Simpedia

Anneka Sparkes, Australia

[NOTE: This Chat was conducted prior to the addition of the Foundation Session to the curriculum, in which the Simply Music philosophy, expectations of students and parents, and foundational concepts constitute the first lesson. References in this chat to conducting the first lesson do not include these concepts.]

Anneka (Aus)
For a bit of background information…
I have 15 years of experience in leading adult Shared Lessons, as before I started teaching Simply Music I ran Shared Lessons as a psychologist. I facilitated courses such as “Changing Your Thinking”, “Confidence Building”, “Effective Communication” and “Positive Parenting”.  Hence in dealing with personal issues and group dynamics that have benefited me a lot with teaching Simply Music in Shared Lessons.

I currently have 13 Shared Lessons; 8 Adults and 5 Kids. I teach 93 students. I like having Shared Lessons of about 10 – 12 people. I have had one night where I taught 15 people at the same time, and that went fine.

Issues we could discuss are:

• First session: Shared Lesson set up conversations
• Setting the atmosphere in the first session
• Keeping Shared Lessons at maximum numbers
• Treating Shared Lessons as a whole unit
• Performance issues
• What to do when a class didn’t go well
• Or anything else!

Ramona (AlaskaUSA)  I would be interested in the first issue, setting the atmosphere . . .

Emilie  I’d love to hear about the setting the atmosphere in the first session

Anneka (Aus)  Ramona, Emilie, Are you currently teaching Shared Lessons, or just private students?

Helen H (AUS)  I’m interested in all topics you mentioned

Anneka (Aus)  And Helen, Have you started teaching Shared Lessons yet?

Helen H (AUS)  Yes

Emilie  I’m a new teacher, have not taught yet. just starting

Ramona (AlaskaUSA)  I’m just getting started with SM teaching. I will have some of both.

Anneka (Aus)  One of my strengths is that I love Simply Music and I’m pretty good at conveying that enthusiasm.  When I demonstrate the songs that they’ll learn I genuinely feel excited for them, and I think that excitement rubs off on them, and motivates them to learn.

Over the years I have gained the experience of tuning in to the feel with students. Eye contact, nods, smiles or asking “What do you think” when you see a questioning or a concerned look. I always validate any concerns by repeating what this person has said, saying that that is a common concern, sometimes asking the group if anyone else feels that way, and then addressing the concern.

For example…”Will we really be playing like that?”  I might respond to by saying “It sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it?”.   And other students have often thought right at the beginning that they were going to be the one exception to my claim that everybody could learn to play.  And your fluency won’t sound like that straight away.  When you first start playing Dreams, it might sound like this (I love to demonstrate very slow, thoughtful versions of songs, full of pauses and the odd correction). This usually makes people smile, saying that is me. But I remind them that when kids first start saying “Nana” you don’t need to worry. Just by doing lots of talking they’ll learn to say BANANA fluently.

I strongly believe that in the first session you need to set certain parameters.  I start with the enthusiasm and excitement (also playing some of the songs my more advanced students will play). Then I very strongly have each student verbally agree with the commitment: PLAY ALL YOUR PIECES EVERYDAY.  I have them decide in their mind when they are going to do this and I make them raise their hand to promise they will.

Usually someone will pipe up and say something like “I’m going away next Wednesday”.  I then use that example to say that that’s not a problem, as long as the general attitude is to play every day. When you play everyday there is no way you’re not going to be an excellent piano player, who can play all the songs that I have demonstrated. And it will never feel too hard.

The time that someone has a poor Playlist I ask if they could still play all their songs when they came back to it? I then point out what may happen if they do this on a regular basis. How it will be hard to remember where to start. How their songs won’t get fluent. How then sitting down to practice will feel a bit harder and it will undermine their confidence in the group. I also invite people to ring me if they have management issues, as I have lots of ideas on how to address them (like setting times etc)

In the first session I usually go through the Curriculum Overview, which addresses a lot of good points.  The next issue I think is very important to address in the group is “Being in a Shared Lesson”.  I point out how everybody here will become friends.  NEVER TO COMPARE YOUR PLAYING TO THAT OF OTHERS, but to enjoy your progress and joy and achievements. I point out that you will find that people who are more experienced will inspire you, and you can learn things of. And you can support people who take a bit longer to get the material for the week, and in that way strengthen your own understanding of the program. I also mention that I provide arrangements of pieces for the people that have had prior experience. (Usually ALL my students master them)

Then I mention FEELINGS.  There is something about playing the piano, and about playing with other people that brings out feelings. I think Feelings are great.  They are something special to humans.

I point out the advantages of learning in Shared Lessons: You learn not just to play the piano, but to play with others, and in front of others. You also learn to pass you knowledge on. I strongly believe that it’s a great pity that the piano, by nature of its self-sufficiency, is often an instrument that people only learn to play by themselves. I believe that music was meant to be something that people shared with each other!

Back to feelings, I point out that they may well feel excited and experience joy when they master pieces. Etc. They may also feel nervous when they play in front of others. I remind them that that is very common.  So not only good feelings, there may also be less enjoyable feelings.

I sometimes paraphrase the “Feel the Fear and do it anyway” with “Feel the feeling and do it anyway”.  I acknowledge that it is just part and parcel of playing the piano. That everybody sometimes feels nervous playing in front of people. That it will get less over time.

