Students
Adult student resistant to comp & improv
Any advice for an adult student who is extremely resistant to comp and improv? She hates improv every time I bring it up and stomps her feet. She does it reluctantly, though. She is also showing resistance to arrangements and is practically hitting a wall…
Teacher feels out of depth with gifted student
I have a student who is very naturally gifted with composing his own songs. His songs are good enough to be on mainstream radio and his father is recording his songs at the moment through a sound recordist to mix and produce it. My issue…
Slow progress
I suspect that one of my students (9 years old) may have some learning disability as she is learning slower than I have every witnessed through she is really enjoying the process very much. Her family are refugees from Africa so I suspect some form…
The value of attending lessons
I just had a parent text me that she’s not coming to her make-up lesson today, saying “We’ll just watch the video”. However, I was planning to teach an arrangement, which is not available in the SHMs. How do I communicate the value of being…
Adult student can’t remember variations
I have an older middle-aged student who is having memory trouble with the variations. He keeps trying to write clues for himself and I’ve stopped him multiple times and told him to trust the method, and that it’s a memory builder. I’m good at seeing…
Webinar Series: 05/25/2017 – Piano – Request as Distinct from Requirement
In this webinar Neil clarifies the difference between requests and requirements and discusses the crucial role these play in your studios. Topics include: Distinction Between Request & Requirement (00:09) Consequences for Students (09:39) Students Progressing Slowly (18:27) Teachers Wanting to be Liked (21:19) Addressing Issues…
ADHD student in shared lesson
Has anyone had a successful experience of teaching a student with ADHD in a shared lesson? Student is an 8-year-old boy recently diagnosed. Grandma has taught him a little but hasn’t had any formal lessons. I only teach private lessons. I have one with ADHD.…
Adult student reluctant to improvise
I have a student in her 50s who has rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. She had to miss her last lesson as she had a sore wrist. She told me today at her lesson that her physiotherapist told her to give up piano. She doesn’t want…
Life coaches for teenage students
Question about life coaches: adult students aren’t required to have one, I’m assuming, though it would admittedly help if they did, I’m sure. At what age does that happen? Just when they aren’t living at their parents’ house? There is a very responsible 16-year-old with…
Starting age for Simply Music students
I am curious to know what age you start Simply Music from generally. I read somewhere, quite a while ago now, that someone started a 3-year-old in the program. I think there’s a Teacher Workshop or a recorded phone call about assessing children for readiness…