communication

Any great ice-breaker ideas for piano lessons?!?!? I’ve been recommitting to group lessons this year and so I have several returning students who are coming together in new groups. While they all know me, they’ll be new to each other and I’d love to find…

• Last updated 4 years ago
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You know how you have a little small talk before the class begins…finding out how they are and how piano was that week? Well, this week I tried a little different angle. I asked “Did you make any musical discoveries this week”. The answers surprised…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• checking in, communicate, communicating where you are at, communication, conversations, discovery, question, relationship, relationships, small talk, talking about SM

I noticed an unexpected benefit today in my virtual lessons – because I wasn’t there to have more ‘hands on’ instruction,they had to think through and process instruction a little differently. It seemed more generative as they spoke the instructions kinda to themselves and figured…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• benefits of online lessons, class notes, communic, communicate, communication, developing generative skills, distance lessons, ear training, FaceTime, generative, generative learning, generative students, generative tools, Google Hangouts, learning online, lesson notes, notes, Notes Book, notes books, online, online learning, online lessons, organizing teacher notes, self generating, self generative, self-generate, self-generation, Skype, student writing notes, students taking notes, students writing notes, teaching online, white board, whiteboard, writing notes, writing simply music notes, Zoom

Although we are super pleased we have such high retention rates due to lots of long term conversations, recently we are finding (within the last year or so) that people are tactfully avoiding 1. Talking to us about issues or things they are confused about…

• Last updated 4 years ago
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I have found quite a few of my students are very emotional at lessons. When that happens, lessons are a bit of stressful for me sometimes. Do you have similar experience? My own children (now grown) never exhibited this sort of behaviors when they were…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• behavior, behavior in class, behavior issues, challenge, challenges, challenging behavior, challenging student, communicate, communicating where you are at, communication, cry, crying, disappointment, emotion, emotional, emotional limitations, emotional student, emotional students, emotions, expectations for behavior, expression, feelings, frustrated, frustrated student, frustration, managing emotion, misbehavior, mistakes, negative behavior, playing through mistakes, relationship, relationship with coach, relationships, self expression, stress, student behavior, student makes me feel uncomfortable, upset

One of my farthest-along students is pushing back on writing lyrics because she doesn’t want to sing. I assigned composition two weeks in a row–make up a song. Then I assigned to make up words for the song. Mom texted me today (their lesson is…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• 3 legged stool, alignment with coaches, changing lyrics, claiming territory, coach, coach responsibility, coaches, communication, composing, composition, composition skills, compositions, creating lyrics, emotion, emotional, emotional limitations, emotions, integrity, Laurie Richards, lesson requirements, limitations, lyric games, lyrics, making lyrics, making up lyrics, managing coaches, managing singing, reclaiming territory, relationship with coach, request, request vs requirement, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement versus request, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, resistance to c&i, resistant students, selective coaching, shy, shy student, singing, singing along, singing in class, stool analogy, student composition, student processing and resisting approach, teaching with integrity, territory, three legged stool, upset, writing compositions, writing lyrics

A parent asked me tonight “when will my daughter be able to hear a song, and just know how to play it with all the chords and in the right key?” I was unsure how to answer this, so of course I told the truth,…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• Accompaniment‏, chord, chord structure, chord theory, chords, communication, different facets of musicianship, ear training, expectation, expectations, FIS, four goals, free introductory session, goals, Gordon Harvey, Laurie Richards, managing expectations, matching pitch, musicianship, parent expectation, parental expectations, perfect pitch, pitch, play-by-ear, playing by ear, playing by ear method, playing chords, relative pitch, SM goals, standard of musicianship, talking about expectations

Teachers, do you have a system for emergencies? For example, I was thinking of having an “emergency card” in my studio with contact info for a trusted neighbor and my husband in case something happens to me during a lesson. Then I wondered if I…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• coaches, communication, contact info, contact information, emergency, emergency card

Today we had a recital. I always struggle with what to say after each student has played their song. Everyone is clapping, then I pop back up again to introduce the next performer. I say “that was great” then the next student I’ll say “that…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• acknowledging students, communication, Gordon Harvey, ideas for recitals, introducing students, introducing to students, private recital, public recital, public recitals, recital, recital acknowledgments, recital format, recital ideas, recital introductions, recital program, recital programs, recitals, recognition, recognizing students

Can anyone point me towards resources to help a student with performance anxiety? She’s 13 and used to willingly play and sing for anyone who’d ask, but now she’s extremely resistant even as she’s a fabulous and sensitive musician. I’ve never felt like much of…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• anxiety, anxious, anxious student, communication, enjoying the process, expressive playing, fun, Gordon Harvey, mindfulness, nerves, nervous, nervousness, performance, performance anxiety, performing, performing in front of others, playing, playing duet at recital, playing fluently, playing in front of others, playing in the moment, playing with distractions, playing with expression, playing with families, private recital, public performances, public recital, public recitals, recital, recitals, student anxiety