If by the time I discuss this I have already asked everybody to play 5 Steps of Sound or a chord, I might ask in the group who felt nervous. Commonly the majority will put their hand up. It’s a good thing to have a laugh over.  At the end of the session I check in: Was that fun? Are you excited? Are you all going to play every day? And I remind people that I love getting phone calls if anything plays on their mind afterwards.

How’s that for a serious monologue?

Ramona (AlaskaUSA)  Impressive!

Anneka (Aus)  Thanks, can you sense the fun and excitement, and the honesty and commitment I’m hoping to have established?

Ramona (AlaskaUSA)  Yes – you sound like you have a dynamic presence.

Anneka (Aus)  I love teaching Shared Lessons. For me it’s like something between catching up with a bunch of friends and running a one-woman-show. Certainly at the end of the day I need some serious winding down.

Where are you at with your Shared Lessons, Helen?

Helen H (AUS)  What do you cover in your second lesson (apart from content)? I’m having a good time, I really enjoy them.

Anneka (Aus)  Helen, I have commonly had a new person joining in the second lesson. I use that to quickly review what we did last week. I call the roll, so that, although I give out name tags for the first 10 weeks, everybody hears each other’s names. I might ask people how they went. Some will come up with a funny story. And I’ll acknowledge that by some comment, adding something to it, or saying “That’s lovely”.

Emilie  WOW!

Anneka (Aus)  The second lesson is great for really “Getting to work” and demonstrating the fun of all learning a pattern on their own fingers, then pointing it out on their partner’s fingers (the person standing next to them). Having several people demonstrate and pointing out to everybody what this person does really well (beautiful putting your 5 fingers over 5 notes first or “Natasha has a lovely gentle touch”).

I have several Practice Pads in my room, and I send people off to practice what we have learned in 2s or 3s. This is where the people really bond and get to know each other.

Sandy USA  Anneka, when you explain to your students about “being in a Shared Lesson”, what does that consist of?

Anneka (Aus)  Sandy, about being in a Shared Lesson – That’s the bit where I point out all the advantages first: you learn like musicians (making music together), you can do duets, you learn from each other, you get experience playing in front of others, there is the motivation to keep up with the group, you make friends, you learn to teach as well.

And also about the scary bit (although I don’t use the word scary), like being nervous, feeling they’re not as good as someone else, etc.

Emilie  I was wondering, about what you said about inviting them to call because you have good ideas about what to do if they are stuck or have a problem, could you tell me what you say to them if they call and say they are having some kind of problem?

Anneka (Aus)  Good question, Emilie. I believe it is crucial that you never presume that if there is a problem it will hopefully go away by itself. This also is valid for you as a teacher.  If ever you have that yucky feeling in your stomach that something didn’t go well, that just means something needs to be addressed.

So if I have the feeling that student Natasha was quite withdrawn, or had a negative look on her face, or seem to have a big scare when another student made a comment like (oh, not that mistake again) (these are just examples, but anything that you picked up counts), I will check in with this student. Either after the lesson, if there is some time, or I will ring afterwards or the next day.

Common concerns are: I feel I’m holding the class back.  Or, I shouldn’t have said that. Or, I’m too loud. Or, I’m probably going to be the one who can’t do it. Or, I feel that I should be better than I am, because everybody knows I had lessons before, etc.

Reality is “NOTHING IS REALLY A PROBLEM”; It’s just an issue that needs to be addressed and managed. But first it needs to be “let out”, acknowledged and the person needs to be put at ease.  Emilie, Can you think of something that might come up in a class?

Emilie  I think you’ve addressed the things I was thinking of. Thanks, it’s so helpful!

Anneka (Aus) In Shared Lessons, the difference between the fast and the slow people often comes up. Would anyone like me to cover that?

Sandy USA yes!

Anneka (Aus)  As an example, I sometimes have people joining my Shared Lessons who have had years of lessons as a child, and people who have never done anything with two hands separately, let along ten fingers separately!  Here is where emphasizing the importance of “NOT COMPARING YOUR SELF TO OTHERS” is so important. Everybody has a different background. I point out that John might have played the piano as a child, that Elly might already play the guitar beautifully, that Michelle might have a very musical family, that Sean is a wonderful singer who sings in a choir and that (take someone who you know is comfortable in the group) Linda might have never touched an instrument in her life

Again “don’t compare yourself, because we all have different backgrounds. Just enjoy your own learning and progress. For the more advanced, I firstly acknowledge that they might well find that the first level at times goes a bit slow. But it’s not just about learning these songs; It’s about learning a new approach to learning and remembering and understanding music.

I point out that commonly more advanced players have not done blues before or accompaniment (here you usually get at least half of the advanced players agreeing).  Also, I joke that they’ll just have to put up with that experience that they are going to be really good in class (pulling a face as if this is just a real unfortunate disadvantage).

Then the real winner is pointing out how for the advanced people we are going to take DREAMS (play) and do arrangements (play Dreams Arr. I and II).  That puts them right at ease. I might also demonstrate how they’ll learn to improvise with the blues scale. I urge them NEVER TO WORK AHEAD but they are always welcome to invent variations on the pieces we do, make up their own compositions, change the rhythms etc.

Lastly, if someone is really very advanced, if you have Shared Lessons that are further along the program, with a bit of management and coaching you can train up to go a (few) level(s) ahead

Helen H (AUS)  Great thanks.

Emilie  GREAT! Anneka, you know so much, everything you’ve said has been really helpful, thank you.

Ramona (AlaskaUSA)  Thanks so much, Anneka for taking of your time to share with us. You packed a LOT into this past hour and it was very useful information. You’re a great typist, too!