Success in half an hour a week - The Short Music Lesson

American Music Teacher, April-May, 2002 by Jane Bradley

Editor's note: Student names used in this article do not refer to existing students.

We teach because we love the job. We are not looking for fame or riches. We are not hoping to produce star performers--though a few now and then would be nice. What most of us want is to see our students make steady progress, play well and enjoy a warm relationship with us along the way.

As much as we may love teaching, we know that talent and dedication are not enough. We also must excel at managing time. We see our students once a week, sometimes for only half an hour, and in this one meeting we have to teach an art involving muscles, ears, intellect and emotions; show the student how to practice in the week ahead; and, somehow, inspire him or her to practice. This is the reality. We achieve our miracles one minute at a time.

Music Lessons and Dinner Parties

A successful music lesson is like a successful dinner party. It requires advanced planning, a varied menu, attention to detail and a happy atmosphere.

A varied menu at a dinner party includes four food groups--protein, fat, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables--combined in delicious ways. Too much of any one group leads to indigestion and malnutrition. A balanced menu where the unexpected mixes with the well-loved favorite sends guests home happy. A varied menu in the music program combines technique, ear training, factual learning and emotions. It is one that makes the student feel good and sends him or her home eager to practice. An unbalanced musical diet feeds the student tough, tasteless meals and sends him or her home exhausted.

Violin

Teri Einfeldt, a member of the violin faculty at the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut, and an internationally known Suzuki teacher trainer, shares her menu for a half-hour violin lesson for a seven- or eight-year-old in the second or third year of study.

"Whatever you do in the lesson, they will copy at home," she says. And do not start by running through the new piece, or that may be all they do at home. Einfeldt asks students to practice daily for the same length of time as their lesson.

Lesson for eight-year-old Kevin:

1. Tonalization/warm-up--usually a scale. This indicates the focus of the lesson and applies to all parts of the lesson.

2. Note reading--about five minutes. The note reading is part of an ongoing sequence, with daily assignments to be done at home with parental assistance.

3. A review piece--one previously assigned or from the list of pieces in every student's musical library.

4. The new piece--assigned tough spots and new details. Then, and only if there is time, may Kevin play the entire piece. Think of the new piece as "the dessert." Suzuki students have a common repertoire, shared by all. He has looked forward to playing this piece for a long time because he has heard it played in group classes and recitals. He also has been listening to a recording of it daily for some time. It is not unknown territory; he is very excited.

In addition to the individual lesson, Kevin attends a repertoire class each week, during which previously learned pieces are rehearsed, and an orchestra practice geared to his level. His mother attends every lesson to take notes, sometimes taping the lesson for review at home so everyone is clear about exactly what the teacher said and able to implement her suggestions throughout the week.

Einfeldt says a variety of activities is essential to hold the student's attention and create a well-rounded program. Pictures, photos, charts, toys and games make her studio inviting, and it is a pleasure to see how well students respond to her warm personality. Einfeldt says the half-hour lesson works until a student is learning the F-major/D-minor finger pattern or is in the second book of any method, at which point a forty-five-minute to one-hour lesson becomes essential. Remember, lesson length and daily practice length should be the same--a half-hour lesson requires half an hour of daily practice.

Winds

Sue Spalding, who teaches French horn at the Hartt School, believes the half-hour lesson works well until the student encounters an embouchure problem that could be caused by a growth spurt, braces or simply being young. There is not time to fix the problem in thirty minutes, and he or she may become frustrated by being unable to move ahead. Although this physical problem is most common for wind students, teachers of every instrument can relate. Regarding parental involvement, Spalding says some children are too immature to hear and remember instructions at the lesson, so a parent can be invaluable for tracking what students should do at home. "Practice makes permanent," she reminds them, "so practice correctly."

Spalding's students, like Einfeldt's, all are members of their school band or orchestra, which helps them develop skills like following a conductor, staying in time with others, note reading and cooperating with others working on a worthwhile activity.

Percussion

Laurie Russell teaches percussion. She is executive director of the Winchester Community Music School in Winchester, Massachusetts. She uses a lot of activities and energy during her half-hour lessons. For the youngest children (Lessons can start in second grade if a child is well-coordinated.), a parent attends the lesson to take notes and help with practice.