Motivational strategies: hearing three sides of the story - Pedagogy Saturday VII

American Music Teacher, Oct-Nov, 2003 by Bruce Berr, Rebecca Shockley, Patricia J. Flowers

VIDEO #5

The fifth tape also was of a private piano lesson: eight-year-old Rachel, who is at the intermediate level. The lesson was taught in her home studio by Lydia McVay, an independent piano teacher in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Rachel has been in the McVay studio for four years and also studies harp.

This tape was chosen because it shows motivation from many angles: excellent teaching of technique and musicality; very sensitive relating of the teacher to the student; and integrated use of technology, which is probably the most striking aspect. McVay uses technology during every lesson. I asked her about this. Her e-mail reply: "I videotape every lesson for every student so that they have a tool for practice at home. There are video cameras at each end of the keyboard and a monitor for viewing. Students can view their hand positions, posture and essentially take each lesson home with them for review. This spares me the job of writing instructions and lesson assignments, and the students can listen to their playing and see what they were doing at the lesson. The audio quality is extremely good. I have been doing this for quite some time now, and it works well with the students. I can also switch the camera from side to side to give a different view (ie., RH or LH, and also zoom in and out). The children are perfectly comfortable with the cameras."

What seemed significant to me was that the technology, as pervasive and successful as it was, was always just a tool. It merely supplemented excellent teaching in a studio where it was obvious the human touch is never absent!

Pat Flowers's Notes:

Lots of time spent making music (playing by student). Nice to hear a run through without interruption. Teacher nodded, smiled, gave cues for expression and didn't pick on little stuff.

Child is very focused and really uses the technology (watches her hand position on the monitor). Teacher uses verbal positive reinforcement, but child already knows she did well--good music making is already intrinsically motivating for this child.

Teacher and student are on the same wavelength.

Effective pacing. The rate of information is quick, with easy segues from student playing (teacher listening) to modeling, cueing, hand shaping and so on.

When teacher was at second piano, teacher emphasizes expression, sings along. They play like two musicians doing chamber music, creating something together.

Bruce Berr's Notes:

Rachel appears always engaged in the teaching and playing.

Effective teaching of the nitty-gritty of piano technique: rotation, throwing, breathing.

Interesting what the teacher chose not to address for the sake of flow and success of larger, more important issues--the hallmark of a very experienced teacher.

The teacher wastes virtually no time with stopping and starting. Uses a combination of verbal and nonverbal instructions to keep the student playing and making adjustments almost constantly--again, the mark of a skilled veteran teacher.

Different physical stances during lesson: close together when need be, further away at other times.