Claiming Territory

I had a 79-year-old lady who is a traditional teacher, sign up for lessons with me so that she could learn herself and then go home and teach her grandkids using this method.  Her 89-year-old friend also signed up, and I put them together in…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• adult students, arrangements, claiming territory, coaching, moving ahead on the video, prior experience, shared lessons, students who move ahead, traditional experience

In response to: “… How do I deal with students who continually move ahead on the videos, even though I have told them not to?…” Students deciding to move ahead on the videos is a problem, and in the long run it sabotages their progress.…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• arrangements, claiming territory, comp & improv, duets, ideas for bored students, improv ideas, moving ahead on videos, requirements, SM big picture

The following is an email exchange between Carrie L., Michigan and Kim L.  Questions and answers were edited and organized in a particular order. She has had prior lesson experience and is very quick and smart. The 2nd lesson her mom mentioned that she gets…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• claiming territory, coaches, coaching, impatient student, Playlist

I have a student who has played in the past, and has a habit of twisting her hands laterally (outwards) when playing chords. She wants to use her own fingering, and complains about having to use the fingering as instructed, and even included on her…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• claiming territory, coaching, fingering, Neil Moore, resistant students, SM big picture, technique, twisting hands

I have a new adult private student with previous experience. She has had 4 lessons. I taught Dreams and Night the first lesson and told her she’d probably feel like going ahead but I wanted her to wait. Well, second lesson she came back and…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• accompaniment, fast moving student, learning a new way of learning, previous experience

I have an experienced student who is 9 years old and has been playing for about 4-5 years in a traditional method. Reading is fair, but he has been playing by ear for years and his overall ability and absorption rate, in this area, is…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• accompaniment, arrangements, fast moving, long term relationships, rate of learning, student, students with previous experience, traditional students

I would like to know what do you say to students or parents when they do not bring their playlist or note books?, or and they bring it but they did not mark it but parents say they practice every day anyway? Also when students are in a…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• analogies, claiming territory, long term relationships, Playlist, relationship conversation, requirements, Robin Keehn

I’d like to know if you have any standard policies and strategies regarding uncooperative young children. I am dealing with a 5 year old boy who is very un-cooperative. He is in a class with another 5 year old boy. If I give him an…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• correcting behavior, shared lessons, studio policies, uncooperative child

I have a student who has just started F2, had done 4 arrangements. She is learning a few other instruments as well. She is a fast learner, able to play the new songs hands together immediately after I show her. She has asked me to…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• Accompaniment‏, arrangements, composition, foundation duets, Gordon Harvey, improvisation, learning a new way of learning, other songs, playlist management, songs outside the repertoire, variations

I have an 8 year old boy who does things like sit in a chair that is not where all the other kids are sitting or he’ll get up when I turn my head and go down the hall way or he won’t watch as…

• Last updated 10 years ago
• behavior in class, claiming territory, group lessons, losing student