Stressed teenaged student
Found in: Teen Students
Cate R., Australia
My sensitive teen cried last night at class and I know she has been struggling but her dad tells me she absolutely loves her lessons and playing piano. Here’s the problem, she will only work on songs she loves, only do the things she wants to do, so at the moment it’s Lullaby and Billy at the Footy. She has already forgotten Lead Me to Light as she thinks it is too happy. I’ve asked her to change it into a minor key but she didn’t do it.
She says she plays every day but if that’s true it certainly isn’t evident. Dad finally revealed that she’s been under a lot of stress lately as she’s changed schools a couple of times, they’ve moved house, and now mom and dad are having a break from each other. I said that I would slow down for her to take the pressure off, so I’ll concentrate more on RR and RN and help her with a few forgotten pieces that she loves. Any other suggestions?
Annette S., California
Have you got her working on an Accompaniment piece? One that is current of her choice?
Cate R., Australia
I have suggested that but she doesn’t like either of them. She just says, “I don’t know, I don’t know what I like”. I think she is very sad and very lost. I know that this is a territory thing but honestly if this is the only thing she seems to be in control of…I’ll push her on the accompaniment, she might surprise me and say the Beatles.
Carrie L.,Michigan
I would do what she needs at the moment, whatever that is.
Mark M., New York
I always like to say that with songs you don’t prefer, it’s even more important to practice them effectively–so effectively that you can play them less and less often, and as quickly as possible get them to where you only practice them so infrequently that it just doesn’t bother you so much.
Leeanne I., Australia
Perfect time to start a composition project. Something sad in a minor key or maybe something angry?
Joanne D., Australia
What about an improvisation in the middle of playing Tear for a Friend or Night Storm, and finishing with the original song?
Elaine F., South Carolina
Perfect time to let her use music to soothe herself. I would lean towards not pushing very much. Maybe talk about it and agree to revisit it again in a month. She has plenty of stress. Not the time to worry about territory. There is time for that later.