Questions from Parents – Trust the Process
Found in: Coaches, Reading, Student Management
Kylie S., Australia
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 were her questions:
- I’m finding that even though Lilli is going over the older songs, it still takes her a little bit of time to remember which finger starts on which note. Once that happens, everything is good. Not sure if there’s some way that this can be shown in the book or not? (Maybe I should just make notes on the pages to remember where to start – is this something that is recommended?)
- I’m not really clear on the long-term ramifications of learning basic songs, then adding to it, without learning how to read music. I understand learning to read will come later? How easily will Lilli be able to pick up a sheet of music, and play any song that she would like? Would she have to work out the chords, say from a church hymnal before she could play it?
- Does it matter that she’s in with younger kids?
Laurie Richards., Nebraska
All very valid questions. When we first begin teaching SM, we have to trust the process as much as we ask our students to, until we get through more of the curriculum. I have some big-picture thoughts, then I will address your specific questions within that framework. It’s gonna be long.
First and foremost, ‘trusting the process’ means that students and newer teachers must accept that the experience will be nothing like what has been the norm for a long, long time; this naturally leads you to ask these questions because you don’t yet know where it’s all heading.
I use a map analogy. We are accustomed to having a complete “road map” (written music) which visually tells us where to start, which direction to travel, where the rest stops are, when to speed up, slow down, when to stop, etc. etc. When teaching songs using only playing-based strategies, we take away the road map; it’s natural to feel lost without a map if you’re not sure where you’re heading. A lot of people really want that map. However, traveling without a map allows us to be more adventurous and discover things we never, ever would have otherwise discovered – either because they weren’t on the map to begin with, or because we veer off the original route – intentionally or unintentionally. It’s much more exciting and revealing to travel using the latter method, in my opinion.
Without the map, our brains are free to create other roads and pathways – “learning a way of learning”, which is what SM is all about. The thing I always tell students is, our brains are capable of so much more than we realize. If they are skeptical about it, I will simply ask “Are you willing to consider the possibility that you are capable of doing this? Are you willing to set aside your default expectations and try?” – this commonly comes up with adults and arrangements.
Regarding your specific questions:
- “…it still takes her a little bit of time to remember which finger starts on which note”
This is normal. When it happens, it’s very common for students to conclude that they need that map. It’s not true; we are training their brains to do something differently, and it takes time, just as building new muscle takes time. However, one way to help out in the process is to, perhaps at the beginning of each lesson, go through every song and play only the first few notes as a quick review of starting positions. Students quickly realize many are the same. Encourage them to come up with their own clues. I had a student once who came up with the clue “middle of the night” helped her to remember 3 on C as the starting position for Night Storm; not actually starting the song on finger 3. - “Maybe I should just make notes on the pages to remember where to start”
NO! Put the road map away and go on an adventure! - “I’m not really clear on the long-term ramifications of learning basic songs, then adding to it, without learning how to read music.”
This is just one of those things you cannot know until you’ve been through the curriculum. The playing-based tools they are learning in early levels equip them with an additional set of tools that they will always have and use, even when reading. It will help them through the process of learning to read. They will learn to read music, once they know the ‘language’ of music and have a context within which to make sense of all those symbols. Just like learning to read as a child. Imagine learning to read the word ‘cat’ without having any understanding of what a cat is. No context, no relevance. - “How easily will Lilli be able to pick up a sheet of music, and play any song that she would like?”
That’s the big question everyone has! It depends on so, so many things, and “play any song” is incredibly vague – ANY song in the entire world? You could say that typically, students have the skills necessary to figure out any song after 2 – 3 years of lessons IF they consistently do what you ask of them, and you as a teacher follow the curriculum as intended, not leaving anything out. That is still very subjective, though. - “Does it matter that she’s in with younger kids?”
Not at all, as long as they are able to proceed at a comparable pace.