your responsibility. But how they keep practicing at their home, is this only 'their' responsibility?
Where I live is the neighbour of a war zone as a country. It's been this way a long time and it keeps getting harder everyday. We teachers try not to lose faith, trying not to focus on the horrors of everyday life; just like the students do. And believe me when I say that music, is way more bigger than you may ever think of.
Even though now in times of AI, I hate to say it but music educators are becoming a rare bunch. I remember writing about this once. So many people are concerned about music being consumed and produced in a more digital way, and that it's becoming way more artificial everyday. But only teachers are aware that training students will also become a scarcity too. Realizing the power in their hands, not many people are gonna feel the urge to sing for real. They can easily record and edit their voices whenever they want to. They can get a thousand likes for putting their record on Instagram and get instant gratification, like... in a heartbeat.
So why aren't we doing anything? Teaching students one-on one is always crucial. Instructing them, guiding them is crucial. And also not enough.
I know that I am not the only one with these thoughts but I'm not seeing enough effort from the educators around me. I know people think some of it this way, but don't know what to do. But that's how it actually is. Having an open mind and doing something about it.
If you don't have the faith, take some of mine,
We gotta keep believing and keep developing each other,
Because that's how we can dissolve despair. Together.
Sincerely,
D.
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