Random access: do your students take their teacher home?

American Music Teacher, April-May, 2004 by George F. Litterst

Compared to the classroom teacher, the private music instructor has a tremendous advantage. The private teacher typically works with one student at a time, and when the private teacher works with groups, the number of students usually is small. This allows us the opportunity to become intimately acquainted with each student's learning style and tailor our instruction accordingly. If we do our job well, we send each student home with a perfectly matched assignment and brilliantly conceived instructions for efficient, daily practice.

The unfortunate aspect of private instruction is we usually see each child just one time per week. That means most of our students' musical learning takes place outside the bounds of our direct instruction. I am willing to wager that most teachers would agree their students' practice would be demonstrably improved by expert supervision. Some kids actually receive such supervision from knowledgeable and involved parents. Many other children, however, spend a lot of practice time working inefficiently--at best--or counterproductively--at worst.

Many teachers respond to this problem by trying to beef up their weekly instruction. One strategy is to increase the lesson time if possible. In some cases, teachers insist on seeing students twice a week, or perhaps they offer each student both a private and group lesson.

Other teachers have established a technology corner in their studio. The basic idea is the teacher can teach one child, while one or more other students work independently, using computer software programs, intelligent keyboards or other tools to guide their learning. Examples include software programs that drill music fundamentals, keyboard/computer setups that provide an interactive composition environment, software programs or videotapes that immerse students in music history and even keyboard/software combinations that structure intelligent practice.

The best of these technology-based resources have repeatedly proven themselves to be productive extensions of the private lesson. Many creative teachers have found they can even charge more money by virtue of their extended offerings.

Given these successful experiences, I find myself asking this question: If these technology-based took are effective for independent work in the teacher's studio, shouldn't they be equally useful at home?

Taking the Teacher Home

Teachers who have added technology-based components to their private studio or created MIDI labs in school environments have faced two major hurdles:

* These cool teaching resources cost money.

* It takes an investment of time to learn how to setup, use and wisely employ these technological marvels.

However, while we have struggled with these issues, time has marched on. Remarkably, during the last few years, large numbers of households have acquired many tools we aspire to have in our studios. The result is we now can require many of our students to use the same tools at home that we have or want to have in our own studios. Most importantly, our students may not have to spend much more money to do so.

If we can provide our students with the best tools at home, we may find more of our instruction stays with them during their independent learning time.

Let's look at some examples that apply to all areas of performance instruction, including keyboard, instrumental and voice.

Computers

Most families now have a computer at home. In fact, many families have more than one. Often times, they even have a seemingly obsolete computer that is unused and is gathering dust somewhere. Many of the useful music software programs work on both new and old computers. It may be necessary for the family to invest only in the software program you require. The big investment in the computer already has been made.

CD and MP3 Players

The least expensive technology available in most homes is the CD player and its derivatives. CDs are playable not only in a CD player but in any modern computer.

Many kids are quite CD-savvy and expert in the art of ripping. Ripping a CD means extracting the audio tracks from the CD and saving them as sound files, such as MP3, on the computer. MP3 files can be transferred easily to small, portable MP3 players--devices available in many homes as well.

A huge amount of accompaniment material is available on CD. Examples include CDs for the various Suzuki instrumental methods, accompaniments for most major piano teaching series, the traditional Music-Minus-One library (www.musicminusone.com) for instrumentalists and singers, instrumental concerti from Dowani (www.dowani.com) and Pocket Songs (www.pocketsongs.com) for vocalists.

Many pedagogical CDs come with two or even three tempi: one or two for slow practice and one for concert performance.

Many benefits come from practicing with CD accompaniments, including the establishment of a rhythmic groove, clarification of rhythmic issues, increased musical expression and the general excitement of playing with an ensemble. Students who work with CD accompaniments quickly learn to eliminate the stumble spots in their pieces.