The Good Musician

Five ways to make your music teacher smile

by csnowden on May 7th, 2008

If you take musical instruction, here are five tips to keep your teacher happy.

1. Show up. This should go without saying, but you’d be surprised at how ditching just one lesson can mean the difference between a so-so musician and a good musician. Even if you can’t play or sing, you can talk through the music with your teacher.

2. Be prepared to play or sing on the dot. Arrive early enough to soak your reed, warm up your instrument, or vocalize–whatever you need to do to be prepared to get right to the music. Make the most of your time with your teacher–focus, listen, respond–if you want to chat, do it before or after the lesson, not during.

3. Complete your assignment for the lesson. If your teacher asked you to run a particularly tricky passage until it’s fluid, make sure you have practiced enough during the week so the phrase lays naturally in your fingers or voice and you can move on to new material.

4. Remember that your teacher wants you to improve musically. Don’t take criticism personally–it’s all about growing as a musician. Mark your music so you will know what to work on for the next lesson, and make sure you understand your next assignment.

5. Impress your teacher with supporting information you’ve found during the week on other pieces by the composer you’re studying, some tidbit about the life of that composer, or similar works by other composers. It adds depth to your musical knowledge and understanding, and you just might surprise your teacher with some juicy dish!

Keep in mind that practice makes possible–don’t worry about the perfect. If musicians were perfect, there would be no room for learning and growth. It would get pretty boring with no challenge to improve. I’m sure you’ve heard musicians who are technically proficient, but have no emotional connection with the music or their audience. Do your best every time you pick up your instrument or open your mouth–it’s all about building on good habits and communicating with your peeps.

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POSTED IN: Instrumental, Music education, Music history and theory, Performance practices, Vocal