Simpedia

Laurie Richards, Nebraska

I wanted to share a teaching experience I had a few weeks ago. One of my adult students, Julie, is a delightful person and so excited about learning piano and LOVES Simply Music. A few weeks ago her classmates couldn’t make it to class so it was just her. She was visibly stressed, and I asked her if she was okay. We talked about some things that had been weighing on her and then she said, “Let’s just skip the lesson tonight, I’m not in a good frame of mind anyway.”

I said, “Well, let’s just look at a couple of things you’re working on and make sure it’s okay.” We spent a few minutes on that, then I suggested she de-stress by improvising with me. She looked a bit skeptical, but I said, “Just play something really simple on the black notes. Close your eyes, just play, and don’t stop until I say so.”

I played the lower part of Life Song from Time for More Music. I use this a lot – it is the most gorgeous, relaxing duet, and the lower part is perfect for accompanying black-note improvisation (thank you Neil for this song!). I played through it several times without stopping, she played beautifully, and I could just feel the tension melting away from her. When we finally stopped, she looked at me and her eyes were brimming, almost ready to cry. She said she felt physically different – lighter and calmer. We also looked at the lyrics on the Upper part, which were perfect. She actually mailed me a thank you note a few days after that lesson.

Main point – she was blown away by the impact of that short musical experience. Sometimes it is important to forget all your lesson plans, take advantage of the right moment, and let students experience that magic. Then they really understand what we mean by ‘music as a lifelong companion’. Bonus – it feels just as wonderful to you as it does to them!