Learning traditionally and Simply Music concurrently
Found in: Other Methods, Students with Prior Experience
Heidi M., Canada
I met someone who would like for me to teach her 6-year-old daughter, and she really likes the SM method now that she heard about it. But she already (a couple of weeks ago) had enrolled her daughter in a brief 6-week “group” piano class in some kind of traditional style lessons for children, that involves some simple form of reading notes. Apparently, her daughter likes it but also likes what I showed her about SM. The mother thinks there should not be a problem for her daughter to do both at once, but for me I see a conflict, or at least a potential source of confusion for her daughter, since she will be processing the note-reading method on one hand and then doing the SM way (without notes). Is this correct? I am thinking of suggesting to her mother that if she wants to enroll her daughter, it must be after she finished the other class, just another five weeks from now. Or do any of you have other suggestions?
Rebecca G., Colorado
I would do as you’ve suggested – do not try to do both at once, and you need to get a commitment from the mom and child that they won’t read any music once they’re enrolled with you until you start teaching it. You can tell her that our approach to reading is very different from traditional lessons and it will interfere with her progress if she attempts to read before you teach her the SM way. If you can’t get agreement from them on this, I would tell them that you can’t enroll them – otherwise you’ve let them claim territory before lessons have even started. It’s important to say no when a student isn’t a good match for your studio.
Brenda D., Colorado
It can only be one or the other. It will only end being confusing for the student.
Cheri S., Utah
It’s not just a confusion of information, but also potentially a confusion of culture and attitude toward music lessons – the role of the parent, the urgency of reading notes right away, etc.
I’ve found that parents who are drawn to early childhood programs that focus on reading notes in a fun and (theoretically) age-appropriate way may put a premium on that kind of learning – the kind where you can check off an “important” skill. So they can be less willing to trust the SM method. It may seem to them that we’re just playing songs.
I’m not exactly sure what their block is, but of the three parents who came to me from these kinds of programs, only one chose Simply Music, and that one only lasted 2 weeks. And I wasn’t surprised, because although I can’t pinpoint it, I could sense that cultural difference right away.
Anna J., Canada
I’ve been teaching SM in Canada for 5 years and I’d like to offer a little different perspective. I don’t think having different approaches to reading needs to be a problem. I live in an area where most kids in public school get a pretty good introduction to music, and by the time we get to the reading program in SM they’ve already been introduced to the notes of the treble clef (using the old tricks of FACE to name the spaces, etc), and know at least half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes.
This is not a battle I can win; I can’t tell them they can’t read notes this way or read music, so maybe my perspective is borne out of necessity. But nevertheless, I feel you’re always better off with more tools in your pocket. So my perspective has been to say to families (and this includes students who have come to me with a background in traditional piano too) that I’m not going to stop them from reading music this way. They can read and play whatever they’d like outside the SM curriculum and use whatever variety of ways of reading music they want. I personally am not going to get in the way of students pursuing what makes them passionate and curious about music.
However, when it comes to the Foundation material, and all the variations/arrangements/etc that goes with that, they NEED to work with me at learning it in a playing-based way. There’s no wiggle room there. And similarly, when we get to the reading process, we need to process it the way SM unfolds it. I make it clear to them that this is another approach, another way to process music. I personally find it superior, and I say so, but ultimately they get to choose what works for them once they have all the tools.
That being said, I’ve not personally been faced with this particular situation where a student is considering both traditional and SM at the same time. I do think that could prove confusing and slow the process down on both sides. However, in general, I don’t think having a reading-based experience alongside a playing-based one needs to be a problem in the right context.
Rochelle G., California
My first question is that how much reading is she going to accomplish in six weeks as a six-year-old? Then I would wrap up everything everyone has said previously in a pleasant but firm approach and say, “Hey, that’s great, you’ve already signed up for those other classes. If you can’t get a refund, go ahead and enjoy them! But when you come to me, this is how it’s going to be…any reading skills you learned in the six weeks we will let simmer in your brain and throughout our very different approach to reading later on in the Simply Music curriculum. All of the tools you’ve gathered along the way will come together in your great big giant musical toolbox”.