Students

I have an issue with an adult student in her sixties who is objecting more and more to playing the Blues. We are up to Billy at the Footy and she tells me she is just not going to learn it because it sounds horrible.…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• adults, bad memory, claiming territory, don’t like blues, forgetting, learning tools and strategies, refusing to learn songs, students writing notes

I apologize if this has already been covered on the Forum before but I have a difficult situation with a new adult student I need to resolve. This new student is in a group of four and has 6 years previous experience as a child/teen.…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• adult lessons, breakthrough, claiming territory, competing with teacher, Gordon Harvey, learning a new way of learning, previous experience, redirecting

I have a student, age 62 but physically and mentally more like 82.  I met her at a church women’s retreat in January. She found out I teach piano and was very excited. She’s always wanted to play piano and had recently purchased a piano…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• adult, adult students, asking why, bad memory, claiming territory, letting students go, not following instructions

I have a very challenging student and would like some ideas. This student is an adult. I guess partly why she is hard for me is that I am very new teacher. I have only been licensed since like September.  She is definitely a challenge. She has…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• adults, arrangements, improv, moving quickly, previous experience, using the SHMs, variations

A couple weeks ago I wrote an email about the value of accompaniment. I am writing again concerning the same student. This adult student is a very quick learner. She has not had piano “lessons” before, but she did have violin lessons, and her sister…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• adult, adult students, claiming territory, playing by ear, referring to the music, Robin Keehn, tough conversations, trusting the method

I’m looking for a couple fun projects for 8-year-old boys who are near the end of Level 1. I’m looking for ideas outside the regular Foundation, arrangement, and comp/imp projects.  I want to do a few fun, extra things with them while their classmates are…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• arrangements, playlist management, songs for children, summer lesson ideas, variations

I would like to get some thoughts on a situation that just occurred…. a parent called me today to inquire about lessons. Her daughter has had about 5 years of traditional lessons, but quit about a year ago. Her sight-reading skills are very weak. Her…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• claiming territory, following the curriculum, prior experience, teenagers, traditional lessons, trusting the method

I received a few questions today from a mum of a 11-12 year old girl. Because I’m reasonably new to SM, I’d truly appreciate some advice from those of you who are further down the track than me – particularly in regard to reading. Here…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• Laurie Richards, learning a new way of learning, mapping, reading music, students taking notes, trust the process

We, as teachers, as method coaches, open the gate and point the way down the path. We tell students that they have to walk that path without us, and we tell parents/coaches that they are the ones who will help children learn to walk that…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• coaches, coaching parents, firing students, Gordon Harvey, requirement, requirement versus request, training the trainer

I am trying to figure out how to better handle this issue in the future. I do shared lessons with 2 kids at a time. One kid has been with me for 1.5 years. He was with his brother, and his behavior was so poor…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• behavior issues, consequences, establishing rules, firing students, parental responsibility, request vs requirement, requirement based studio, setting policies